Free Workshop: Untangling the Web’s Most Frustrating Patterns

Certain interface habits follow users from site to site: carousels that never get clicked, modals that block content, infinite scroll that makes footers unreachable, and buttons that stay disabled without explanation. A free Smashing online workshop on Monday, September 27 at 9:00 AM PDT / 6:00 PM CET tackles these recurring frustrations head-on.

In a 2.5-hour live session, Vitaly Friedman will dissect common offenders—carousels, modals, infinite scroll, parallax and scrolljacking, mega-dropdown menus, disabled buttons, inline validation, frozen filters, CAPTCHA, authentication, and privacy flows. Each pattern gets examined for how it confuses users, with alternative approaches demonstrated through real examples and practical checklists.

Attendees leave with a concrete toolbox of techniques applicable to websites, desktop apps, and mobile products. The session includes Q&A time, and all video recordings and slides are provided afterward. Registration is free.

Vitaly Friedman

Spots are limited for the free ticket, available through Ti.to.

More Live Workshops Through November

The workshop is part of a broader online workshop lineup running from September through November 2021. Upcoming sessions cover front-end accessibility, landing page design, modern CSS, interface patterns, headless CMS migration, behavioral design, accessibility testing, Next.js, and design management. Several courses currently carry early-bird pricing.

  • Accessible Front-End Patterns Masterclass with Carie Fisher — 5 sessions, Sep 30 – Oct 14
  • Designing Landing Pages That Sell with Rob Hope — 5 sessions, Oct 5–19
  • Level-Up With Modern CSS with Stephanie Eckles — 5 sessions, Oct 5–20
  • Smart Interface Design Patterns, 2021 Edition with Vitaly Friedman — 5 sessions, Oct 25 – Nov 8
  • Migrate From WordPress To A Headless CMS with Alba Silvente — 2 sessions, Oct 28–29 (free)
  • Behavioral Design Workshop with Susan Weinschenk — 5 sessions, Nov 3–17
  • Deep Dive On Accessibility Testing with Manuel Matuzović — 5 sessions, Nov 4–18
  • Next.js Black Belt with Átila Fassina — 6 sessions, Nov 9–24
  • Design Management Masterclass with Yury Vetrov — 5 sessions, Dec 1–15

Teams looking to stretch their budget can also grab a 10× tickets bundle at a $1250 discount. Register for individual workshops directly.

What to Expect From the Session

Smashing has written about how its online workshops are run, and this installment follows the same format: live instruction, active participation, and engaged discussion rather than passive viewing.

Free Meet-Up: Web Performance Focus (Sep 30)

For those who miss the workshop, there is also a free Smashing Meets online meet-up on Sep 30 at 9:00 AM PDT / 6:00 PM CET, centered on web performance. Speakers Tammy Everts, Addy Osmani, and Robin Marx will cover the culture of performance, image optimization, and HTTP/3. Video recordings and slides are included, and tickets are free.

Further Reading