September 28, 2023 — In this article, Ganesh Dahal explains how the features have evolved since reusable blocks were officially released in WordPress 5.0 — and how the two have converged in WordPress 6.3 to form a powerful feature capable of allowing content creators to sync content and design patterns consistently in pages and posts. Read more…

September 26, 2023 — Branches are a really nice (and safe) way to configure or reconfigure your database without fear of screwing up the production database. Let’s take a closer look at how branching works with Neon, and the good news is, you probably already know how it works! Read more…

September 26, 2023 — We’re talking about running grassroots conferences and meet-ups. What does it take to organize a small industry event for your community? Drew McLellan talks to WDC’s Alex Older to find out. Read more…

September 25, 2023 — Adrian’s kicking off a two-part series, sharing his journey as a lead developer. In the process, you will learn about the lessons and insights Adrian gained at work, including the strategies that went into the technical stack of the project and what it looks like to collaborate with a team he is leading for the first time. Read more…

September 22, 2023 — With the new CSS linear() easing function on the horizon, the possibilities of what we can do to create natural-feeling animations and transitions in the future are greatly expanded. Jhey Tompkins looks at the current state of CSS easing in this article and demonstrates what we can expect from linear(), including handy tools to get your hands on it today. Read more…

September 20, 2023 — To help ensure the success of a workshop, Ben Shih introduces the concept of an inclusive workshop. In Part 2 of the series, you will continue to delve deeper into several key principles and guidelines that you can follow during and after the workshop to encourage an inclusive atmosphere. Read more…

September 18, 2023 — This article is a peek behind the curtain of how content is managed here at Smashing Magazine. In it, you’ll get a tour of an article’s full lifecycle, from a basic outline to the sort of thing you’re reading right this second. 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 13, 2023 — Running a workshop can be an effective alternative to traditional, long-standing meetings. To help ensure its success, Ben Shih introduces the concept of an inclusive workshop. In Part 1 of the series, you discover the fundamentals of inclusivity and get some solid guidance on how to plan an inclusive remote workshop. Read more…

September 11, 2023 — Gradients are a powerful CSS feature. We use them for texture, depth, and even to hide parts of elements with CSS masking. This article covers another interesting way to use gradients — as a hover effect that affects the appearance of other elements around the hovered element. Read more…