Small Joys And Big Adventures (August 2026 Wallpapers Edition)
hello@smashingmagazine.com (Cosima Mielke) |
Whether you’re enjoying some well-earned time off this August or are jumping headfirst into a new project, how about some new desktop wallpapers to accompany you on all those big and small adventures the month might bring? Well, we’ve got you covered!... read more
The Bull And Bear Case For Digital Design In The Age Of AI
hello@smashingmagazine.com (Andy Budd) |
As AI reshapes product design, it could give designers greater autonomy or expose the gaps that autonomy makes harder to hide. Exploring both the bull and bear cases, Andy Budd examines what happens when designers need less permission to act.... read more
Thinking Outside The Box: Digital Design In The AI Era
hello@smashingmagazine.com (Oleksii Hrzhehorzhevskyi) |
Many of the AI tools we interact with take the form of text boxes. But what if there was a different way to interact with AI? Oleksii Hrzhehorzhevskyi explores a different approach to creating a new AI assistant and how designers can navigate the field as AI continues to change it.... read more
Weaponizing And Defending The React Flight Protocol: Deserialization Sinks In RSCs
hello@smashingmagazine.com (Durgesh Pawar) |
While React Server Components rely on the custom Flight protocol to stream interactive UIs, this same mechanism introduces powerful deserialization sinks that attackers can exploit. Durgesh Pawar breaks down the mechanics behind the CVSS 10.0 “React2Shell” vulnerability to show how protocol manipula... read more
When It Makes Sense To “Block” The Main Thread
hello@smashingmagazine.com (Victor Ayomipo) |
The common rule of thumb is to never “block” the browser’s main thread when running JavaScript tasks. But is this a hard rule? Victor Ayomipo describes a use case he encountered involving a screenshot extension where he made an exception to the rule and decided that blocking the main thread was abso... read more
No, People Don’t Want More AI In Their Life
hello@smashingmagazine.com (Vitaly Friedman) |
Many companies assume everyone craves new AI features. But the reality is that most people don't want more AI — at least not in the way most AI leaders envision it. Brought to you by Design Patterns For AI Interfaces, **friendly video courses on UX** and design patterns by Vitaly.... read more
From Kickoff To First Concept: How To Turn Brand Strategy Into Visual Direction
hello@smashingmagazine.com (Anastasia Sycheva) |
The strongest visual concepts don’t start in Figma. They start with the right questions. Explore the pre-concept phase of brand identity design, where teams research brand context, uncover hidden assumptions with stakeholders, and turn shared direction into a visual foundation before a single concep... read more
Designing For Distressed Users: Why Mental Health Apps Shouldn’t Follow Every UI Fashion
hello@smashingmagazine.com (Kat Homan) |
Many UI trends are designed to capture attention and signal innovation, but those goals often conflict with the needs of mental health apps: reducing cognitive strain, fostering trust, and providing a sense of refuge. Kat Homan introduces an evaluation framework that helps designers assess whether t... read more
Meet Kirki: WordPress’s First Visual Builder With An Infinite Canvas
hello@smashingmagazine.com (Zareen Tasnim) |
We have been building websites inside boxes for years on WordPress. Let’s take a closer look at [Kirki](https://kirki.com/), the first freeform visual builder with an infinite canvas, and explore how it redefines the experience with cleaner performance, full design freedom, and zero plugin dependenc... read more
Users Don’t Need More Tools: They Need Seamless Integrations
hello@smashingmagazine.com (Vitaly Friedman) |
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.... read more