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The Cult of the Complex
‘Tis a gift to be simple. Increasingly, in our line of work, ‘tis a rare gift indeed.
In an industry that extols innovation over customer satisfaction, and prefers algorithm to human judgement (forgetting that every algorithm has human bias in its DNA), perhaps it should not surprise us that toolchains have replaced know-how.
Likewise, in a field where young straight white dudes take an overwhelming majority of the jobs (including most of the management jobs) it’s perhaps to be expected that web making has lately become something of a dick measuring competition.
Onboarding: A College Student Discovers A List Apart
What would you say if I told you I just read and analyzed over 350 articles from A List Apart in less than six weeks? “You’re crazy!” might have passed through your lips. In that case, what would you say if I was doing it for a grade? Well, you might say that makes sense.
10 Excellent Online Payment Systems
In this article, we’ll be reviewing my top 10 online payment systems for accepting payments on the Web. While many of the companies on this list have been available to online merchants for years, many are also now getting into new areas of online payments such as social commerce and in-store online card reader systems.
A Quick Primer on Online Payment Systems
Before getting started, here are just a few things to know about online payment systems.
ACH payments are electronic c...
The Slow Death of Internet Explorer and the Future of Progressive Enhancement
My first full-time developer job was at a small company. We didn’t have BrowserStack, so we cobbled together a makeshift device lab. Viewing a site I’d been making on a busted first-generation iPad with an outdated version of Safari, I saw a distorted, failed mess. It brought home to me a quote from Douglas Crockford, who once deemed the web “the most hostile software engineering environment imaginable.”
So You Want to Write an Article?
So you want to write an article. Maybe you’ve got a great way of organizing your CSS, or you’re a designer who has a method of communicating really well with developers, or you have some insight into how to best use a new technology. Whatever the topic, you have insights, you’ve read the basics of finding your voice, and you’re ready to write and submit your first article for a major publication. Here’s the thing: most article submissions suck. Yours doesn’t have to be one of them.
We’re Looking for People Who Love to Write
Here at A List Apart, we’re looking for new authors, and that means you. What should you write about? Glad you asked!
You should write about topics that keep you up at night, passions that make you the first to show up in the office each morning, ideas that matter to our community and about which you have a story to tell or an insight to share.
Priority Guides: A Content-First Alternative to Wireframes
No matter your role, if you’ve ever been involved in a digital design project, chances are you’re familiar with wireframes. After all, they’re among the most popular and widely used tools when designing websites, apps, dashboards, and other digital user interfaces.
5 Font Pairing Tips to Bring Out Your Inner Designer
Ah, font pairings — to a designer, the two-word phrase is exciting, but to an average Joe, probably not so much.
What’s so important about font pairings anyway? Can’t you just pick two fonts for your website and call it a day? Well, you could, but it may not be in your best interest.
Choosing fonts that go well together help your page to flow nicely, have an aesthetically-pleasing look, and ensure that your website or graphic looks professional and readable.
However, simply choosi...
The Illusion of Control in Web Design
We all want to build robust and engaging web experiences. We scrutinize every detail of an interaction. We spend hours getting the animation swing just right. We refactor our JavaScript to shave tiny fractions of a second off load times. We control absolutely everything we can, but the harsh reality is that we control less than we think.
Working with External User Researchers: Part II
In the first installment of the Working with External User Researchers series, we explored the reasons why you might hire a user researcher on contract and helpful things to consider in choosing one. This time, we talk about getting the actual work done.
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