diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..079413f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+    "C_Cpp.default.cppStandard": "c++20",
+    "cmake.debugConfig": {
+        "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}"
+    }
+}
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 24fd749..ac0c6bc 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,9 +2,13 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.31)
 
 project(Ugly)
 
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED TRUE)
+
 find_package(GLEW REQUIRED)
 find_package(glfw3 CONFIG REQUIRED)
 find_package(glm CONFIG REQUIRED)
 
 add_subdirectory(./source/app)
+add_subdirectory(./source/log)
 add_subdirectory(./source/shader)
diff --git a/assets/shaders/shader.frag b/assets/shaders/shader.frag
index cca0412..cb20cbc 100644
--- a/assets/shaders/shader.frag
+++ b/assets/shaders/shader.frag
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@ out vec4 color;
 
 void main() {
     color = vec4(_color, 1.0);
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/assets/shaders/shader.vert b/assets/shaders/shader.vert
index 66e6211..3301671 100644
--- a/assets/shaders/shader.vert
+++ b/assets/shaders/shader.vert
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@ out vec3 _color;
 void main() {
     _color = color;
     gl_Position = vec4(position, 0.0, 1.0);
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/source/app/CMakeLists.txt b/source/app/CMakeLists.txt
index be99367..898aa95 100644
--- a/source/app/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/source/app/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,5 +13,6 @@ target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}
     GLEW::GLEW
     glfw
     glm::glm
+    UglyLogLib
     UglyShaderLib
 )
diff --git a/source/app/main.cpp b/source/app/main.cpp
index d16406b..aced843 100644
--- a/source/app/main.cpp
+++ b/source/app/main.cpp
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <iterator>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
diff --git a/source/app/src/App.cpp b/source/app/src/App.cpp
index 7e50cfd..31d43b9 100644
--- a/source/app/src/App.cpp
+++ b/source/app/src/App.cpp
@@ -1,24 +1,31 @@
 #include "App.hpp"
 
-#include <cstdlib>
 #include <iostream>
 
 #include <GL/glew.h>
 #include <GLFW/glfw3.h>
 
+#include "LogUtils.hpp"
 #include "ShaderProgramBuilder.hpp"
+#include "TimestampLog.hpp"
+
 
 int App::main(std::vector<std::string> &args) {
+    auto cerrLog = ugly::TimestampLog{std::cerr, "ugly::log"};
+    ugly::log = ugly::LogAlias{&cerrLog};
+    ugly::log("hello, world! app started.");
+
     auto app = App{};
     app.game_loop();
-    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+
+    ugly::log("app quitting.");
+    return 0;
 }
 
 
 void App::error_callback_s(int error, const char *description)
 {
-    std::cerr << "[GLFW error]: " << description << '\n';
-    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    ugly::log("(glfw error): {}", description);
 }
 
 
@@ -45,7 +52,7 @@ App::App():
     glfwMakeContextCurrent(mpWindow);
     glewExperimental = GL_TRUE;
     if(glewInit() != GLEW_OK) {
-        error_callback_s(GLFW_NO_ERROR, "glewInit() failed");
+        ugly::log("glewInit() failed!");
     }
 
     float vertices[] = {
diff --git a/source/log/CMakeLists.txt b/source/log/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62f9bc0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/log/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+project(UglyLogLib)
+
+add_library(${PROJECT_NAME}
+    ./src/globals.cpp
+    ./src/TimestampLog.cpp
+)
+
+target_include_directories(${PROJECT_NAME}
+    PUBLIC ./include
+    PRIVATE ./src
+)
diff --git a/source/log/include/ILogFacility.hpp b/source/log/include/ILogFacility.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fea9469
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/log/include/ILogFacility.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <format>
+#include <string_view>
+
+namespace ugly {
+
+class ILogFacility {
+public:
+    virtual void vlog(std::string_view fmt, std::format_args args) = 0;
+};
+
+}
diff --git a/source/log/include/LogUtils.hpp b/source/log/include/LogUtils.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..800824e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/log/include/LogUtils.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "ILogFacility.hpp"
+
+#include <format>
+
+namespace ugly {
+
+class LogAlias {
+public:
+    ILogFacility *mpLog;
+
+    template<typename ...Args>
+    LogAlias &operator()(std::format_string<Args...> format, Args &&...args) {
+        if(mpLog) {
+            mpLog->vlog(format.get(), std::make_format_args(args...));
+        }
+        return *this;
+    }
+};
+
+extern LogAlias log;
+
+}
diff --git a/source/log/include/TimestampLog.hpp b/source/log/include/TimestampLog.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa98d8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/log/include/TimestampLog.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "ILogFacility.hpp"
+
+#include <chrono>
+#include <format>
+#include <ostream>
+#include <string_view>
+#include <string>
+
+namespace ugly {
+
+class TimestampLog: virtual public ILogFacility {
+private:
+    std::ostream &mrOutputStream;
+    std::string mDescription;
+    std::chrono::high_resolution_clock::time_point mStart;
+
+public:
+    TimestampLog(std::ostream &os, std::string_view description);
+    void vlog(std::string_view fmt, std::format_args args) override;
+};
+
+}
diff --git a/source/log/src/TimestampLog.cpp b/source/log/src/TimestampLog.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e00506
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/log/src/TimestampLog.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#include "TimestampLog.hpp"
+
+#include <format>
+#include <chrono>
+
+
+ugly::TimestampLog::TimestampLog(std::ostream &os, std::string_view description):
+    mrOutputStream{os},
+    mDescription{description},
+    mStart{std::chrono::high_resolution_clock::now()} {}
+
+
+void ugly::TimestampLog::vlog(std::string_view fmt, std::format_args args) {
+    auto now = std::chrono::high_resolution_clock::now();
+    auto timestamp = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::duration<float>>(now - mStart).count();
+    auto message = std::vformat(fmt, args);
+    mrOutputStream << std::format("[{:9.4f}] {}: {}\n", timestamp, mDescription, message);
+}
diff --git a/source/log/src/globals.cpp b/source/log/src/globals.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..637dae2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/log/src/globals.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#include "LogUtils.hpp"
+
+ugly::LogAlias ugly::log{nullptr};
diff --git a/source/shader/CMakeLists.txt b/source/shader/CMakeLists.txt
index 8446c1d..e730765 100644
--- a/source/shader/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/source/shader/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,4 +11,5 @@ target_include_directories(${PROJECT_NAME}
 
