August 18, 2026 Smashing Newsletter: Issue #572
This newsletter issue was sent out to 174,912 subscribers on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
Editorial
Words are everything on the web. To communicate effectively, we must truly understand the person we are speaking to. We must know who they are, what they need, where they struggle, and how they speak.
One useful technique I learned years ago is to start designing a project by “writing” a UI first. It’s a remarkably helpful way to cut through noise and distraction by focusing on one thing: how to communicate effectively.
The first draft might have no visuals at all. Instead, it’s text — for onboarding, a dashboard, error messages. “Writing” them first helps you find the right voice and tone. And that’s what shapes visual design, from color choices and typography all the way to information density and interaction.
This newsletter is dedicated to the words — specifically UX writing, content design, and little guides and helpers to write better digital experiences. We also have new online workshops and the SmashingConf Freiburg 2026 🇩🇪 coming up!
- Spotting Accessibility Issues Early Free
with Stéphanie Walter. Sep 1 - Design Patterns For Complex UIs and Enterprise UX UX
with Vitaly Friedman. Sep 2–3 - Naming Design Systems DS
with Samantha Gordashko. Sep 8–22 - Smart Interface Design Patterns Live UX Training UX
with Vitaly Friedman. Sep 11 – Oct 12 - Figma MCP Masterclass Design
with Christine Vallaure. Sep 14 - Accessibility For Designers UX
with Stéphanie Walter. Sep 21–29 - Live Accessibility Testing free
with Manuel Matuzović. Sep 24 - Jump to all workshops →
If you can, please spread the word to your friends and colleagues, and of course, we’ll be absolutely delighted to welcome you to a very special, very smashing experience next month!
— Vitaly
1. Writing For Billions Of Users
What are the takeaways from writing for billions of users across dozens of languages, time zones, and cultures? Nick DiLallo has summarized everything he has learned writing for products used by a meaningful percentage of the world’s population. The result is a list of 70 valuable lessons learned that you can apply to your own writing right away.
2. Content Design System
Content testing doesn’t have to be an expensive or time-consuming ordeal. Even small tests can provide you with precious insights when you need to figure out which path to take with an interaction flow or how to improve the metrics of a new feature. The team at Intuit published a practical guide that helps you test your content.
Also be sure to check out Intuit’s complete Content Design System. It covers voice and tone, accessibility, style, wording, AI, and marketing, as well as how to talk to customers. Inspiration for your own content design system is guaranteed.
3. Free Information Architecture Books
Everything is getting more complex. To prepare sensemakers for the information-based challenges they face every day, Abby Covert wrote How to Make Sense of Any Mess. The book is a wonderful primer on information architecture, along with lessons and workbook exercises intended to help you make sense of messes made of information, not limited to websites or mobile apps.
Another great read on the topic comes from Donna Spencer. Her book A Practical Guide to Information Architecture focuses on information architecture and navigation design for website and intranet design and redesign projects.
4. The Four Pillars Of Content Design
You’ve probably heard of the Double Diamond model that visualizes how product and UX designers work. Content designers have long been lacking a comparable framework for their craft. To help content design teams contextualize their practice and discover where their strengths and weaknesses lie, Andrew Tipp and his team created The Four Pillars Of Content Design, a linear/iterative hybrid approach to content design.
5. Content In The Product Design Process
How and when should content designers be involved in the product design process? Rachel McConnell has a clear answer: at every stage. To illustrate the role of content designers and explain to product designers how to get the best value from them, Rachel created a diagram. It visualizes what content designers do at each stage of a user-centered design process and explores methodology, techniques, and tools that may be used.
6. Practical Guide To Content Design
Just like an iceberg, content design goes much deeper than what we see on the surface — deeper than a message in an interface or a set of docs. In her post “Content Design Below The Surface,” Linette Voller explores the different layers of content design, from surface and skeleton to structure, scope, and strategy. A great foundation to help you create more intuitive user experiences.
7. Accessible UX Research, Now Shipping 📚
We’ve got exciting news! Our newest Smashing book, Accessible UX Research by Michele A. Williams, is finally shipping worldwide! Get the book right away or order the eBook for instant download.
Accessible UX Research is your practical guide to making UX research more inclusive of participants with different needs — from planning and recruiting to facilitation, asking better questions, avoiding bias, and building trust. Download a free sample (PDF, 2.3MB) or get the book right away.
8. Upcoming Workshops and Conferences
That’s right! We run online workshops on frontend and design, be it accessibility, performance, or design patterns. In fact, we have a couple of workshops coming up soon, and we thought that, you know, you might want to join in as well.
As always, here’s a quick overview:
- Spotting Accessibility Issues Early Free
with Stéphanie Walter. Sep 1 - Design Patterns For Complex UIs and Enterprise UX UX
with Vitaly Friedman. Sep 2–3 - Naming Design Systems DS
with Samantha Gordashko. Sep 8–22 - Smart Interface Design Patterns Live UX Training UX
with Vitaly Friedman. Sep 11 – Oct 12 - Figma MCP Masterclass Design
with Christine Vallaure. Sep 14 - Accessibility For Designers UX
with Stéphanie Walter. Sep 21–29 - Live Accessibility Testing free
with Manuel Matuzović. Sep 24 - How To Measure UX and Design Impact UX
with Vitaly Friedman. Video course + live UX training - Design Patterns For AI Interfaces UX
with Vitaly Friedman. Video course + live UX training - Jump to all workshops →
That’s All, Folks!
Thank you so much for reading and for your support in helping us keep the web dev and design community strong with our newsletter. See you next time!
This newsletter issue was written and edited by Geoff Graham (gg), Cosima Mielke (cm), Vitaly Friedman (vf), and Iris Lješnjanin (il).
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