About
Hard things, explained properly
I built Ransford's Notes for people who love technical things and want to become genuinely good at them, but do not always know where to start. That includes people like me and my wife who are neurodivergent, and plenty of neurotypical people too.
If you are the sort of person who needs to understand the whole chain of reasoning, not just the final answer, you are in exactly the right place.
On this page
Why this site exists
A lot of technical content fails not because it is hard, but because it is badly explained. Concepts are wrapped in unexplained jargon, assumptions are left unstated, and if you miss one step, the whole explanation collapses. That makes deep understanding almost impossible, especially if you need clarity rather than vibes.
So many of us end up teaching ourselves because the alternatives are frustrating, vague, or frankly unhelpful. This site exists to fix that.
I am not interested in sounding clever. I am interested in you being able to look at a real system, ask the right questions, and know what a good answer should look like.
Everything here is designed to take you from absolute beginner to real expertise, step by step, with explanations that do not skip logic, practical experiments you can actually try, and quizzes that test understanding rather than memorisation.
The aim is not to impress you with complexity, but to remove it where it is unnecessary and explain it properly where it is not. If something cannot be explained clearly, it probably is not understood properly. That principle underpins the entire site.
How it is built (for real learning)
The design rule is simple: if you miss one step and everything collapses, that is a teaching failure, not a student failure. So the site is built to keep the steps visible.
Clarity first
Definitions are explicit. Assumptions are written down. If a term matters, it gets explained before it gets used.
Practice, not theatre
Tools and experiments are there so you can try the idea, break it, and learn what changed. That is how understanding sticks.
Checks for understanding
Quizzes aim to test reasoning, not memory. If you can explain your choice, you are learning. If you guessed, we try again.
Who this is for
- People moving into data, digitalisation, cybersecurity, AI, or architecture and wanting proper foundations
- Engineers and regulators who need to understand digital concepts well enough to ask good questions
- Students who prefer patient explanations, examples, and practice over vague “you’ll get it eventually” teaching
- Neurodivergent learners who benefit from structured layouts and step-by-step build-up
The short version
This site is here to make hard things understandable, without dumbing them down.
It is built for people who want depth, clarity, and honesty.
If that sounds like you, you are in the right place.
Who I am
Hi, I'm Ransford Chung Amponsah. I grew up in Ghana and moved to the UK at 16 to continue my education and be closer to family.
I have always loved learning technical subjects and, just as importantly, teaching them in a way people can actually digest. I learn best by understanding how things really work, and I enjoy exchanging ideas with people who care about getting things right rather than sounding clever.
By background, I am a Chartered Engineer and a TOGAF Certified Practitioner.
For my day job, I work as a senior manager in digitalisation for the GB energy sector as a regulator, leading sector-wide data and digital strategy and shaping how complex systems evolve in practice, not just on paper.
Alongside that, I volunteer with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers as a Council Member and Professional Reviewer, including chartership applications. I have also worked as a Mechanical Engineering Lecturer, teaching mathematics, statistics, and engineering principles to HNC, HND, and A-level students. Teaching reinforced something I already suspected: clarity beats cleverness every time.
I will spare you the rest of the qualifications. This is not a CV and that is very much intentional. If you really want a CV, I will probably turn it into a course. It will be far too long, mildly opinionated, and will definitely include a quiz. That is the compromise.
Credentials and memberships
I keep this lightweight in public pages. You can view verification links and evidence on the credentials page.
Get in touch
If you spot an error or have feedback, I want to hear it. Corrections make the site better.
Trust and safety (how I keep this honest)
This site aims to be accurate, but it is not a regulator, certifier, or professional body. If I claim something, I try to make it checkable. If I cannot make it checkable, I label it clearly as an opinion, a model, or a best-effort summary.
Sources over vibes
I prefer official documentation, standards, and primary sources. When guidance changes, I update the site, but I do not pretend everything updates instantly.
Models, not magic
Tools are educational models. They can teach you how a mechanism works, but they are not production systems and they are not legal advice.
Safety by design
Do not paste real secrets or confidential information into the tools. Use dummy data. Your future self will thank you.
Corrections welcome
If you spot something wrong, please tell me. A good correction is a gift. A great correction is free quality assurance.
Credentials (quick view)
The full verification view (including the Credly embed and the IMechE Council reference link) is on /credentials. This is a quick preview.
Note: organisations referenced are not affiliated with or endorsing this site unless explicitly stated.
Outside of work
A little more about me
When I am not thinking about systems, architecture, or teaching, I am usually training. I enjoy powerlifting and bodybuilding and I am currently chasing a 300 kg squat and a 100 kg incline dumbbell press. Progress is slow, measurable, and humbling, which I find oddly comforting.
I also love table tennis and used to play in local leagues, picking up a few borough-level championship trophies along the way. At home, I enjoy DIY projects and I am currently building a garden to grow flowers for my wife, along with some fruit and vegetables. Engineering habits die hard.
I am very into motorbikes and prefer to maintain, modify, and occasionally dismantle them myself. Past and present bikes include a UM Commando, a Triumph Rocket 3 GT (2022), a Honda NC750X (2025), and a Honda CB125R (2025). I also tinker with robotics as a hobbyist, mostly because it combines logic, hardware, and patience in equal measure.
For balance, I enjoy anime, with One Piece currently holding the crown. I am always happy to watch K-dramas, shows like Love Is Blind, or detective films such as the Knives Out series with my dear wife. I enjoy cooking, catching up with friends, and spending time with our cat, Sesame, who runs the house.
Most importantly, I am deeply grateful for my church family, for my wider family, and above all to God for my wife and the people around me. Their wisdom, patience, and guidance matter more to me than any professional achievement.
Sesame, our rescue cat
This is Sesame. She is a rescue cat and the undisputed head of household. She supervises studying, quality control, and any situation involving food.
Where to start
Courses
Structured learning paths with conservative time estimates.
Tools
Small labs you can run in minutes to build intuition.
Games
Practice through play, with quick rules and short sessions.
Studios
Guided workflows that feel like a walkthrough, not a form.
One small request
If something is unclear, tell me. If something is wrong, definitely tell me. This site improves because people point at the weak bits.