116 articles by Vitaly Friedman.
New EU guidelines, why AI sparkles aren’t enough, when AI labels are required, and what the rules mean for AI-powered features and products.
Many companies assume everyone craves new AI features. But the reality is that most people don
A closer look at why users don’t need more tools in their daily lives. What they need are seamless integrations of useful features to match already existing, established mental models. Brought to you by Design Patterns For AI Interfaces, **friendly video course on UX** and design patterns by Vitaly.
Practical guide on how to reduce drifts, minimize mistakes, maintain context, and improve the quality of AI-generated prototypes. Brought to you by Design Patterns For AI Interfaces, **friendly video course on UX** and design patterns by Vitaly.
What people say, feel, think, and do are often very different things. To understand the underlying reasons for user behavior, it helps to look beyond the surface and explore hidden motivations, root causes, and the different layers of reality that shape how people act. Brought to you by Measuring UX Impact, **friendly video course on UX** and design patterns by Vitaly.
Practical guidelines for driving UX impact in organizations with legacy systems and broken processes. Brought to you by Measuring UX Impact, **friendly video course on UX** and design patterns by Vitaly.
Design principles with references, examples, and methods for quick look-up. Brought to you by Design Patterns For AI Interfaces, **friendly video courses on UX** and design patterns by Vitaly.
How to choose between modals and pages, when to avoid modals, and how to determine the right level of interruption or navigation. Brought to you by Smart Interface Design Patterns, a **friendly video course on UX** and design patterns by Vitaly.
Combobox vs. Multi-Select vs. Listbox vs. Dual Listbox? How they are different, what purpose they serve, and how to choose the right one. Brought to you by Design Patterns For AI Interfaces, **friendly video courses on UX** and design patterns by Vitaly.
How to shape your career path for 2026, with decision trees for designers and a UX skills self-assessment matrix. The only limits for tomorrow are the doubts we have today. Brought to you by Smart Interface Design Patterns, a **friendly video course on UX** and design patterns by Vitaly.
Practical UX guidelines to keep in mind for 466 million people who experience hearing loss. More design patterns in Smart Interface Design Patterns, a **friendly video course on UX** and design patterns by Vitaly.
Meet TARS — a simple, repeatable, and meaningful UX metric designed specifically to track the performance of product features. Upcoming part of the Measure UX & Design Impact (use the code 🎟 IMPACT to save 20% off today).
Practical guidelines on designing time-critical products that prevent errors and improve accuracy. Part of the Measure UX & Design Impact (use the code 🎟 IMPACT to save 20% off today). With a live UX training starting next week.
Let’s dive into the building blocks of UX strategy and see how it speaks the language of product and business strategy to create user value while achieving company goals. Part of the Measure UX & Design Impact (use the code 🎟 IMPACT to save 20% off today).
Research isn’t everything. Facts alone don’t win arguments, but powerful stories do. Here’s how to turn your research into narratives that inspire trust and influence decisions.
Talking points. Smart questions. A compelling story. This guide helps you prepare for your UX job interview. And remember: no act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.
Today, roughly 10% of people are left-handed. Yet most products — digital and physical — aren’t designed with it in mind. Let’s change that. More design patterns in Smart Interface Design Patterns, a **friendly video course on UX** and design patterns by Vitaly.
Designing a new AI feature? Where do you even begin? Here’s a simple, practical overview with useful design patterns for better AI experiences.
As always in design, timing matters, and so do timely notifications. Let’s explore how we might improve the notifications UX. More design patterns in our Smart Interface Design Patterns, a friendly video course on UX and design patterns by Vitaly — from complex data tables and nested filters to FAQs and error messages.
Meet “Accessible UX Research,” our upcoming book to make your UX research inclusive. Learn how to recruit, plan, and design with disabled participants in mind. Print edition shipping starting February 2026. eBook now available for download. Pre-order the book.
Designing for neurodiversity means recognizing that people aren’t edge cases but individuals with varied ways of thinking and navigating the web. So, how can we create more inclusive experiences that work better for everyone?
