CategoryDesign

November 2, 2023 — Icons are capable of enhancing the content that surrounds them, but they have to be self-explanatory for that to happen. We have icons for things we like (a thumbs up), things we can share (a box topped with an up arrow), and even for protection against malicious online attacks (a shield), but what are the options we have for representing “privacy”? Read more…

October 26, 2023 — Inuit (short for “Interface Usability Instrument”) is a new questionnaire you can use to assess the usability of your user interface. It has been designed to be more diagnostic than existing usability instruments like, e.g., SUS and for use with machine learning, all the while asking fewer questions than other questionnaires. This article explores how and why Inuit has been developed and why we can be sure that it actually measures usability, and reliably so. Read more…

October 18, 2023 — CSS loaders and progress indicators are some of the most widely used examples in tutorials and documentation. In this article, Preethi demonstrates an approach using animated custom properties, a conic gradient, CSS offset, and emoji to create the illusion of a scooter racing along a donut track. Read more…

October 12, 2023 — Working in the area of UX sometimes feels like a crime drama. Can’t believe it? Then look at these fun parallels between modern UX practices and a classical TV detective. Read more…

October 5, 2023 — Re-create a fancy hover effect where an avatar pops out of a starburst pattern for the frame on hover. The idea is to apply the concepts in a new context and gain another view of how trigonometric functions can influence the way we mask elements in CSS. Read more…

September 29, 2023 — This article is all about experimenting with modern CSS features. We will combine things like CSS masks, CSS variables, trigonometric functions, @property, and more to create a neat hover effect that would have been extremely difficult to do even a few years ago without the latest and greatest that CSS has to offer. Read more…

September 15, 2023 — Let’s play with images and experiment with CSS masks. The idea is fairly simple: take a single <img> tag and harness the power of CSS to accomplish complex hover transitions. Through different demos, you will see how CSS masks combined with gradients allow us to create fancy effects — with efficient, reusable code. Read more…

September 8, 2023 — Pratik Joglekar takes a philosophical approach to remind designers about the lost joy within themselves by effectively placing massive importance on mindfulness, introspection, and forward-looking. Without joy, the work we do would feel meaningless. To prevent it from happening, check out a few ideas that would help rediscover that spark of joy. Read more…

August 28, 2023 — The CSS Color Module Level 4 specification defined a slew of new color features when it became a candidate recommendation in 2022, including Oklab and Oklch, which have widened the field of color we have to work with. Explore the Oklch color space and how to start using it in CSS today. Read more…

August 25, 2023 — The so-called “Double Diamond” is a great way of visualizing an ideal design process — but it’s just not the way most companies deliver new projects or services. Andy Budd proposes a new “Double Diamond” idea that better aligns with the way work actually gets done and highlights the place where design has the most leverage. Read more…