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Stay informed with recent content and articles on Smashing Magazine, offering valuable insights for web designers and developers.

December 17, 2024  10:00:00
There are many ways to elevate a design project from good to incredible. For web and product designers, it’s not just about adding more animations and flair. What it truly comes down to is a reframing of your thought processes starting before the project even kicks off. Olivia De Alba presents three approaches that designers can implement and which will change the way they make their projects more successful.
December 11, 2024  15:00:00
10 years after scroll-driven animations were first proposed, they’re finally here — no JavaScript, no dependencies, no libraries, just pure CSS.
December 9, 2024  09:00:00
SVG arcs demystified! Akshay Gupta explains how to master radii, rotation, and arc direction to create stunning curves. Make arcs a powerful part of your SVG toolkit for creating more dynamic, intricate designs with confidence.
December 6, 2024  09:00:00
Few things are as frustrating to a user as when a site won’t respond. Unfortunately, it’s also an all-too-common scenario. Many websites and apps depend on so many elements that one of any number of errors could cause the whole thing to fail. As prevalent as such instances may be, they’re preventable through the practice of graceful degradation.
December 3, 2024  10:00:00
Forms are already notoriously tough to customize and style — to the extent that we’re already starting to see new ideas for more flexible control. But what we don’t often discuss is designing good-form experiences beyond validation. That’s what Jima Victor discusses in this article, focusing specifically on creating multi-step forms that involve navigation between sections.
November 30, 2024  09:00:00
December is almost here, and that means: It’s time for some new desktop wallpapers! Created with love by creatives from all around the world, they are bound to lighten up the last few weeks of the year and, who knows, maybe even spark new ideas. Enjoy!
November 27, 2024  10:00:00
From KnockoutJS to modern UI libraries like SolidJS, Vue.js, and Svelte, signals revolutionized how we think about reactivity in UIs. Here’s a deep dive into their history and impact by Atila Fassina.
November 22, 2024  09:00:00
Many talented professionals hold back from speaking at tech events, believing they need years of experience or expert status first. Drawing from her experience as a first-time speaker at WordPress Accessibility Day 2024, Victoria Nduka discusses how speaking at events benefits both individuals and the tech community.
November 19, 2024  09:00:00
Discover how AI is reshaping web design, boosting productivity in design, coding, UX, and copywriting while amplifying human creativity in a new article by Paul Boag.
November 14, 2024  10:00:00
Penpot helps designers and developers work better together by offering a free, open-source design tool based on open web standards. Today, let’s explore its newly released Penpot Plugin System. So now, if there’s a functionality missing, you don’t need to jump into the code base straight away; you can create a plugin to achieve what you need. And you can even serve it from localhost!
November 12, 2024  12:00:00
It’s the end of the year, and as we look at our inventory, we thought, “Let’s help everyone in our community get ready for the year ahead!” Get friendly pricing on bundles of books and workshops to dive deep into the subjects you care about most. Let’s bundle up and save!
November 8, 2024  09:00:00
Thomas Bohm rethinks technical illustrations and data visualizations, sharing interesting and uncommon examples of how to present data and information. Bar graphs and pie charts are great, but there’s so much more to explore!
November 5, 2024  10:00:00
Feeling good with your Lighthouse score of 100%? You should! But you should also know that you’re only looking at part of the performance picture. Learn how Lighthouse scores are measured differently than other tools, the impact that has on measuring performance metrics, and why you need real-user monitoring for a complete picture.
October 31, 2024  14:00:00
November is just around the corner and that means: It’s time for some new desktop wallpapers! Created with love by the community for the community, they are available in versions with and without a calendar. Enjoy!
October 30, 2024  09:00:00
There are many myths revolving around Gen Z and how they use tech. Time to take a look at actual behavior patterns that go beyond heavy use of social media. Part of [Smart Interface Design Patterns](https://smart-interface-design-patterns.com) by yours truly.
October 17, 2024  10:00:00
Victor Ayomipo experiments with the CSS `min()` function, exploring its flexibility with different units to determine if it is the be-all, end-all for responsiveness. Discover the cautions he highlights against dogmatic approaches to web design based on his findings.
October 15, 2024  14:00:00
Design decisions shouldn’t be a matter of personal preference. We can use reliable design KPIs and UX metrics to guide and shape our design work and measure its impact on business. Meet How To Measure UX and Design Impact, our new video course that helps with just that.
October 11, 2024  10:00:00
In this third part of the series, you are looking at two models that handle all three modalities — text, images or videos, and audio — without needing a second model for text-to-speech or speech recognition.
October 7, 2024  13:00:00
RSS is a classic technology that fetches content from websites and feeds it to anyone who subscribes to it with a URL. It’s based on XML, and we can use it to consume the feeds in our own apps. Karin Hendrikse demonstrates how to do exactly that with a static site you can use as your personal RSS reader.
October 4, 2024  09:00:00
You can’t overstate the importance of accessible website design. By the same token, bottom-up philosophies are crucial in modern site-building. A detail-oriented approach makes it easier to serve a more diverse audience along several fronts. Making the most of this opportunity will both extend your reach to new niches and make the web a more equitable place.
October 2, 2024  10:00:00
Go behind the scenes with Björn Ottosson, the Swedish engineer who created Oklab color space, and discover how he developed a simple yet effective model with good hue uniformity while also handling lightness and saturation well — and is “okay” to use.
