Tag: found

Syntax podcast episode 623: “Nothing in CSS” errata

I just listened to the Syntax podcast for the first time because they were discussing topics near and dear to my heart, HTML and CSS. The episode is called “Nothing in CSS – 0 vs 0px, no, none, hidden, initial and unset”, and they’re talking about all the things that can be 0, none, or… Continue reading Syntax podcast episode 623: “Nothing in CSS” errata

Rethinking design with your hands in the AI world

Why design isn’t found in a prompt, but in toil and the creator’s “thinking hand.” In a world of automated perfection, the “thinking hand” reclaims the grit, soul, and human conviction that make design truly come alive. (image source: jonmiura) Lucasfilm and the Art of the Matte Painting For close to 50 years, the same Star… Continue reading Rethinking design with your hands in the AI world

10 Guidelines for Designing Your Site’s AI Chatbots

Summary:  Helpful site-specific AI chatbots clearly state their capabilities, offer relevant prompt suggestions, and quickly signal they know what users are looking at. AI chatbots are increasingly becoming a standard feature on many websites. As more sites adopt them, the question is not only whether to have one — it’s how to design one so… Continue reading 10 Guidelines for Designing Your Site’s AI Chatbots

Boost Design Autonomy with an Information Pipeline

Summary:  A four-step framework for building influence over product direction by closing the information gaps that large, complex organizations create. Let me tell you a story I recently heard. A lead designer at an online review platform kept hearing that businesses were cancelling their ads because the setup was too confusing. The setup experience was… Continue reading Boost Design Autonomy with an Information Pipeline

12 Must-Have Tools and Resources for Designers and Agencies in 2026

Posted · Category: Best Collections, Design, Inspiration, Tools <!– –> It is not all that uncommon to see tools and resources advertised for use by designers and agencies as being “the best”.  Obviously, not all can be the best. To find out for yourself you need to know for what and why a given tool… Continue reading 12 Must-Have Tools and Resources for Designers and Agencies in 2026

Google AI Mode: Powerful Search, Poor Usability

Summary:  Google’s new AI Mode provides a new way to search the web but is hampered by discoverability and navigation issues — especially for AI novices. What Is Google AI Mode? Google AI Mode is a new feature of the search engine that combines the breadth of a web search with the reasoning power of… Continue reading Google AI Mode: Powerful Search, Poor Usability

Prioritize Smarts over Sentience to Increase Trust with AI

Summary:  People trust AI more when it seems smarter rather than sentient. AI emotions can reduce trust in factual, task-oriented work and reduce AI reliability. A common concern from attendees of our Designing AI Experiences course is how to help users develop trust with artificial intelligence (AI). One technique that designers are frequently tempted to… Continue reading Prioritize Smarts over Sentience to Increase Trust with AI

25 Best Free Military Fonts for Posters, Logos, and More

When it comes to design that conveys strength, discipline, and authority, military fonts stand out as a powerful choice. These fonts are widely used in branding, posters, video games, and media related to the armed forces, offering a rugged and commanding aesthetic that instantly grabs attention. What Are Military Fonts? Military fonts are typefaces inspired… Continue reading 25 Best Free Military Fonts for Posters, Logos, and More

The Template Trap: How Template Culture Is Dumbing Down UX

Summary:  Overreliance on frameworks as universal solutions rather than adaptable starting points undermines critical thinking and threatens our field’s intellectual rigor. The Template Trap In our field of experience design, we’re witnessing a concerning trend: an overreliance on templates, frameworks, and “ultimate” checklists. Every day, a new “ultimate UX toolkit” or “complete design-system template” circulates… Continue reading The Template Trap: How Template Culture Is Dumbing Down UX

30+ CSS Editors: A Guide for Every Skill Level

Choosing the right CSS editor can significantly streamline your workflow and boost productivity when working on web projects. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting out, having access to powerful editing tools specifically designed for CSS can make all the difference. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll explore a wide range of CSS editors available… Continue reading 30+ CSS Editors: A Guide for Every Skill Level

UX Layoff Crisis: A Guide for Resilience and Recovery

Summary:  Lost your UX job in a layoff? Use this step-by-step guide to preserve your professionalism and optimism during this stressful experience. Your company’s rumor mill has been churning for weeks about layoffs, but you’ve tried not to give it much thought. You have a good relationship with your manager. You’ve delivered quality UX work… Continue reading UX Layoff Crisis: A Guide for Resilience and Recovery

AI Adoption in the Workplace Still Low, 2 Years Later

Summary:  Designers may think AI features are now familiar to our users, but recent research suggests that adoption is still lower than we might think. Pew Research Center recently published interesting results from a large survey about AI usage in the workplace. In late 2024, they surveyed over 5,000 adults employed in the U.S., with… Continue reading AI Adoption in the Workplace Still Low, 2 Years Later

