Smashing Magazine

Blossoms, Flowers, And The Magic Of Spring (April 2025 Wallpapers Edition)

hello@smashingmagazine.com (Cosima Mielke) |
The beginning of the new month is the perfect opportunity to give your desktop a makeover. If you’re looking for some beautiful and unique wallpapers to cater for a bit of inspiration this April, well, this post has got you covered.... read more

How To Argue Against AI-First Research

hello@smashingmagazine.com (Vitaly Friedman) |
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 r... read more

Adaptive Video Streaming With Dash.js In React

hello@smashingmagazine.com (Teng Wei Herr) |
HTML `` is the de facto element we turn to for embedding video content, but it comes with constraints. For example, it downloads the video file linearly over HTTP, which leads to performance hiccups, especially for large videos consumed on slower connections. But with adaptive bitrate streaming, we ... read more

Previewing Content Changes In Your Work With document.designMode

hello@smashingmagazine.com (Victor Ayomipo) |
You probably already know that you can use developer tools in your browser to make on-the-spot changes to a webpage — simply click the node in the Inspector and make your edits. But have you tried `document.designMode`? Victor Ayomipo explains how it can be used to preview content changes and demons... read more

Web Components Vs. Framework Components: What’s The Difference?

hello@smashingmagazine.com (Gabriel Shoyombo) |
Some critics question the agnostic nature of Web Components, with some even arguing that they are not real components. Gabriel Shoyomboa explores this topic in-depth, comparing Web Components and framework components, highlighting their strengths and trade-offs, and evaluating their performance.... read more

How To Prevent WordPress SQL Injection Attacks

hello@smashingmagazine.com (Anders Johansson) |
Have you thought about the security risks WordPress websites face? Anders Johansson explores why they are frequent hacker targets and shares how WordPress SQL injection attacks work and how to remove and prevent them.... read more

How To Build Confidence In Your UX Work

hello@smashingmagazine.com (Vitaly Friedman) |
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 your... read more

How To Fix Largest Contentful Paint Issues With Subpart Analysis

hello@smashingmagazine.com (Matt Zeunert) |
Struggling with slow Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)? Newly introduced by Google, LCP subparts help you pinpoint where page load delays come from. Now, in the Chrome UX Report, this data provides real visitor insights to speed up your site and boost rankings. Matt Zeunert unpacks what LCP subparts ar... read more

The Case For Minimal WordPress Setups: A Contrarian View On Theme Frameworks

hello@smashingmagazine.com (Kevin Leary) |
Modern frameworks are supposed to help speed up development while providing modern tools and a developer-friendly workflow. In reality, Kevin Leary has found that they cause far more problems than they solve. This ultimately leads to the big question: why are modern theme frameworks so popular, and ... read more

Sunshine And March Vibes (2025 Wallpapers Edition)

hello@smashingmagazine.com (Cosima Mielke) |
Do you need a little inspiration boost? Well, then our new batch of desktop wallpapers is for you. Designed by the community for the community, the wallpapers in this collection are the perfect opportunity to get your desktop ready for spring — and, who knows, maybe they’ll spark some new ideas, too... read more