What’s the difference between data, findings, and UX insights? And how do you argue for statistical significance in your UX research? Let’s unpack it.
Helpful PDF worksheets and tools to get the design system effort up and running — and adopted! Kindly powered by How To Measure UX and Design Impact, a friendly course on how to show the impact of your incredible UX work on business.
When was the last time your project wrapped up smoothly — no delays, no surprises, no last-minute compromises? In reality, most UX projects drift as timelines slip, budgets stretch, and features morph. How do we get better at navigating the chaos? An upcoming part of How To Measure UX and Design Impact by yours truly.
Lost in a sea of UX files, docs, PDFs, and scattered decisions across Slack, Dropbox, Notion, and Figma? We talk a lot about organizing Figma, but what about a sensible folder structure for all UX assets? Let’s fix that. Kindly powered by [Smart Interface Design Patterns](https://smart-interface-design-patterns.com).
Companies have been turning their attention to “synthetic,” AI-driven user testing. However, as convenient as it might seem, it’s dangerous, expensive, and usually diminishes user value. Let’s take a closer look at why exactly it is problematic and how we can argue against it to make a case for UX research with real users. Part of [Smart Interface Design Patterns](https://smart-interface-design-pa
UX initiatives are often seen as a disruption rather than a means to solving existing problems in an organization. In this post, we’ll explore how you can build trust for your UX work, gain support, and make a noticeable impact. Part of [Measure UX and Design Impact](https://measure-ux.com/) by yours truly.
The goal of content design is to reduce confusion and improve clarity. Yet often it’s difficult to pinpoint a problem as user feedback tends to be not specific enough. But: we can use a few simple techniques to assess how users understand and perceive content. Let’s take a look. Part of [How To Measure UX & Design Impact](https://measure-ux.com/) by yours truly.
There are many myths revolving around Gen Z and how they use tech. Time to take a look at actual behavior patterns that go beyond heavy use of social media. Part of [Smart Interface Design Patterns](https://smart-interface-design-patterns.com) by yours truly.
Design decisions shouldn’t be a matter of personal preference. We can use reliable design KPIs and UX metrics to guide and shape our design work and measure its impact on business. Meet How To Measure UX and Design Impact, our new video course that helps with just that.
Ever felt pressure to speed up your design process? Here’s how to address unrealistic expectations and foster a shared understanding with stakeholders, ensuring everyone is aligned on the path to a successful delivery. Part of [Smart Interface Design Patterns](https://smart-interface-design-patterns.com) by yours truly.
Visualize the user experience with user journey maps. Here are some helpful templates, real-world applications, and insights on the importance of mapping both successful and unsuccessful touchpoints. Part of [Smart Interface Design Patterns](https://smart-interface-design-patterns.com) by yours truly.
Gaining buy-in for accessibility can be challenging due to common myths and misunderstandings. For many, accessibility remains a big mystery. Here are some practical techniques for winning stakeholder support. Part of [Smart Interface Design Patterns](https://smart-interface-design-patterns.com) by yours truly.
Job openings typically cast a very restrictive frame for candidates, with long lists of expectations and requirements. But what if this narrow focus can overlook the value of “V”-shaped designers who excel by crossing boundaries, connecting dots, and innovating beyond rigid boxes?
The 2-page login pattern is becoming pervasive. Here are the reasons behind this design choice and alternative solutions to create a more efficient and user-friendly authentication experience.
Imagine finally resolving never-ending discussions about UI decisions for good. Here are some practical examples of decision trees for UI components and how to use them effectively. An upcoming part of [Smart Interface Design Patterns](https://smart-interface-design-patterns.com).
Should you hide or disable a feature? You’ve probably been there before. Here are some considerations for hiding versus disabling, along with possible alternatives to improve UX. An upcoming part of [Smart Interface Design Patterns](https://smart-interface-design-patterns.com).