Preparation Tactics for a Tough UX Job Market

Summary:  Use these tactics to prepare yourself for a downturn in the UX job market. It’s relatively easy to bask in the glow of a sunny UX job market and its plentiful opportunities. However, coping with a challenging job market is the true test of endurance for the UX professional. This article is the first… Continue reading Preparation Tactics for a Tough UX Job Market

Accelerators Maximize Efficiency in User Interfaces

Summary:  Alternate methods for accomplishing frequent actions in user interfaces support expert users by speeding up their interactions, without hindering novice users. Designing for expert users requires balancing learnability with efficiency. While new users need an intuitive interface to start quickly, expert users demand features that improve speed and productivity over time. Any system that… Continue reading Accelerators Maximize Efficiency in User Interfaces

10 best UXtweak alternatives (often misspelled as UX Tweak) in 2024

UXtweak is a highly rated UX research platform allowing research teams to recruit for, conduct, analyze, and share research all-in-one place. With the ability to conduct moderated and unmoderated studies, from concepts to production,  effortless recruitment and management of participants, comprehensive analysis, and reports it became a strong contender in the market… Continue reading 10 best UXtweak alternatives (often misspelled as UX Tweak) in 2024

Accessible Images For When They Matter Most

<div class=”logo”> <a href=”/” title=”Back to the homepage”> <picture> <source media=”(min-width: 1350px)” srcset=”…/images/logo-full.svg”> <img src=”…/images/logo/logo.svg” alt=”Smashing Magazine”> </picture> </a> </div> Hearing both the phrase “back to the homepage” and “Smashing Magazine” in one feature is OK since each phrase is unique and connected to a different purpose. For more complex alternative text phrases, conduct the… Continue reading Accessible Images For When They Matter Most

Prompt Controls in GenAI Chatbots: 4 Main Uses and Best Practices

Summary:  When following good practices, prompt controls can increase the discoverability of genAI chatbots’ features, offer inspiration, and minimize manual user input. Adding UI Controls to Prompting Generative AI (genAI) chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, rely heavily on text prompts from their users. As these interfaces continue to evolve, AI chatbot designers have started… Continue reading Prompt Controls in GenAI Chatbots: 4 Main Uses and Best Practices

Kerem Beyit: Unveiling a Master of Fantasy Illustration

Kerem Beyit is a freelance illustrator who has carved a niche for himself in the world of fantasy art. With a keen eye for detail and a talent for bringing fantastical creatures and landscapes to life, Beyit’s illustrations have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide. Education and Early Influences While details about Kerem Beyit’s formal… Continue reading Kerem Beyit: Unveiling a Master of Fantasy Illustration

The Humanization of ChatGPT and Its Impact on Trust

AI is the future, but we still know very little about it. We believe that understanding how people think about AI and how they use AI tools are key parts in being able to create proper AI-powered products and tools.  This thought motivated us to do research on the topic. The research process itself was… Continue reading The Humanization of ChatGPT and Its Impact on Trust

The Best Things About Working in UX

Summary:  We surveyed 126 practitioners, uncovering 8 things practitioners love about working in UX, from problem-solving to accessible design. About the Survey With the current state of the economy, the advent of AI, and recent layoffs, many UX professionals are feeling anxious. I can understand this sentiment as we’re going through a period of uncertainty.… Continue reading The Best Things About Working in UX

Aura: Reimagining Therapy through a Multisensory Perspective

[unable to retrieve full-text content] A service that aims to provide experiential multisensory therapy by building upon the virtues of the self-devised ‘Experience-Therapy Dyad’ and mixed reality. Team Pranoy Kanungo , Nikhil Srivastava, and Sahil R Timeframe 3 Months (July 2021 to October 2021) Designing for Mental Wellness With the passage of time, the value of mental health has solidified… Continue reading Aura: Reimagining Therapy through a Multisensory Perspective

How do I propose to improve the usability of Gymnasium.com

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash I pretty much discovered UX Design through their UX fundamentals course while working as a Test Automation Engineer. Although the course material was excellent, covering the fundamentals of UX beautifully, the platform itself had some clear usability issues. Gymnasium features a clean and simple design… Continue reading How do I propose to improve the usability of Gymnasium.com

Product Idea for Reselling Used Clothes & Accessories

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Hiyya! 👋 How are you doing? While clearing up my stack on Google docs, I found two product ideas that I had written down last year but had never got the chance to polish them up for publishing. As time ticked by, dust started gathering on them (well, if digital dust… Continue reading Product Idea for Reselling Used Clothes & Accessories