Internet & Web
Are We Over-Simplifying UX? The Role of Friction in User Engagement
Alright, let’s dive deep, and I mean real deep. The idea of reducing friction in web design is one that gets tossed around so often, you’d think it was some sort of sacred mantra. But here’s the thing: it’s not always as easy as it seems. In fact, it’s almost like saying “just make it…
Using CSS backdrop-filter for UI Effects | CSS-Tricks
This article covers tips and tricks on effectively utilizing the CSS backdrop-filter property to style contemporary user interfaces. You’ll learn how to layer backdrop filters among multiple elements, and integrate them with other CSS graphical effects to create elaborate designs. Below is a hodgepodge sample of what you can build based on everything we’ll cover…
5+ WordPress Plugins for Developers To Use in 2025 — SitePoint
When you’re tasked with developing a WordPress website in 2025, you’re expected to deliver a site that’s not only visually appealing, but lightning-fast, responsive, and ready to scale. The quickest way to achieve this is often through carefully selected plugins—tools that simplify complex tasks, automate repetitive workflows, and help you deliver functionality that’s difficult or…
How To Launch Big Complex Projects — Smashing Magazine
When was the last time your project wrapped up smoothly — no delays, no surprises, no last-minute compromises? In reality, most UX projects drift as timelines slip, budgets stretch, and features morph. How do we get better at navigating the chaos? An upcoming part of How To Measure UX and Design Impact by yours truly….
Breaking Into New Markets With PPC: Key Considerations
Google Ads dominates the global PPC market with advertising revenue surpassing $265 billion in 2024. Paid search is self-serving and fast to deploy. But as simple as it appears, the reality is much more complex. The perceived ease of activation paints a picture that this channel is a silver bullet when brands look to enter new…
People Are Losing Loved Ones to AI-Fueled Spiritual Fantasies
Less than a year after marrying a man she had met at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kat felt tension mounting between them. It was the second marriage for both after marriages of 15-plus years and having kids, and they had pledged to go into it “completely level-headedly,” Kat says, connecting on the need…
Cheap stuff that doesn’t suck, take 2
While we all wait to find out what effect the upcoming — well, maybe upcoming — tariffs will have on prices, many of us are making mental lists of some of the items we might need that, hopefully, won’t demand a bank loan to be affordable. Last year, we asked the staff members here at…
Our favorite expert-tested TV brands include LG, TCL, Hisense, and Samsung
Table of Contents Table of Contents Table of ContentsBest OLED brand: LGBest budget brands: Hisense and TCLBest brand for unique features: SamsungFrequently Asked Questions Buying a new TV is intimidating. Look for one online and you’ll get bombarded with acronyms and numbers. Visit a store and you’ll come face-to-face with a wall of images that…
The Case for and Against Off-Screen Menus: A Designer’s Dilemma
Off-screen menus, often represented in their most common form as the hamburger menu, have become a staple of modern user interface (UI) design. However, their implementation and effectiveness are not without debate. Two different opinions in the field—Jason Bradberry of Piccalilli and the Nielsen Norman Group—have both explored the intricacies of off-screen menus, though from different perspectives. Jason…
Revisiting Image Maps | CSS-Tricks
I mentioned last time that I’ve been working on a new website for Emmy-award-winning game composer Mike Worth. He hired me to create a highly graphical design that showcases his work. Mike loves ’90s animation, particularly Disney’s Duck Tales and other animated series. He challenged me to find a way to incorporate their retro ’90s…