Smashing
Creating The “Moving Highlight” Navigation Bar With JavaScript And CSS — Smashing Magazine
In this tutorial, Blake Lundquist walks us through two methods of creating the “moving-highlight” navigation pattern using only plain JavaScript and CSS. The first technique uses the getBoundingClientRect method to explicitly animate the border between navigation bar items when they are clicked. The second approach achieves the same functionality using the new View Transition API….
Collaboration: The Most Underrated UX Skill No One Talks About — Smashing Magazine
We often spotlight wireframes, research, or tools like Figma, but none of that moves the needle if we can’t collaborate well. Great UX doesn’t happen in isolation. It takes conversations with engineers, alignment with product, sales, and other stakeholders, as well as the ability to listen, adapt, and co-create. That’s where design becomes a team…
Prelude To Summer (June 2025 Wallpapers Edition) — Smashing Magazine
Let’s kick off June — and the beginning of summer — with some fresh inspiration! Artists and designers from across the globe once again tickled their creativity to welcome the new month with a new collection of desktop wallpapers. Enjoy! There’s an artist in everyone. Some bring their ideas to life with digital tools, others…
Data Vs. Findings Vs. Insights In UX — Smashing Magazine
What’s the difference between data, findings, and UX insights? And how do you argue for statistical significance in your UX research? Let’s unpack it. Kindly powered by How To Measure UX and Design Impact, a friendly course on how to show the impact of your incredible UX work on business. In many companies, data, findings,…
Smashing Animations Part 3: SMIL’s Not Dead Baby, SMIL’s Not Dead — Smashing Magazine
While there are plenty of ways that CSS animations can bring designs to life, adding simple SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language) animations in SVG can help them do much more. Andy Clarke explains where SMIL animations in SVG take over where CSS leaves off. The SMIL specification was introduced by the W3C in 1998 for…
Building A Practical UX Strategy Framework — Smashing Magazine
Learn how to create and implement a UX strategy framework that shapes work and drives real business value. In my experience, most UX teams find themselves primarily implementing other people’s ideas rather than leading the conversation about user experience. This happens because stakeholders and decision-makers often lack a deep understanding of UX’s capabilities and potential….
Integrating Design And Code With Native Design Tokens In Penpot — Smashing Magazine
The Penpot team is not slowing down on its mission to build a free design tool that not only offers powerful design features but is also well-integrated with code and modern development practices. In its latest release, Penpot, as the first design tool ever, introduces support for native design tokens. Let’s take a closer look…
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….
Make Every Day Count (May 2025 Wallpapers Edition) — Smashing Magazine
The new month is just around the corner, and that means: It’s time for some new desktop wallpapers! All of them are designed with love by the community for the community and can be downloaded for free. Enjoy! Sometimes, it doesn’t take a lot to get inspired. A short bike ride to soak in the…
Boosting Up Your Creativity Without Endless Reference Scrolling — Smashing Magazine
Product design requires a balance between logic and creativity. This balance results in products that not only meet technical and user requirements but also deliver a captivating user experience. While it is clear that creativity is driven by both the left and right hemispheres, an important question remains: how can we boost creativity while keeping…