May 27, 2014 — Today, we’re pleased to feature an icon set that will help make the wait for summer to finally arrive, worthwhile. In this piece you will find an icon set that includes 50 icons that have been designed by Elena Genova exclusively for Smashing Magazine and its readers. If you’ve been looking for a way to freshen up your designs with even more colors, then this freebie will not disappoint you. Read more…

May 26, 2014 — Why would you even need to generate SVG on the server? The technology is entirely client-side, so what would motivate anyone to move it from there? When we talk about “generating SVG” nowadays, we mean “generating SVG with JavaScript.” The current state of browser support and libraries makes the creation of complex visuals a trivial task. There are a lot to choose from! So the right question is, how do we continue generating SVG with JavaScript while also putting the results of the generation on the server? Read more…

May 23, 2014 — Brian Wood found many web shops faced challenges fitting responsive design into their workflow, and the role of most web designers had changed to include coding in some form or another. Well, a new generation of visual responsive design tools has arrived. These responsive design tools are for anyone who understands HTML and CSS (or is willing to learn) and wants to visually design a responsive website — and have code to show for it. You could use one of these tools in the design process to create responsive comps, regardless of whether you intend to use the generated code. So, let’s have a look! Read more…

May 22, 2014 — MongoDB is a technology that’s revolutionizing database usage., and Node.js has been overtaking the world of server-side programming with surprising speed. And thanks to the fact that they both employ JavaScript and JSON, together they are a potent combination. In this article, Elliot Bonneville will teach you how to wield these tools quickly and easily. Read more…

May 21, 2014 — A 2013 survey of adults with disabilities found that 91% of people with disabilities use a “wireless device such as a cell phone or tablet.” Among these users, screen reader usage is common, even on mobile devices. However, many basic best practices for accessibility are forgotten on mobile websites. Therefore, disabled users are frequently presented with interfaces that are frustrating or impossible to use. In this article, TJ VanToll will show us a few practical measures that address the most common issues disabled users encounter which leads to a better experience for everyone. Read more…

May 20, 2014 — Anyone with an idea could turn out the next Facebook. Technology takes no heed of gender, creed or race, but is reduced down to code and the desire to create. Everyone you meet has an idea for the “next great website or app.” However, there is a harsh reality: many new products fail. But what should you do if your product does fail? How do you close a product with dignity, so that both you and your users leave on good terms? In this article, Kevin Stone will answer this questions. Read more…

May 19, 2014 — In this article, Nik Sumeiko will show you how to migrate a Git repository to a new host quickly and easily. When he had to move a number of Git projects to a new host, it took him quite some time to find an accurate method, but after many attempts he found a solid and effective way. The most important thing is to make sure that your branches and tags and your commit history are all moved. Read more…

May 16, 2014 — Design is an arrangement of both shapes and space. Learn to see the shapes that space forms and how space communicates. This is second part of a series on design principles for beginners. The first part covered an introduction to gestalt; today Steven Bradley will build on those gestalt principles and show you how many of the fundamental principles you work with as designers have their origin there. Make an effort to spend time observing how space is used in design! Read more…

May 15, 2014 — In this article, Biran Krall, will look at how the need of a more involved design and implementation process, due to responsive design complexities, create opportunities to work together better. We have to kill the mentality that there is an assembly line of workers waiting for it to be their turn, and instead embrace more focused collaboration across the project’s entire team. Read more…

May 14, 2014 — A few days ago, we published an article on Picturefill 2.0, a perfect polyfill for responsive images. Today’s article complements Tim Wright’s article and explains exactly how we can use the upcoming <picture> element and srcset, with simple fallbacks for legacy browsers. There is no reason to wait for responsive images; we can actually have them very soon. Read more…