September 30, 2024  09:00:00
Could there be a better way to celebrate the beginning of a new month than with a collection of desktop wallpapers? We’ve got some eye-catching designs to sweeten up your October. Enjoy!
September 27, 2024  15:00:00
One of the main laws that applies to almost everything in our lives, including building digital products, is Murphy’s Law: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” Our goal is to prevent things from going wrong and, if they do, mitigate the consequences. In this article, Victor Ponamarev explores different strategies for preventing users from making mistakes.
September 23, 2024  09:00:00
In this age of endless newfangled organizational tools, the spreadsheet holds firm. Frederick O’Brien explains how, from engineering to design, they can still provide a rock-solid foundation for your work.
September 19, 2024  15:00:00
This article aims to celebrate the power of introversion in UX research and design. Victor Yocco debunks common misconceptions, explores the unique strengths introverted researchers and designers bring to the table, and offers practical tips for thriving in a field that sometimes seems tailored for extroverts.
September 18, 2024  09:00:00
Myriam Frisano explores the basics of hand-coding SVGs with practical examples to demystify the inner workings of common SVG elements. In this guide, you’ll learn about asking the right questions to solve common positioning problems and how to leverage JavaScript so that, by the end, you can add “SVG coding” to your toolbox. You’ll also be able to declare proudly, “I know how to draw literal pictures with words!”
September 17, 2024  11:00:00
Creating ready-to-implement Lottie animations with a single tool is now possible thanks to SVGator’s latest feature updates. In this article, you will learn how to create and animate a Lottie using SVGator, an online animation tool that has zero learning curve if you’re familiar with at least one design tool.
September 12, 2024  11:00:00
Bringing data to life in your application can be done without the usual headaches. Paul Scanlon shows you how you can build beautiful data visualizations using the Google Analytics API, and you won’t have to spend any time “massaging” the data.
September 10, 2024  10:00:00
Anticipatory design, powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine learning (ML), and Big Data (BD), promises to transform user experiences by predicting and fulfilling needs before users even express them. While this proactive approach seems revolutionary, many businesses struggle to meet the high expectations it sets. Joana Cerejo delves into the challenges of anticipatory design, highlights key failures, and offers a framework to help designers and businesses succeed in this complex landscape.
September 6, 2024  17:00:00
Google Analytics is often on a “need to know” basis, but why not flip the script? Paul Scanlon shares how he wrote a GitHub Action that queries Google Analytics to automatically generate and post a top ten page views report to Slack, making it incredibly easy to track page performance and share insights with your team.
September 5, 2024  09:00:00
Sticky positioning is one of those CSS features that’s pretty delicate and can be negated by a lot of things, so here’s another one to add to your mental catalog: Sticky elements don’t play nicely if they have to coordinate with other elements to make up a combined height, like `100vh`. Philip Braunen explores why this happens and presents a solution to fix it.
September 3, 2024  09:00:00
Designing for digital products requires a different mindset than traditional websites. It’s all about continuous adaptation, refining, and iterating as user behavior and needs evolve. Paul Boag reflects on the key differences, including how the frequency of usage impacts your design approach and what you can do about it.
August 31, 2024  08:00:00
Let’s get ready for September with a fresh collection of desktop wallpapers! Created with love by the community for the community, they come in versions with and without a calendar. Enjoy!
August 30, 2024  09:00:00
In the second part of this series, Joas Pambou aims to build a more advanced version of the previous application that performs conversational analyses on images or videos, much like a chatbot assistant. This means you can ask and learn more about your input content.
August 26, 2024  15:00:00
Want to create more randomized effects in your JavaScript code? The `Math.random()` method alone, with its limitations, won’t cut it for generating unique random numbers. Amejimaobari Ollornwi explains how to generate a series of unique random numbers using the `Set` object, how to use these random numbers as indexes for arrays, and explores some practical applications of randomization.
August 22, 2024  10:00:00
Finding the right typeface for a logo is a challenge and can be a very time-consuming process that requires both creativity and a practical approach. Levi Honing provides the essential background and tools to enhance your typography journey and apply this knowledge to your logo design. Let’s dive deep to learn how to create a logo that is not only expressive but also purposeful and well-thought-out.
August 20, 2024  15:00:00
Although JavaScript regexes used to be underpowered compared to other modern flavors, numerous improvements in recent years mean that’s no longer true. Steven Levithan evaluates the history and present state of regular expressions in JavaScript with tips to make your regexes more readable, maintainable, and resilient.
August 16, 2024  13:00:00
Discover effective pricing strategies for digital projects. Learn how to balance fixed pricing, time and materials, and value-based approaches while managing client expectations and scope creep.
August 15, 2024  10:00:00
Ever felt pressure to speed up your design process? Here’s how to address unrealistic expectations and foster a shared understanding with stakeholders, ensuring everyone is aligned on the path to a successful delivery. Part of [Smart Interface Design Patterns](https://smart-interface-design-patterns.com) by yours truly.
August 9, 2024  11:00:00
In this two-part series, Andrii Zhdan outlines common challenges faced at the start of a design career and offers advice to smooth your journey based on insights from his experience hiring designers. In Part 2, Andrii speaks about how you can grow faster in your brand-new junior UX job.