Before the home page, there was the front page. From the Gutenberg Principle to grid systems to above the fold, newspapers teach us much about the foundations of web design. In this article, Frederick O’Brien will examine several tenets of newspaper design and show their connection to best practice online. At the core of that connection is a principle childlike in its simplicity, one newspaper and web designers alike would do well to remember.
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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. Today, Suzanne Scacca is going to look at how to design breadcrumbs for PWAs and some interesting use cases where they come in handy.
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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.
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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.
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Back in the day when we didn’t have responsive tables, it wouldn’t have been a problem to display a complex table on mobile the same way you would on desktop. Visitors knew that they’d need to pinch to zoom in, then scroll left and right, to consume all the data within it. But we don’t have any excuse for creating poor experiences like that today. Today, Suzanne Scacca will tell you what you need to know about designing complex tables for your mobile visitors in WordPress.
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Your mobile website or PWA needs social proof to convince visitors to convert. Social proof comes in a variety of forms. But just because your client has amassed testimonials, case studies, client logos and partnership seals, doesn’t mean you should bog down your mobile site or PWA with all of them. Yes, visitors need to be given a reason to trust. But that shouldn’t come at the expense of their experience. With this guide, Suzanne Scacca will show you how to build social proof into the mobile experience the right way.
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Why do humans only have to use this powerful invention to solve business-related issues? Why can’t we think a little more like Duchamp and use this ‘all-powerful’ technology to solve one of the scariest problems that mankind has ever faced? 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.
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In this fourth instalment of Inspired Design Decisions, Andy Clarke will teach you about Alexey Brodovitch, one of the most influential art directors of the twentieth century. Andy will teach you about Brodovitch’s iconic work and show you how to apply some of his design techniques to the work you make for the web. In this article, you’ll learn how scattering images will fill your designs with movement. Andy will teach you how to mirror pictures and text, and how to carve text into shapes using CSS Shapes.
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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. Curiosity keeps a creative mind open to new possibilities, and that’s what Ernest Journal magazine — the inspiration for this issue — is all about. Ernest Journal’s design is successful because although each article has its own distinctive elements which connect the visual style with the content, those articles use a consistent grid system and foundation styles.
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