UI articles

Web designers could be forgiven if their eyes glazed over at the mere mention of building a custom website. Creating an advanced website used to require programming knowledge and hours of coding. But thanks to Gutenberg, even those who don’t know their HTML from their CSS will be able to create professional websites that stand out from the competition. The initial feedback to the release of Gutenberg certainly was damning: “…Useless…A...

Taking a stab in the dark is taking on a new meaning with the rise of dark mode design. One of the most requested features over the past few years, both Apple and Google have made a dark theme an essential part of their UI. But why is this? What are the benefits? Are there any pitfalls? These are the top things to consider when designing for dark mode… Why Use Dark Mode At All? We are on our phones almost constantly. The average person spends over four...

Wearable devices are some of the hottest tech on the market today. We’re living in a world where people want access to endless information as quickly as possible. Glancing at your watch and being able to check everything from your heart rate, to your text messages can be incredibly convenient. As of 2019, the latest numbers revealed that around 1 quarter of adults used a wearable device at least once a month in the US. What’s more, the number...

The first global pandemic of the digital era is upon us. We’re living in unprecedented and uncomfortable times. For our senior citizens, these past several weeks have been particularly discomforting. According to the CDC, men and women over the age of 65 are significantly more likely to develop complications from COVID-19. As we seek to restrict the spread of coronavirus, it’s critical that we protect one another, especially our elders,...

Today, we’re going to look at what web standards are, why we have them, and what you actually need to do with them as a web designer. What Are Web Standards? When we talk about web standards, what we’re referring to are formal specifications that the Internet and everything on it should adhere to. So, this is frequently less about how the frontend of a website appears and more about how the backend of it is structured. Web standards aren’t...

Nearly 49% of all the web traffic worldwide originates from mobile devices (excluding tablets). If you don’t design mobile-friendly websites, you’ll likely lose out on this massive chunk of your target audience. Additionally if you wish to improve your SEO, you can’t afford to ignore smartphones; Google gives priority to mobiles with mobile-first indexing. All of this calls for responsive web design through which your website’s...

However, 5G isn’t just set to have an impact on mobile browsing. Changes in mobile connectivity will have an impact on web design too. As a web designer, it’s up to you to consider how the latest connectivity tools will impact the way users browse the web. Additionally, you may find that you have more space to explore the advantages of using larger content (like 4K video) within a client’s website. Here’s how you can prepare for the fifth...


Does adding multiple CTAs to your web pages just confuse your users? That’s a heavily debated question in the digital design space. Some web designers believe that multiple CTAs give visitors more choice on how they convert. Others feel that leads can only handle a single CTA at a time without getting overwhelmed and abandoning ship. So, what’s the truth? Well, that depends. Every consumer has unique browsing habits, and different...

If you’ve ever moved from one home to another, you know how difficult it can be to get rid of things you’ve owned for years. While digging through your closet, you find an old pair of pants you used to wear all the time despite the growing holes in the knees. But you tell yourself, “Maybe I’ll wear them around the house when it gets warmer” or “I bet the grunge look will come back in style”. It’s easy to make these kinds of justifications...

When Tim Berners-Lee gave us the WorldWideWeb in 1990, it was the first and only web browser. But it didn’t remain alone for long. Even in those early days of the web, there was plenty of competition for web browser market share: Mosaic, MidasWWW, SlipKnot, Arena, Netscape, and Internet Explorer emerged around that time, too, and duked it out for the top spot for the better part of a decade. So, if there’s always been a battle of the browsers,...

Once in a while, every professional comes across a challenge so great, so ridiculous, that they just can’t help themselves. They just have to go for it. It’s like the story of David and Goliath… if David was just bored and Goliath wasn’t threatening his entire nation. As for me, I’m about to argue for putting sounds on a website, and discuss how to do it right. Yeah, I know… I’m one of the “Never Ever Autoplay Sounds on Your Site”...

Because of the sense of value users perceive from micro-interactions, they not only boost engagement, but also inspire positive feelings towards your brand, and ultimately, influence users’ actions. This article will discuss the basics of micro-interactions and how you can utilize them to enhance your UX design. What Are Micro-Interactions? In digital design, micro-interactions are found in most user engagements with products....

It sort of feels like our lives are nothing more than an endless string of decision-making, doesn’t it? You go to the grocery store and half an aisle is dedicated to olive oil. Or cereal. Or yogurt. Then, you go home and your streaming services give you literally hundreds of options for horror movies. Or documentaries. Or TV shows. And it doesn’t get any better online. Decision fatigue happens when you put your consumer in the position to choose...

It seems like magic: you talk to the phone, and it talks back. And if you’re lucky, it says something useful. You type into the chat box, and if the bot is good, you find out what you need to know. [Cue: shocked-looking stock photo models.] The current marketing term for it is “conversational design”, and it’s gaining more and more traction beyond big companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon. Conversational design is actually old, in...