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As Europe we need to break free from our dependency on American digital services. What if Trump decides to use access to these services as a geopolitical chess piece? It can severely hamper a country. Take for example the total integration of Microsoft within the Dutch government. From getting access to cloud work spaces to all the communication within Microsoft Teams.

Time to choose for European alternatives. And even then is not enough for only the data to be hosted in the EU. In his first term as president Trump changed the law which makes all data, even hosted in Europe, subject-able to U.S. legal scrutiny.

David Oliver says following RSS Feeds can be an antidote to the bite-sized fast paced consumption of social media. You need to make time to decide which RSS Feeds you want to follow. This 'garden', as he calls it, needs periodic maintenance to prevent from being overwhelmed by all the information.

As a designer you feel the need to put form fields in multiple columns next to each other. It looks clean and you neatly make use of the available space. Adam Silver once again points out that you should avoid this at all cost. Time again research shows that putting the form fields in one column works best for users. And it might not be the prettiest solutions, but that's something we need to accept as designers.

Austin Kleon shares 100 quotes that can help with writing. Such as this one from Percival Everett: “I’m pretty sure everything I’m writing is s—t. I’m just trying to make the best s—t I can.”

I got this quote from a blog by Ryan Holiday where he shares his favourite books read in 2024. What he wants to say is that it's important to be selective of which books you pick up (and put down if they are not your cup of tea).

Adam Silver discusses several complicated technical solutions to finally arrive to a simple, but smart solution: dividing the form into multiple pages.

Working as a designer in a large organization and getting your 'perfect' designs actually built can be a challenge. According to Andy Budd this has multiple reasons but it's important to:

• Embrace the progress even though your design won't be built pixel perfect.
• Ask the right questions in order to determine where the problem lies with your designs.
• Be tactical on which issues you stand your ground.
• Prototype fast and often so you can determine big problems early in the process.

WebGL is a technique that is available in all the major browser which can be used to make this interactive smoke and light visual.

Nikhil Suresh argues in this blog that the simple fact that you are willing to read in a specific domain gives you a head start. Suresh claims this is because few people make the effort to continue reading within their specialization.

A month after I became the proud owner of a sitting/standing desk, I came across this article. It's about how standing the whole day is just as bad as sitting all day. Luckily, the solution, as always, is variation. It's especially important to take a walk now and then.

Adam Silver, an expert on UI/UX design, had a discussion with his colleague: should a button that can do harm, such as deleting an item, be hard to find? Eventually, they reached the conclusion that it shouldn't be hard to find the button, but you have to build in a safety net if a user deletes something accidentally. This way, users who need to delete something can still easily find the button, but unwanted destructive actions are avoided.

In this article the aesthetic-usability effect is explained by the UX experts of the Nielsen Norman Group. This effect makes users believe something (like a website or an app) is easier to use because it looks pretty. A solid argument to pay attention to how something looks besides of just making something user friendly. Author Kate Moran does warn there is a limit to this effect and that, even though a site or app may look pretty, this effect can't mask big UX problems indefinitely. 

A small blog with a big message: Bill Wear argues that everything you do, you have do it with your full attention. This requires practice. Giving your attention to the things that truly matter.

How to strategically make use of the 'Hemmingway effect', which basically means to stop in de the middle of a creative endeavour even though you feel you can go on. By doing this it's easier to get yourself motivated to start up the project the next time you're having a go. 

There is a lot of talk about screen time being bad for kids. But adults are not exempt to the downsides of being glued to a screen all day. It's bad for your eyes and passive screen time is being compared to sugar for your brain. That's why scientist advise to avoid screens for the first hour of the day. Instead you can read a book, listen to music or prepare a healthy breakfast.

Hannah Bussey emphasizes that it's important to go outside as soon as possible after waking. Bathing in the sunlight, even on a cloudy day and before you check your phone, works towards a good cardiac rhythm. Meaning you will sleep better at night.

