Since the introduction of CSS viewport units in 2012, many of us have been using width: 100vw as a way to set an element’s width to the full width of the viewport. But, as Šime Vidas explains in this deep dive, 100vw does not always represent the full width of the viewport due to differences in how browsers handle scrollbars.
https://smashingmagazine.com/2023/12/new-css-viewport-units-not-solve-classic-scrollbar-problem/
Part 2 concentrates on the key points from Luis’ framework and practical tips about managing a design system that should be both robust and easy to adopt. https://smashingmagazine.com/2023/12/building-components-consumption-not-complexity-part2/
Have you run into a situation where you need the padding of one element to align with the padding of another element? In this article, Brecht De Ruyte demonstrates the issue with a full-width slider component that breaks out of the main page container and shares a couple of techniques to keep it visually aligned with other elements on the page. https://smashingmagazine.com/2023/12/css-scroll-snapping-aligned-global-page-layout-case-study/
Design systems can be of immense help, but failure to adopt them invalidates the hard work that goes into building the thing in the first place! In this two-part series of articles, Luis shares his experience with design systems and how you can overcome the potential pitfalls. https://smashingmagazine.com/2023/12/building-components-consumption-not-complexity-part1/
Starting in March 2024, Interaction to Next Paint will formally replace First Input Delay as a Core Web Vital metric. Learn how the two metrics differ, why we needed a new way to measure interaction responsiveness, and how you can start optimizing the performance of your site now for a seamless transition to the latest Core Web Vital metric. https://smashingmagazine.com/2023/12/preparing-interaction-next-paint-web-core-vital/
Five-second testing is a popular method of usability research used in the industry, yet in essence, its core belief boils down to virtually a superstition. Eduard Kuric looks under the hood at how first impressions are affected by various factors and how UX researchers and product owners can ensure that the user’s first steps can get off on the right foot. https://smashingmagazine.com/2023/12/five-second-testing-case-study/
Discussing the decisions surrounding JavaScript prototypes, the article by Juan Diego Rodriguez scrutinizes their origin, examines missteps in the design, and explores how these factors have affected the way we write JavaScript today. https://smashingmagazine.com/2023/12/marketing-changed-oop-javascript/
Git is designed to assure us that we can track a project’s files at different points in time. But it doesn’t assure us that those files are always safe along the way. For those of you who have dealt with the sinking feeling that you’ve irrevocably deleted and lost files, Sanmi has a couple of approaches that, in the right situations, may help bring them back. https://smashingmagazine.com/2023/12/recovering-deleted-files-git-working-tree/
Could there be a better way to welcome the new month than with a collection of desktop wallpapers? We’ve got some eye-catching designs to sweeten up the last few weeks of the year and, if you’re celebrating, to get you in the holiday mood. https://smashingmagazine.com/2023/11/desktop-wallpaper-calendars-december-2023/
In this article, Sasha guides you through crucial processes and factors to achieve a consistent brand presence across platforms. She offers an overview of the entire brand identity process, explores collaboration with UI teams, and provides essential details on the assets required for the successful implementation of a digital brand. https://smashingmagazine.com/2023/11/crafting-killer-brand-identity-digital-product/