CategoryDesign

October 9, 2019 — PWAs are supposed to provide visitors with a better experience than a mobile website. But just because PWAs will use sticky navigation the way that native apps do, that doesn’t make them as easy to get around. If you’re worried that your PWA is going to be difficult to navigate without some guidance, put breadcrumbs to work. You can use them to improve navigation, readability, conversions, and more. Read more…

October 7, 2019 — Design systems can improve usability, but they can also limit creativity or fall out of sync with actual products. In this article, we’ll explore how designers and developers can create more robust design systems by building a culture of collaboration. Read more…

October 3, 2019 — In this fifth installment of Inspired Design Decisions, Andy Clarke will teach you about Bea Feitler, who directed Harper’s Bazaar throughout the 1960s and has been described as “the pioneering female art director you’ve never heard of.” Andy will teach you about Feitler’s confident work and show you how to apply some of her design techniques to the work you make for the web. In this article, you’ll learn how to emphasize scale and maintain its contrast on even the smallest screens. Andy will teach you how to make confident color choices, and how to use pattern and texture to add depth to your designs. Read more…

September 23, 2019 — Social proof comes in a variety of forms. This guide will show you how to build social proof into the mobile experience the right way. Read more…

September 19, 2019 — Climate change is a complex problem that cannot be solved with a swift flick of a biodegradable, magic wand. But certain environmental issues can be solved with the right code. That’s where you come in. Read more…

September 18, 2019 — We’ve just released Smashing Magazine Print, with the very first pilot issue dedicated to ethics and privacy. In this post, Veerle, the illustrator of the issue, sheds some light into her design process and decisions made along the way. Read more…

September 5, 2019 — In this fourth instalment of Inspired Design Decisions, Andy Clarke will teach you how scattering images will fill your designs with movement. Learn how to mirror pictures and text, and how to carve text into shapes using CSS Shapes. Read more…

August 8, 2019 — In this third instalment of Inspired Design Decisions, Andy Clarke will teach you how to use frameworks to create layouts as engaging as in the well-known Ernest Journal. All it takes is an understanding of layout design and imagination. Read more…

July 11, 2019 — In this second installment of Inspired Design Decisions, Andy Clarke will teach you how to expand your repertoire of layouts by combining more than one grid into a compound grid. This article will change the way you think about designing with grids. Read more…

July 4, 2019 — Social media communication is unlike any other. It’s abbreviated. It’s personal. And it’s driven by visuals. Doesn’t that sound a lot like what a mobile website or PWA would benefit from? Read more…