Notes on quality

Quality in design is not a single, objective measure.

‘Slop’ is the new name for unwanted AI-generated content

Like ‘spam’ became the term for unwanted advertising.

A closer look at closure

The little design rule that makes a big difference.

Manifesto for a humane web

We need to build a web by and for humans.

The rise of sustainable UX design

Let’s make our digital world a greener place.

Creative ways to playback research

Sharing research findings with graphics instead of reports.

The elements of good craft

How details, focus, time, and taste elevate design.

Dark mode & accessibility myth

Dark mode doesn’t improve readability for everyone.

Onboarding for active users

Ways to offer guidance throughout the product experience.

Breaking the myth of big click energy

There are better ways to evaluate user experience.

Pikimov

Web-based motion design and video editor.

Halftone patterns

Single-element halftone textures crafted with pure CSS.

Make your Figma components work harder

Some techniques to avoid design system sins.

It’s time we seriously talk about users and experiences

“UX pros should know their users’ experiences inside and out.”

Accessible QR codes

How to avoid creating barriers for people with disabilities.

Creativity hasn’t left web design, it’s just different

The creative mindset of web designers is evolving.

UI density

Why some user interfaces succeed and others fail.

Low-fidelity design is higher up the value chain

Don’t hide unfinished work behind high-fidelity visuals.

Not always mobile first

Mobile first, desktop first, basics first, or content first?

The current state of mobile UX

Best practices in mobile design and pitfalls to be aware of.

Fluid design with CSS ‘round()’

Type scaling that works in line with the browser.

Page scroll animation patterns

An overview of different scrolling animation styles.

Block

A modern icon set with minimalist, pure forms.

Visual Design Glossary

Essential terms for visual and UI design explained.

The GREW model

A blueprint for using generative AI under human oversight.

Sustainable design patterns for UX designers

Sustainable frameworks, toolkits, and resources.

Designing in a post-taste world

When ugly is the new beautiful.

Familiar vs. novel

When designing for novelty can be advantageous.

Why is the world losing color?

The modern shift towards monochromatic designs.

Easter eggs of AI

On AI hallucinations and why they happen.

PatternPad

Create unique pattern designs that fit your style.

Device Shots

Generate device mockups with your screenshot image.

AI user research is not ‘better than nothing’

“Things that sound like customers might say them are worthless.”

Affordance in design system components

How the concept is crucial when developing components.

The power of beauty in communicating complex ideas

What we often overlook in visualizations and infographics.

Open Database of Design Salaries

Salaries across industries, countries, and experience.

Fast and budget-friendly user research

You can no longer afford not to test your product.

Sentient Design

Smart interfaces that adapt instantly to user needs.

Top 3 problems for designers

No design strategy, no research, no career progression.

Is Canva getting good?

“As designers, we should start taking Canva seriously.”

Adobe wants Photoshop users to give up content rights

The new terms demand full access to personal content.

Introducing Stable Audio Open

Stability brings an open-source AI model for audio/sound design.

User research is storytelling

How storytelling helps to drive product decisions.

Creating interactive prototypes with Penpot

Rapid prototyping with the open-source design tool.

Adobe alternatives

Open-source and commercial substitutes for Adobe products.

UX Absurds

A moodboard with absurd one-liners about UX.

Creatives are right to be fed up with Adobe

AI’s rise has eroded trust between creatives and tech companies.

Different gets ignored

Highlighting design elements often backfires.

Low- vs. high-fidelity design is a balancing act

“Tools don’t matter, methods don’t matter, outcomes do.”

How Figma converts users from freemium to premium

An analysis of Figma’s latest monetization strategy.

Dark mode app icons

How do we adapt 'light mode' icons for dark mode?

Penpot’s plugins system

The popular open-source design tool gets plugins.

Super Design Tools

Simple design tools to help you create unique designs.

Setting up typography variables in Figma

The design tool now supports a long-awaited feature.

US sues Adobe for ‘deceiving’ subscriptions

Adobe faces lawsuit for hidden fees and hard cancellations.

Design systems with Penpot

From shareable libraries to component-driven CSS.

The Canva-ification of everything

How a company is reshaping our visual landscape.

Web experiences during the age of LLMs

What does the future of website building look like?

The hitchhikers guide to user research

How to navigate the complex world of UX research.

‘What have we already tried?’

The most powerful product question you can ask.

The Worst Website Ever 2

Free entry, but at your own risk.

Whimsica11y

A guide to make your personal website more inclusive.

Is it good design, or does it just look good?

What can happen when designers design for designers.

1.4.11 Non-Text Contrast (UI components)

The WCAG Success Criterion applied to a login form.

Psychological insights on personality in UX design (part 1)

How personality traits shape user interaction and experience.

The clear-cut way to build a component in Framer

It can be a challenge for those who are used to Figma.

Meet Figma AI

The well-known design tool gets AI-powered features.

Config 2024: everything new in Figma

Updates to Auto Layout, responsive prototypes, Slides, and more.

“The people who are most confident AI can replace writers are the ones who think writing is typing.”

Design token ugly mode

An approach to uncover hidden design flaws.

Why toggle switches suck

The latest trends aren’t always the greatest.

Figma will use your content to train its AI

But you can opt-out to protect your privacy.

The State of User Research 2024

Key takeaways from User Interview’s sixth annual report.

Be careful using ‘grid’

It has so many meanings in web development.

The design purity trap and how to escape it

“Good designers operate in the real world.”

Figma deactivates AI app design tool

A user showed it was copying Apple’s weather app.

Checkboxes: Design guidelines

Best practices for standalone, listed, and nested checkboxes.

Design Foundations

Analyze and extract basic website design elements.

Forms in Framer

The popular no-code design tool now includes form creation.

9 ideas about design

Ideas to make your next project more interesting.

Free Design Stuff

Curated design resources for personal and commercial use.

Spectrum

A collection of vector shapes to spice up your designs.

A plea for the lost practice of information architecture

Without IA, designs can turn into confusing labyrinths.

Affinity’s creative suite is now free for six months

The Adobe-rivaling offer includes Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher.

Lummi

Searchable and customizable images made by AI creators.

Checking and documenting accessibility in mockups

Accessibility documentation in Figma (or similar design tools).

Affinity Photo vs. Photoshop

Can Affinity Photo replace Photoshop in your toolset?

Dark patterns in online subscription services

The majority of the examined services trick users.

Daminik

An open-source digital asset manager with built-in CDN.

Not Boring Sound Kit

A set of sounds designed for user interfaces.

Why designers need to be more like gardeners

And how it would benefit both people and the planet.

What even is my role anymore?

The future of the interaction designer role.

The 2024 UX Researcher Salary Report

What are fair and competitive salaries in various countries?

Your survey is your user experience

Make sure your survey doesn’t harm your site’s UX.

2024 Logo Trend Report

Logos are getting reimagined through experimentation.

Mazeletter

Anything but an ordinary pattern generator.

Onlook

An open-source, local-first Webflow alternative.

High UX salaries have held steady for 26 years

But the gap between UX juniors/seniors has grown.

Why great design thrives on personal relationships

“It’s the human touch that truly makes design great.”

Never hide your email unsubscribe link

Avoid deliverability risks by making opting out easy.