Skipping servers and using the JAMstack to build and deliver websites and apps can save time, money, and headache by allowing us to deliver only static assets on a CDN. But the trade-off of ditching traditional server-based deployments means that standard approaches to dynamic, asynchronous interactions in our sites and apps aren’t available anymore.
Does that mean that JAMstack sites can’t handle dynamic interactions? Definitely not!
JAMstack sites are great for creating highly dynamic, asynchronous interactions. With some small adjustments to how we think about our code, we can create fun, immersive interactions using only static assets!
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In this episode of the Smashing Podcast, we’re talking about variable fonts. What are they, how do they differ from regular fonts, and how can they help in the design and performance of our websites? Drew McLellan speaks to a font of knowledge on the matter, Jason Pamental.
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Having a face-to-face meeting with your client can cause anxiety for those of us that push pixels for a living, but even the simplest kind of sketching can help. The sitemap meeting can be a minefield of multiple stakeholders, multi-dimensional categories, historical analytics, new products and mobile-first demands. Using a live illustration of a customer site journey, you can create a meaningful sitemap with which site visitors will resonate.
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Inclusive Components started shipping this month, and the response is overwhelmingly positive. This book is an essential handbook on how to build the most common interface patterns in an accessible way, but it’s also a set of blueprints for building inclusively on every project.
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You spend so much time focused on other people’s websites that it’s easy to put yours on the backburner and tell yourself, “I’ll fix it up someday soon.” But do you really want to wait to improve your professional portfolio site? It could be bringing you a lot more business — a lot more quality business, too — if you’d only spend some more time on it. In this article, Suzanne Scacca explains why spending that time turning it into a PWA would be worth your while.
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A roundup of Advent Calendar sites of interest to web designers and developers. From accessibility to UX, coding challenges to Perl, there really is something for everyone this December.
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Today, Rachel Andrew spoke about how to build a CSS layout. Follow along and learn how to use Grid and Flexbox, as well as why Rachel makes certain decisions as she builds out the layout. In this session, Rachel will be building a component of a layout, talking through her thinking as she does so. Is Flexbox or Grid the right method to use? How will the component respond to different screen sizes? And, what about those old browsers?
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“If you build it, they will come.” That’s certainly true when you put a lot of time and effort into building websites and PWAs for clients. But what happens when “they will come” becomes “too many of them came all at once and now the site’s gone down”? Traffic surges do happen. But rather than let your website become victim to them, Suzanne Scacca will show you how you can set it up to be the victor, with this guide.
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Brand illustrations are an adaptable and effective way to build a company’s visual brand. In this article, Yihui Liu outlines her process for developing a strong brand illustration system. Her approach has been refined over 10 years of study and professional experience in China and Europe, and draws examples from her latest work as Lead Designer at Spacebase.
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Every website or PWA you build should automate as much prospecting and selling as possible. The only thing is that visitors enter websites with various mindsets, depending on which part of the buying stage they’re at. This means that you can’t just take every person who enters the site through the same path. You have to design a custom sales funnel (or pathway) for each kind of buyer. In this article, Suzanna Scacca will tell you what you need to keep in mind.
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