CategoryOpinion Column

August 21, 2013 — While srcset as implemented by WebKit doesn’t address to all the responsive images use cases, it does represent a major step toward a long overdue solution—hopefully the first of many. And as Chair of the W3C’s Responsive Images Community Group, Mat Marquis has been dreading this moment for some time now. Pertaining to “responsive images”: it’s complicated, and it can be hard keeping up with the signal in all the noise. Here’s what you need to know. Read more…

June 14, 2013 — In this article, we’ll travel into the future and explore a world where Google Glass and a few other technologies are as much a part of our daily lives as our smartphones and desktops are now. We’ll be discussing a new paradigm of human-computer interface. The goal of this piece is to start a discussion with forward-thinking user experience designers, and to explore what’s possible when the mainstream starts to interact with computers in 3-D space. Read more…

February 14, 2013 — Our knowledge of building digital things changes rapidly, taking us from newborn to adult and back again every couple of years. So, it seems pretty normal that our methods of designing and building websites are questioned every so often. But in this article, Francisco Inchauste will teach us some new things. Read more…

October 30, 2012 — Why can’t design simply be a technical service industry, free from the fussy standards and constraints peculiar to a profession? Andy Rutledge believes that in order to understand the profession’s imperative and place, we must fully understand how nonprofessional services fit into our industry. Read more…

July 18, 2012 — We love to tell users that they have done something wrong. We have error messages for everything from poorly formatted telephone numbers to incorrect logins. But what about our user’s successes, do we celebrate them? Do we tell them they are doing something right? Read more…

June 20, 2012 — Have you ever wanted your users to click a link but didn’t know how to get them to act? When some designers run into this problem, they’re tempted to use the words “Click here” on their links. Read more…

June 19, 2012 — Classes, classes, classes everywhere. What if we don’t need CSS classes at all? What if we stopped worrying about how many classes we’re using and what we should be calling them and just finished with them once and for all? Read more…

April 24, 2012 — Imagine you are in a classroom. Let’s say a high school classroom. You’re sitting at your desk, listening to your favorite teacher—the one who inspired you, the one who got you excited about that thing you love for the first time. Read more…

March 30, 2012 — I don’t think anyone can deny that the Web has changed the way people teach, learn, and do research. Of course, this doesn’t mean that everything we read online is true and accurate—far from it. Read more…

March 15, 2012 — Since Elliot Jay Stocks so poignantly told us to destroy the Web 2.0 look, we’ve witnessed a de-shinification of the Web, with fewer glass buttons, beveled edges, reflections, special-offer badges, vulgar gradients with vibrant colors and diagonal background patterns. The transformation has been welcomed with relief by all but the most hardened gloss-enthusiasts. Read more…