A collection of single-purpose tools
An incredibly extensive collection of single-user tools. Need to check colour contrast? Grab image metadata? Generate a gradient? Yup, all of those are in here. The list is immense and the tools are […]
Archives
Performative performance
A thoughtful look at the idea of sustainability in web development and design, particularly in terms of whether worrying about an individual design choice's carbon footprint is meaningful or simply […]
The great gaslighting of the JavaScript era
I'm not sure I agree fully with everything Jared has written here – and there's a strong feeling of bias-tinted vision to some of the claims – but I enjoyed the overall trend of the argument and […]
Container queries & typography
I've been saying for a couple of years that we are on the brink of a "fluid design" revolution in front-end development, similar to what happened around the late 2000s with "responsive design". […]
The origin of the lady code troll
I've followed Jenn for some time, but somehow missed this absolutely perfect talk they gave in 2016 at XOXO Conf. The humour is fantastic; the overview of the satire Jenn has put out is super […]
Progressive
A wonderful overview of why progressive enhancement and inclusive design go hand-in-hand, and why both are still necessary and deeply useful techniques for modern web development. I particularly […]
Web foundations
Jeremy covers the recent Chrome alert() controversy very clearly, but I'm a particular fan of their points about the underlying assumptions that have made these kinds of breaking changes something […]
Container queries in web components
Max has put together one of the best examples of how container queries will fundamentally change the way front-end development works. Better still, they provide extremely clear explanations of […]
A defence of alphabetical CSS
I am not a fan of alphabetical CSS, but Eric does a really solid job of arguing why, right now, it may be the best option. The short version is that CSS remains so woefully underutilised and […]
I think I might be a design engineer...
I can see this article becoming an oft-cited "turning point" in frontend development, like Ethan Marcotte's A List Apart post on responsive design. It's certainly a beautifully crafted […]
What Even Am I?
Making the case for the title UI Engineer as a meaningful descriptor for those of us that consider our work in front-of-the-front-end terms.
Autonomy online: a case for the IndieWeb
Ana has put together a brilliant overview of the why, what, and how of the IndieWeb. I imagine I'll return many times to look up simplified explanations, but a couple of […]
Be Curious About Your Code
I've been thinking a lot about an article I read recently that called out technical writing online for being overly trusted. But shouldn't that same argument apply more universally to third-party code coming from any source?
Marxian alienation and web development
Some interesting thoughts from Heydon on burnout, why it's a positive thing that we're talking about it more, and what a major root cause is for many […]
Principle and priorities
User experience, even over developer […]
What is timeless web design?
An interesting thought experiment from Chris: if a client asked you to build a website that could last a minimum of 10 years, what would you do? Lots of influential people in his answers, but I'm […]
Learning resource for the modern web
An excellent collection of articles, tutorials, and advice on modern web development challenges. From PWAs to accessibility to caching, there's a lot of information […]
2019: The Year of Craft JAM
A look back and a look forward... it must be the start of a new year. 2019 held a lot of change and personal improvement, but I can't help but feel that 2020 is going to be a big one. So what exactly do I have planned and what am I hoping for the next 12 months?