 target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}
     GLEW::GLEW
+    UglyLogLib
 )
diff --git a/source/shader/include/ShaderProgramBuilder.hpp b/source/shader/include/ShaderProgramBuilder.hpp
index 90476fd..98e65e9 100644
--- a/source/shader/include/ShaderProgramBuilder.hpp
+++ b/source/shader/include/ShaderProgramBuilder.hpp
@@ -7,12 +7,9 @@
 namespace ugly{
 
 class ShaderProgramBuilder {
-public:
-    class Error: public std::runtime_error{
-    public:
-        using std::runtime_error::runtime_error;
-    };
-
+private:
+    GLuint mProgram;
+    
 public:
     ShaderProgramBuilder();
     ~ShaderProgramBuilder();
@@ -20,9 +17,6 @@ public:
     ShaderProgramBuilder &attachFromMemory(GLenum type, const GLchar *string, GLint length = 0);
     ShaderProgramBuilder &attachFromFile(GLenum type, const char *filename);
     GLuint link();
-
-private:
-    GLuint mProgram;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/source/shader/src/ShaderProgramBuilder.cpp b/source/shader/src/ShaderProgramBuilder.cpp
index 05e3a27..0fe8117 100644
--- a/source/shader/src/ShaderProgramBuilder.cpp
+++ b/source/shader/src/ShaderProgramBuilder.cpp
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 #include "ShaderProgramBuilder.hpp"
 
 #include <fstream>
-#include <iostream>
 #include <sstream>
 #include <utility>
 
+#include "LogUtils.hpp"
+
 
 ugly::ShaderProgramBuilder::ShaderProgramBuilder():
-    mProgram{glCreateProgram()} {
-}
+    mProgram{glCreateProgram()} {}
 
 
 ugly::ShaderProgramBuilder::~ShaderProgramBuilder() {
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ ugly::ShaderProgramBuilder::~ShaderProgramBuilder() {
 
 void ugly::ShaderProgramBuilder::reset() {
     using namespace std;
-    swap(*this, ShaderProgramBuilder{});
+    ShaderProgramBuilder b;
+    swap(*this, b);
 }
 
 
@@ -35,8 +36,7 @@ ugly::ShaderProgramBuilder &ugly::ShaderProgramBuilder::attachFromMemory(GLenum
         char buf[512];
         glGetShaderInfoLog(shader, 512, NULL, buf);
         glDeleteShader(shader);
-        std::cerr << "Failed to compile shader:\n\t" << buf << '\n';
-        throw Error{"shader failed to compile"};
+        ugly::log("failed to compile shader:\n\t{}", buf);
     }
 
     glAttachShader(mProgram, shader);
@@ -48,8 +48,14 @@ ugly::ShaderProgramBuilder &ugly::ShaderProgramBuilder::attachFromMemory(GLenum
 ugly::ShaderProgramBuilder &ugly::ShaderProgramBuilder::attachFromFile(GLenum type, const char *filename) {
     auto file = std::filebuf{};
     auto ss = std::ostringstream{};
-    ss.exceptions(std::ios_base::badbit);
-    ss << file.open(filename, std::ios_base::in);
+
+    ugly::log("loading shader from file {}", filename);
+    file.open(filename, std::ios_base::in);
+    if(!file.is_open()) {
+        ugly::log("couldn't open file {}", filename);
+    }
+
+    ss << &file;
     return attachFromMemory(type, ss.str().c_str());
 }
 
@@ -62,8 +68,7 @@ GLuint ugly::ShaderProgramBuilder::link() {
     if(status != GL_TRUE) {
         char buf[512];
         glGetProgramInfoLog(mProgram, 512, NULL, buf);
-        std::cerr << "Failed to link program:\n\t" << buf << '\n';
-            throw Error{"program failed to link"};
+        ugly::log("failed to link program:\n\t{}", buf);
     }
 
     auto result = mProgram;