February 23, 2012 — Hick’s Law has always been a popular reference point for designers. You’ll find it cited in the endless lists of basic laws and principles that all designers should be familiar with. Given our assumed comfort level with this design cornerstone, I am surprised to see so many … Read More…

February 22, 2012 — After search engine traffic, visitors from social media services are the second biggest source of traffic. Facebook, Twitter and Google+ have established themselves as the mostly used social sharing websites though Digg, StumbleUpon and LinkedIn are not far behind. Read More…

February 22, 2012 — Paper.js, Processing.js and Raphaël are the leading libraries for drawing on the Web right now. A couple of others are up and coming, and you can always use Flash, but these three work well with HTML5 and have the widest support among browser vendors. Read More…

February 21, 2012 — In darts, hitting the_bulls-eye_is harder to do than hitting any other part of the dartboard. This is because the bullseye is the smallest target. This same principle can also apply to touch targets on mobile devices. Smaller touch targets are harder for users to hit than … Read More…

February 20, 2012 — The work of Chip Kidd spans design, writing and, most recently, rock ’n’ roll. He definitely has the charisma to get ahead in that third field. He is best known for his unconventional book jackets, but he has published two novels of his own: The Learners and Τhe Cheese … Read More…

February 17, 2012 — After several grueling days I had finally finished the proposal. I sent it off and waited for a response. Nothing. After a few weeks, I discovered that they were “just looking”. Despite the urgency and aggressive timeline for the RFP (Request For Proposal) plus the fact that … Read More…

February 16, 2012 — Gone are the days when WordPress developers, wanting to extend the functionality, had to alter and hack the WordPress core source code directly, resulting in headaches when upgrading and sharing modifications. When WordPress 1.2 rolled out back in 2004 a new plugin … Read More…

February 16, 2012 — The Web has entered an era of user-centricity. If businesses are to attract new customers and retain existing ones, they must create websites and apps that deliver intuitive and tailored experiences. Whether you run an online retailer or a not-for-profit community website, … Read More…

February 15, 2012 — Yes, the brand new Smashing Book #3 is coming. The printing press is warming up, the illustrations are finished, and the chapters are being proofread. This third book is the best printed book we’ve produced so far: it is a valuable, cutting-edge, high-quality printed book … Read More…

February 14, 2012 — Have you ever looked at a bizarre building design and wondered, “What were the architects thinking?” Or have you simply felt frustrated by a building that made you uncomfortable, or felt anger when a beautiful old building was razed and replaced with a contemporary eyesore? … Read More…