diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.github_project_name}}/src/__tests__/utils.ts b/{{cookiecutter.github_project_name}}/src/__tests__/utils.ts
index 0a61d63..f784d2f 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.github_project_name}}/src/__tests__/utils.ts
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.github_project_name}}/src/__tests__/utils.ts
@@ -51,18 +51,17 @@ export class DummyManager extends baseManager.ManagerBase {
     this.el = window.document.createElement('div');
   }
 
-  display_view(
+  async display_view: (
     msg: services.KernelMessage.IMessage,
     view: widgets.DOMWidgetView,
-    options: any
-  ) {
+    options: unknown
+  ): Promise<HTMLElement> {
     // TODO: make this a spy
     // TODO: return an html element
-    return Promise.resolve(view).then((view) => {
-      this.el.appendChild(view.el);
-      view.on('remove', () => console.log('view removed', view));
-      return view.el;
-    });
+    const view_1 = await Promise.resolve(view);
+    this.el.appendChild(view_1.el);
+    view_1.on('remove', () => console.log('view removed', view_1));
+    return view_1.el;
   }
 
   protected loadClass(
@@ -87,26 +86,26 @@ export class DummyManager extends baseManager.ManagerBase {
     }
   }
 
-  _get_comm_info() {
+  _get_comm_info(): Promise<Record<string, unknown>> {
     return Promise.resolve({});
   }
 
-  _create_comm() {
+  _create_comm(): Promise<MockComm> {
     return Promise.resolve(new MockComm());
   }
 
   el: HTMLElement;
 
-  testClasses: { [key: string]: any } = {};
+  testClasses: { [key: string]: unknown } = {};
 }
 
 export interface Constructor<T> {
-  new (attributes?: any, options?: any): T;
+  new (attributes?: unknown, options?: unknown): T;
 }
 
 export function createTestModel<T extends widgets.WidgetModel>(
   constructor: Constructor<T>,
-  attributes?: any
+  attributes?: unknown
 ): T {
   const id = widgets.uuid();
   const widget_manager = new DummyManager();
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.github_project_name}}/src/extension.ts b/{{cookiecutter.github_project_name}}/src/extension.ts
index 99263fd..ee3b6af 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.github_project_name}}/src/extension.ts
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.github_project_name}}/src/extension.ts
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@
 // Some static assets may be required by the custom widget javascript. The base
 // url for the notebook is not known at build time and is therefore computed
 // dynamically.
+
+const __body = document.querySelector('body');
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-non-null-assertion
-(window as any).__webpack_public_path__ =
-  document.querySelector('body')!.getAttribute('data-base-url') +
-  'nbextensions/{{ cookiecutter.python_package_name }}';
+const __db_url = __body!.getAttribute('data-base-url');
+(window as any).__webpack_public_path__ = __db_url + 'nbextensions/{{ cookiecutter.python_package_name }}';
 
 export * from './index';
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.github_project_name}}/src/widget.ts b/{{cookiecutter.github_project_name}}/src/widget.ts
index a13a818..45369fd 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.github_project_name}}/src/widget.ts
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.github_project_name}}/src/widget.ts
@@ -12,8 +12,19 @@ import { MODULE_NAME, MODULE_VERSION } from './version';
 // Import the CSS
 import '../css/widget.css';
 
+export interface ModelDefaults {
+  _model_name: string;
+  _model_module: string;
+  _model_module_version: string;
+  _view_name: string;
+  _view_module: string;
+  _view_module_version: string;
+  value: string;
+}
+
+
 export class ExampleModel extends DOMWidgetModel {
-  defaults() {
+  defaults():ModelDefaults {
     return {
       ...super.defaults(),
       _model_name: ExampleModel.model_name,
@@ -40,14 +51,14 @@ export class ExampleModel extends DOMWidgetModel {
 }
 
 export class ExampleView extends DOMWidgetView {
-  render() {
+  render():void {
     this.el.classList.add('custom-widget');
 
     this.value_changed();
     this.model.on('change:value', this.value_changed, this);
   }
 
-  value_changed() {
+  value_changed():void {
     this.el.textContent = this.model.get('value');
   }
 }