How do we conduct UX research when there is no or only limited access to users? Here are some workarounds to run UX research or make a strong case for it. An upcoming part of [Smart Interface Design Patterns](https://smart-interface-design-patterns.com).
How do we conduct UX research when there is no or only limited access to users? Here are some workarounds to run UX research or make a strong case for it. An upcoming part of Smart Interface Design Patterns.
Scrolling, scanning, skipping: How do users consume content online? Here’s what you need to know about reading behavior and design strategies to prevent harmful scanning patterns. An upcoming part of Smart Interface Design Patterns.
It’s here, and it’s shipping! Meet our newest Smashing book, ”Success at Scale”. It’s filled with practical insights and real-world case studies of how big changes can be made on projects of any size. Addy Osmani has curated finest examples, case studies and interviews to help you get successful at scale. Jump to the details and get the book right away.
Our next book, “Success at Scale” is finally at the printer, which means we’ll be shipping books soon. It’s also your last chance to get the book at the presale price. Get your copy and save now!
Color accessibility is more than just ticking boxes. Even with good contrast, some color palettes can make interfaces challenging for users. Here are some practical guidelines to ensure more inclusive design for colorblind people. An upcoming part of Smart Interface Design Patterns.
How to design for children aged 3–12, with insights into user behavior, considerations for parents, and practical UX guidelines.
With one billion people aged 60 or older worldwide, inclusivity is more important than ever. Learn how to create digital experiences that empower independence and competence for older adults while enhancing usability for all. An upcoming part of Smart Interface Design Patterns.
The design process is messy. You might be following a structured approach, but too often, it takes a life of its own. And before you know it, you are designing in chaos, with last-minute changes and missed deadlines. So, what’s the “perfect” design process?
Meet “Success At Scale”, our upcoming book with best-practice case studies from industry experts. Print shipping in early March 2024. eBook now available. Pre-order the book.
Are sticky headers always a good idea? Best practices for designing sticky headers, with examples, UX guidelines and usability considerations.
Practical guidelines to prevent rage taps and rage clicks with accessible tap targets for icons, links and buttons — on desktop and on mobile. With useful techniques and guidelines.
Design handoffs are inefficient and painful. They cause frustration, friction and a lot of back and forth. Can we avoid them altogether? Of course we can! Let’s see how to do just that.
Brand new conference on design & UX, for designers and UI engineers who love the web. On design systems, usability, product design and complex UIs. That’s SmashingConf Antwerp, taking place in magical Bourla on October 9–11, 2023.
How do we design effective reviews and ratings? With a distribution chart, decimal scores, tags, recommendation score and unedited product photos.
Captioning can be much more than text. Design patterns for better UX of subtitles, captions, video players, transcripts and on-screen text.
That’s how people behave on the web in 2023. Some observations from real usability testing on what people do and what they don’t do on the web. From disabled copy-paste to magic link sign-in.
“Understanding Privacy,” the new Smashing Book by Heather Burns, will help you create inclusive, safe and privacy-aware digital experiences. Print books are now shipping! [Jump to details](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2022/12/understanding-privacy-new-smashing-book/#about-the-book) and [get the book right away](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/printed-books/understanding-privacy/).
When designing navigation on mobile, we don’t have to rely on slide-in-menus or nested accordions. We can also use the curtain design pattern, and show multiple levels of navigation at once.
Meet Understanding Privacy, our brand new Smashing Book to make sense of privacy, and learn how to create inclusive, safe and privacy-aware digital experiences. eBook now available, print shipping in early December.
SmashingConf NYC is back! A friendly, inclusive conference for designers and front-end engineers who can’t wait to learn and be inspired. October 10–13, 2022. Get your ticket!
Live, or inline validation in web forms is useful when it works, but frustrating when it fails. Too often it leads to an endless stream of disruptive error messages or dead-ends without any chance of getting out. Let’s fix it.
Meet “Smart Interface Design Patterns Checklists”, a deck of 166 checklist cards to help you design and build better interfaces, faster. With accordions, mega-drop-downs, data tables, carousels, and everything in-between.