In this expansive essay Adrian Hanft shows how important UI/UX design can be and why you always have to test your screens/ideas with the user. In 2017 a disastrous event  occurred when a American Navy ship became seemingly uncontrollable because a checkbox was activated but didn't get noticed by the crew. The ship collided with another ship and as a results there were deaths, injuries and millions of damages. Hanft argues this could all have been avoided if the screens were tested with the end users.

Ryan Holiday explains why he doesn't have goals. It boils down to just doing the work and not making it dependent on some external factor like a goal. A goal doesn't say anything about the work you want to do.

Ryan Holiday posts about his hobby: swimming. According to Holiday this is an ideal past-time because when you swim you're can't access screens or phones. He also makes it a sport to visit unique swimming spots when he is traveling.

A good form...

I have never known the difference between <a href="#" target="blank">Link</a> or <a href="#" target="_blank">Link</a>, so I went looking and came across this Stack Overflow answer. It turns out that if you use 'blank' without an underscore, the link always opens in the same new tab or window, but if you use '_blank', a new window or tab is opened each time.

This just goes to show that even after 20 years of building websites, you can still learn something new.

I love train travel, and it seems amazing to travel through Europe by train. This gentleman has apparently mastered train travel, so that's why I'm sharing this. Mainly as a reference for myself.

Ryan Holiday realizes that it is sometimes worth choosing the difficult path because it allows you to improve yourself. Take the bike instead of the car to get better fitness, or pick up a book instead of your phone to learn something new.

Kyle Chyaka writes that he has stopped using Spotify because it is becoming increasingly difficult for him to find the music he wants. The interface of Spotify is constantly being updated, with a growing focus on algorithms that determine what music you listen to. This is also referred to as 'corporate-centered' design, where the interests of the company take precedence over those of the user.

According to Janan Ganesh, it is better not to read new books immediately but to wait a few years after a book has been released. This way, you can see if the book stands the test of time. Truly great books remain valuable to read even after 10 or 20 years.

According to David Cain, goals are too big, and it is better to break them down into small manageable 'quests' where the focus is on the process rather than the end goal.

According to Adam Ard, the Scrum method has mutated into something that stands in direct opposition to the Agile Manifesto. Instead of developers being given more space, freedom, and time to deliver things, it is being misused by management to exert too much control. The solution? Give developers more ownership over the decisions that are made.

Dominic Frisby observes the Ozempic hype with concern and offers an alternative: apple cider vinegar. He uses it (irregularly) three times a day (a teaspoon diluted in water) because it seems to suppress appetite. How scientific is it? No idea, but I think trying it for a while can't hurt.

I use ChatGPT for just two things: translating and summarizing. This blogger found that ChatGPT doesn't summarize but only makes texts shorter. This leads to missing essential parts or misinterpretations.

Dark UI/UX patterns used to deceive users.

Batteries are an important component in making the transition to fully renewable energy possible. Auke Hoekstra predicts that batteries will become very cheap. By around 2030, you could buy a 20 kWh battery for your home that you can earn back in 3 years because you can store the generated energy (from, for example, solar panels).

Mathias Schäfer shares a nice way to create bar charts using just HTML, CSS, and SVG.

Andrew Chen shares the idea of '10x work' on his substack. These are tasks that have 10 times the impact compared to other small tasks. Instead of being busy all day with reactive tasks like answering emails or attending unimportant meetings, shift your focus to creating/doing new things. As he puts it: "Agency and ownership rule the day, and this is why 'Send email to X' is stronger than 'Send reply to Y' — the best work does not happen in reaction to what others do."

These I find interesting:

1. The most important decision you make is to be in a good mood.
2. Holiday doesn't set goals for himself but just does what he enjoys. The results will come naturally.
3. If success doesn't make you a better person, then it's not success.
4. Checking out of hotels is for amateurs. You can leave whenever you want.
5. Say nice, complimentary things more often.

According to Taylor, it all comes down to focusing on the content. It has become way too complex in recent years, and most websites only need simple HTML and CSS to display static information. Just think logically, says Taylor.

