CategoryUI (User Interfaces)

December 22, 2023 — The View Transitions API is a new — but game-changing — feature that allows us to do the types of reactive state-based UI and page transitions that have traditionally been exclusive to JavaScript frameworks. In the first part of this mini two-part series, Adrian Bece thoroughly explains why we need the API and demonstrates its basic usage. Read more…

November 10, 2023 — Animation and accessibility are often seen as two separate powers at odds with one another. How is it possible to strike a balance between elements that move and the possible negative effects they expose to users who are sensitive to motion? Oriana García explains how her team at Mercado Libre tackled the challenge by creating guiding principles for applying animation to user interfaces and incorporating them into the team’s design system. Read more…

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…

August 21, 2023 — Discover how to improve the user experience of nested menus and tackle a minor yet common issue with them when the user’s pointer leaves the menu item for a moment, and the nested menu goes away, requiring the user to re-hover and try again. A well-known concept called the “safe triangle” solves this problem. Read more…

July 24, 2023 — In this article, Adrian deconstructs YouTube’s “Ambient Mode” feature and how HTML <canvas> and the requestAnimationFrame function are used to create the glowing effect. Read more…

July 6, 2023 — As of today, the world’s 50 top airlines have all agreed on the same flight search pattern. Yet the path to booking the right flight remains frustrating and confusing. Is there really only one solution? Explore the thought experiment which turned the seemingly untouchable pattern on its head and offered new food for thought. Read more…

June 26, 2023 — The Wikipedia team shipped a redesign of the ubiquitous and one of the most visited websites on the web. Alex Hollender and Jon Robson led the work and generously discussed the effort with us in a thorough, wide-ranging interview that covers the design, development, and processes that went into the project. Read more…

June 1, 2023 — Thanks to the Open UI working community group, there’s a new element on the horizon, <selectmenu>, that will make styling this type of form control a whole lot better. You’re going to walk through an early implementation of this new experimental element by creating a pattern that you would never have thought possible with CSS alone — a radial selection menu. Read more…

April 19, 2023 — In this article, Adel Khamatov shares a model of color mechanics that he came up with during research on developing UI kits and illustrates an approach to solving related problems with best practices. Read more…

February 28, 2023 — In the ever-evolving design tools landscape, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest and greatest. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Penpot, the first design and prototyping tool that’s fully open-source and based on open web standards, making it an ideal choice for both designers and developers. Read more…