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An AI feature can save users time on a task, only for them to spend it checking the results. This practical audit helps product teams decide where AI earns its place and what users need to verify its output.
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Replacing JavaScript with a modern CSS feature can simplify a piece of code while making the wider application harder to reason about. Gabriel Shoyombo explores what happens when logic is split between CSS and JavaScript, sharing practical guidance to help you keep complexity in check during migration.
November 3, 2026 in CSS, Techniques, Web Design
Let’s kick of 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!
October 31, 2026 in Wallpapers
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.
October 23, 2026 in Design, UX, Icons
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.
October 20, 2026 in CSS, Techniques, Web Design
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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.
October 16, 2026 in AI, Workflow, Business
A practical guide to naming UI components, with useful resources, naming conventions, and structures. You’ll find more useful guides and online workshops here on Smashing Magazine, so make sure to browse and explore.
October 6, 2026 in Design, UX, UI
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.
September 30, 2026 in Wallpapers
September 16, 2026 — 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. - CSS - Tools - Techniques
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Abby Covert is an information architect, teacher, author, and community leader with more than two decades of experience helping people navigate messes of information. Committed to making information architecture and sensemaking skills accessible to everyone, she shares insights on these topics through her writing — including her books How to Make Sense of Any Mess, Stuck? Diagrams Help, and Timeless Sensemaking for Modern Sensemakers — and as a speaker. Abby is also the founder of The Sensemakers Club, a community-powered education and discussion space. Thank you for everything you do for the community, dear Abby!
November 13, 2026 — How do you know if your design system works or if it is getting improved every month? How do you share with stakeholders the numbers that give you budget? Romina Kavcic explains which design system metrics matter and which evals to set up.
November 12, 2026 — How to build AI-augmented user experience research operations? Kate Towsey put together a comprehensive map, with AI maturity levels and a list of practices used by researchers to learn and experiment with.
November 11, 2026 — Drag-and-drop interactions often involve a lot of fiddly code to handle geometry, feedback, and animations. Joshua Horowitz, Andrew Blinn, and Jeffrey Heer created declarative dragging to simplify the creation of smooth, responsive drag-and-drop interactions.
November 10, 2026 — What’s the best way to use icons in web UIs? Lea Verou explores how to use CSS to insert and tweak icons without touching any HTML.
November 3, 2026 — More proof doesn’t help customers decide. Sometimes, it makes it worse. Kat Espinosa shares how a project helped her realize why and what you can do to help your prospects make the best decision.