Struggling with slow Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)? Newly introduced by Google, LCP subparts help you pinpoint where page load delays come from. Now, in the Chrome UX Report, this data provides real visitor insights to speed up your site and boost rankings. Matt Zeunert unpacks what LCP subparts are, what they mean for your website speed, and how you can measure them. https://smashingmagazine.com/2025/03/how-fix-largest-contentful-issues-subpart-analysis/
Modern frameworks are supposed to help speed up development while providing modern tools and a developer-friendly workflow. In reality, Kevin Leary has found that they cause far more problems than they solve. This ultimately leads to the big question: why are modern theme frameworks so popular, and do they really benefit developers in the long run? https://smashingmagazine.com/2025/03/case-minimal-wordpress-setups-contrarian-view-theme-frameworks/
Do you need a little inspiration boost? Well, then our new batch of desktop wallpapers is for you. Designed by the community for the community, the wallpapers in this collection are the perfect opportunity to get your desktop ready for spring — and, who knows, maybe they’ll spark some new ideas, too. Enjoy! https://smashingmagazine.com/2025/02/desktop-wallpaper-calendars-march-2025/
Effective data storytelling isn’t a black box. By integrating UX research & psychology, you can craft more impactful and persuasive narratives. Victor Yocco and Angelica Lo Duca outline a five-step framework that provides a roadmap for creating data stories that resonate with audiences on both a cognitive and emotional level. https://smashingmagazine.com/2025/02/human-element-using-research-psychology-elevate-data-storytelling/
Eduard Kuric discusses the significance and role of context in the creation of relevant follow-up questions for unmoderated usability testing, how an AI tasked with interactive follow-up should be validated for its capability to incorporate such context, and what the potential — along with the risks — of AI interaction in usability testing. https://smashingmagazine.com/2025/02/human-centered-design-ai-assisted-usability-testing/
The OWASP vulnerabilities list is the perfect starting point for web developers looking to strengthen their security expertise. Let’s discover how these vulnerabilities materialize in full-stack web applications and how to prevent them. https://smashingmagazine.com/2025/02/how-owasp-helps-secure-full-stack-web-applications/
The goal of content design is to reduce confusion and improve clarity. Yet often it’s difficult to pinpoint a problem as user feedback tends to be not specific enough. But: we can use a few simple techniques to assess how users understand and perceive content. Let’s take a look. Part of Smart Interface Design Patterns by yours truly. https://smashingmagazine.com/2025/02/how-to-test-and-measure-content-in-ux/
Optimizing web performance means looking beyond surface-level metrics. Time to First Byte (TTFB) is crucial, but improving it requires more than tweaking server response time. Matt Zeunert breaks down what TTFB is, what causes its poor score, and why reducing server response time alone isn’t enough for optimization and often won’t be the most impactful change you can make to your website. https://smashingmagazine.com/2025/02/time-to-first-byte-beyond-server-response-time/
In 2013, Marcel Moerkens was working on Brooklyn, his WordPress theme, and he needed a way to make it stand out from the pack of other WordPress themes. Little did he know that the intro section he called a “Hero” would become one of the most recognizable patterns in web design today. Here’s how the idea came to life and how it changed everything. https://smashingmagazine.com/2025/02/popular-wordpress-theme-term-hero-section/
Tomasz Jakut reflects on the evolution of web design, from the days of table-based layouts and Flash games to the rise of responsive web design (RWD), which often feels like the end of history in web layout. But as 2025 marks the 15th anniversary of Ethan Marcotte’s article, it’s worth asking whether something significant happened after RWD — something so seamless that it went almost unnoticed. https://smashingmagazine.com/2025/02/taking-rwd-to-the-extreme/