In this week’s web design and development news roundup, you’ll learn about UX roadmaps, find out why a client has an important role in web accessibility, discover a remarkable Mickey Mouse created in only CSS, and more.
If you’re new to my blog, each Friday I publish a post highlighting my favorite user experience, accessibility, WordPress, CSS, and HTML posts I’ve read in the past week.
Hope you find the resources helpful in your work or projects!
Want more resources like these on a daily basis? Follow me @redcrew on Twitter.
Tweet of the Week
When was the last time someone told you that you are enough? pic.twitter.com/5VBbMlyTd9
— Literati Bookstore (@LiteratiBkstore) July 10, 2020
User Experience
- Thanks to Nielsen Norman Group for their introduction of UX roadmaps with definitions and components. A helpful guide to what UX roadmaps are, what they aren’t, and how they help organize future work.
- When I read Jonas Downey’s tweet about how Signal v. Noise design principles for Basecamp and the new Hey email application, I asked if he could convert his screenshot explanation to text, so it would be accessible to everyone. Downey agreed and published how we achieve simple design for Basecamp and Hey.
- Alternative text for the tweet image: two men standing in front of a chalkboard looking at a formula, one man pointing to the words “And a miracle happens here” on the chalkboard says “I think you should be more specific here in step two.”
What I find all too often when an SEO Specialist says: “I can do IA.”
Information architecture is a discipline and skill all its own. There is a method to the madness that is beyond placement in SERPs.
Sigh, feel better now back to banging my head on my keyboard. pic.twitter.com/RbpJz6DDdj
— Marianne Sweeny (@msweeny) July 9, 2020
- Mention designing mobile tables to any designer or developer, and you’re going to hear a lot of stories of upset users and designs gone wrong . Which is why I found Steven Hoober’s recommendations for improving mobile table design so helpful.
Accessibility
- It’s not only up to designers and developers to make sure a website is accessible. The client has a role in website accessibility by understanding usability, providing accessible content, and creating processes for managing accessible websites.
- Lots of announcements of new Microsoft Teams features in this reimagining virtual collaboration update. What stood out for me was speaker attribution for live captions and transcripts. I experienced it for the first time in Google Meet last week, incredible!
- Do you prefer to be referred to as “blind”, or “visually impaired”? asked my colleague Nic Steenhout this week on Twitter. Which started a lot of conversations. And the answer? It depends. Disability language is a nuanced thing.
- I updated my list of accessibility and inclusive design groups around the world. Many groups have transitioned to online events, providing you with more options to learn about accessibility
WordPress
- With the release of Gutenberg 8.5, WordPress users will find single gallery image editing, ability to upload images from external sources, and the feature I like best: adding an HTML ID to static blocks.
- With ManageWP.org closed down, where can you find community-driven WordPress news? I reviewed two sites. Find out why I recommend WP Content for your daily WordPress news.
- The first beta version of WordPress 5.5 is available for download and testing. Final release is scheduled for August 11, 2020.
- Good advice from Tom Rankin on best practices for selecting secure WordPress plugins: make sure it’s regularly updated, read reviews, and avoid plugins with few installations. I would add: check the support requests and how/if they are answered.
CSS and HTML
- Rachel Andrew has published a lovely roundup of upcoming CSS features in browsers, including flexbox gaps and aspect ratio unit.
- It’s impressive what a few lines of CSS can do. Code examples, demos, and a 21-minute video will soon have you creating flexible layouts.
- The amazing things you can do with CSS.
Mickey Mouse drawn using a single elementhttps://t.co/9WU0ArLcqX @CodePen #CSS #Sass pic.twitter.com/fUf8CQpXaV
— Jon Kantner (@jonkantner) July 9, 2020
- How can web professionals be more mindful of the impact of websites on the environment? In an excerpt of Chapter 9 from his World Wide Waste book, Gerry McGovern highlights why we need to think of digital page weight, processing demands, and out-of-date content on the sites we create.
What I Found Interesting
- Stunning. The 2020 Audubon Photography Awards Winners have been announced and the images are absolutely wonderful!
- The project manager for PHP inside Microsoft announced there will be no support for PHP for Windows in any capacity for version 8.0 and beyond. Not good news for PHP developers using Windows.
- In Detroit is a poem written by Christiana Castillo, a Chicana writer, educator, urban gardener in metro Detroit.
In Detroit we are always planting trees
and Guadalupe, who is 16 and already knows water is life,
is in charge of the watering and the scheduling.
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Did I miss some resources you found this week? I’d love to see them! Post them in the comments below.
