Our next book, “Success at Scale” is finally at the printer, which means we’ll be shipping books soon. It’s also your last chance to get the book at the presale price. Get your copy and save now! https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/03/success-at-scale-book-pre-release/
In Part 1 of this series, Temani Afif explored different CSS techniques to create tooltip shapes. The main challenge was to rely on a single element and create optimized code that could easily be controlled using CSS variables to update the size, shape, and position of the tail. In this second part, you are going explore more shapes. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/03/modern-css-tooltips-speech-bubbles-part2/
“Gatsby headaches” are over. Juan Diego Rodríguez reflects on his decision to stop using Gatsby as his go-to framework. Through a detailed examination of its strengths and weaknesses, he provides valuable insights and alternative options for developers navigating their tooling choices. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/03/end-of-gatsby-journey/
Tooltips are a very common pattern used in CSS for years. There are a lot of ways to approach tooltips in CSS, though some evoke headaches with all the magic numbers they require. In this article, Temani Afif presents modern techniques to create tooltips with the smallest amount of markup and the greatest amount of flexibility. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/03/modern-css-tooltips-speech-bubbles-part1/
Do you need a little inspiration boost? Well, then our new batch of desktop wallpapers is for you. Designed by artists and designers from across the globe, they come in versions with and without a calendar for March 2024. Enjoy! https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/02/desktop-wallpaper-calendars-march-2024/
The Performance API is a set of standards for measuring and evaluating performance metrics with JavaScript. This article demonstrates how to use the Performance API to generate performance metrics directly in the DOM to create your own reporting. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/02/reporting-core-web-vitals-performance-api/
Digital designer Yichan Wang has put together this collection of strategies and selling points to help you encourage and advocate for accessibility in your place of work, including useful scripts you can use as starting points. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/02/web-designer-accessibility-advocacy-toolkit/
It’s well-established that the web faces wide-ranging usability and performance issues, from user-hostile UI patterns and twisted search results to sluggish performance and battery-draining bloat. In this article, Frederik examines one small-but-significant aspect where developers take the reins: Painting pixels on the screen. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/02/vanilla-javascript-libraries-quest-stateful-dom-rendering/
Understanding color accessibility is more than just ticking boxes. Even with good contrast, diverse color perception can make interfaces challenging for users. Check out practical guidelines for colorblindness to ensure more inclusive design. An upcoming part of Smart Interface Design Patterns. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/02/designing-for-colorblindness/
Accessibility goes beyond making products user-friendly. It can significantly impact the quality of life for people with disabilities. Kate Kalcevich shares lessons she learned from assistive technology users — challenges and barriers they encounter on mobile devices. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/02/mobile-accessibility-barriers-assistive-technology-users/