Let’s kick off November with a new collection of desktop wallpapers! Designed by creatives from across the globe, the wallpapers come in a variety of screen resolutions and can be downloaded for free. Enjoy! November can feel rather gray in many parts of the world, so what better way to brighten the month than with…
A closer look at accordion icons, why split menus are harmful, and why it’s better not to have icons and text labels link to different actions. Plus, why the caret is the safest icon choice. You’ll find more useful guides and online workshops here on Smashing Magazine, so make sure to browse and explore. So…
Design systems thrive on consistency, so where does randomness fit in? Through playful demos of organic typography, bouncing letters, and splayed cards, Brecht De Ruyte shows how the new CSS random() function brings a little imperfection to the web without JavaScript libraries or preprocessor loops that generate hundreds of lines of static CSS. In design,…
What can digital transformation teach us about AI adoption? Paul Boag revisits his book Digital Adaptation to show how lessons from the past can help organizations navigate the challenges of AI today. The way I see most organizations roll out AI feels more like a farce than a strategy. If it were turned into a…
A practical guide to naming UI components, with useful resources, naming conventions, and structures. Brought to you by Design Patterns For AI Interfaces, friendly video courses on UX and design patterns by Vitaly. Naming is hard. The language we use shapes the way we think about things, but also the conversation we have about it….
October is just around the corner, which means it’s time for some new desktop wallpapers! Designed by the community for the community, they’re here to brighten your screens, and maybe spark some creativity along the way. Misty mornings, leaves shining in bright red, yellow, and orange hues, and spooky creatures making an appearance — October…
Despite broad browser support, container queries remain surprisingly underused and frequently misunderstood. Let’s look at how they differ from media queries, when to reach for each, and how container queries help reusable components respond naturally to the contexts in which they appear. To be completely honest with you, I missed the news when CSS Container…
Strong UX ideas do not secure investment on their own. Through a worked example, Alex Williams breaks down how to define business value, calculate costs, test causality, and build a credible case for the return on a design initiative. Sooner or later, a CFO looks at your wireframes and asks what any of it actually…
The web is evolving beyond menus, forms, and endless clicks toward experiences shaped around human intent. For UX designers, understanding this shift means re-evaluating their role, moving from designing visible interfaces to guiding transparent, intent-driven AI experiences. Ever since the commercialisation of the Graphical User Interface pioneered by systems like the Xerox Star and popularised…
Could there be a better way to welcome the new month than with a new collection of desktop wallpapers? Whether you’re holding tightly onto summer or eagerly awaiting autumn, we’ve got some eye-catching designs to make your September just a bit more colorful. Enjoy! For more than 15 years already, our monthly wallpapers series has…