Two things I take away from this article by Hannah Ritchie: 

1. Replacing chicken with beef can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 80%. However, you would need to slaughter more chickens to obtain the same amount of meat. Better for the environment but worse for the animals.
2. If I want to make food choices that are better for the climate and animals, I should, of course, switch to vegetarian and preferably vegan options.

Tim Ferris often talks about being in awe of the big things in life and how that makes you a better person. He therefore posted Ashley Simpson's article on his blog, which shows that being in awe can give you goosebumps. Such as watching nature (mountains or ocean) but also the smaller things like art (music or film) or seeing your own child learn to read and write.

Markham Heid indicates in the article on the Financial Times that having seemingly productive habits also has a compulsive downside. Taking a break from doing the same things every day and trying something new can also have a positive effect on your life.

Johann Hari conducted research in Japan and concluded that it is not genetic (obesity is actually a thing among Japanese immigrants), but it is about the food culture. Namely: Simple cuisine and flavors without too many additives, eating until you are 80% full because it takes longer for your brain to realize you are satiated, and there is a focus on how you eat (mindfully) and what you eat (healthy) in schools.

Last Drupalcon (2024 in Portland), Dries Buytaert, founder of Drupal, announced the Drupal Starshot initiative, which aims to make Drupal more accessible to beginners and specialists who can barely or cannot write any code. 

Starshot is a version that comes with many modules pre-installed and pre-configured by default. The features that are already built-in seem (suspicious? ;)) very similar to what I previously described in my blog about what every Drupal website should include from the start.

The beauty of this initiative is that expert users can still the flexibility of Drupal as they are used to because under the hood everything stays the same.

It's interesting to see that CSS is including useful solutions which previously were only available if you were using SCSS or SASS.

Beautiful to see and visit someday?

Arthur C. Brooks distills Jung's works into five pillars of a good life, namely: good physical and mental health, good relationships with other people, seeing beauty in art and nature, a good standard of living and meaningful work, and a philosophical or religious perspective.

In an article from 2000 (but no less valuable for that!), usability guru Jakob Nielsen states that you only need to test something (a website or app) with 5 users. This will uncover 80 to 90% of all problems. Testing with more than 5 users results in a flattening curve of the number of issues found. Therefore, allocate more resources to testing more frequently with fewer users rather than testing once with a large number of users.

In this article Ryan Holiday explains why exercise needs to be a part of your routine. For when you're stuck on a difficult problem. Clearing your head with some physical activity can give your productivity a boost.

McGovern indicates that AI is simply a variation of the advertising model. And if access to the AI is free, then you are the product.

Adam Silver argues why HTML prototypes are better than Figma prototypes. In summary: Figma is less realistic (for example, you can't fill out a form), you can't test it with a screen reader, you can't test responsiveness (from landscape to portrait), and hand-off to developers is more difficult.

Previously, Robin Rendle was responsible for maintaining a Design System. Now, as a product designer on the other side, he realizes that a Design System should not be too restrictive. It's fine to have predetermined colors and button sizes, but don't be too rigid, or designers won't use it.

On his blog, Omar Itani explains why you should create more than you consume. Research shows that spending 45 minutes a day on creative activities reduces stress. Additionally, consumption is pointless compared to creation, where in the end, you have something tangible. This resonates with me because it's about the process rather than the end product. The (creative) journey is more important than the goal.

Provided royalty free by the Getty Museum.

"The thing that’s wrong about imposter syndrome is that for the most part no one is thinking about you at all. They’re too busy with their own doubts and their own work."

When you write by hand, the brain is active in a different (and better) way. Because you have less time and space when writing by hand, you have to handle the information more carefully. During this process, you immediately weigh what is important, which helps you remember it better. Therefore, my intention is to make handwritten notes during meetings from now on and then process them digitally later.

Handy collection of inspiring web designs which are not too experimental and still useful for corporate websites.

Daniel Immke shares a method to get a cool 'noisy' effect on SVGs.

Dark mode, displaying light text on a dark background, is, according to research by the NN Group, primarily for aesthetics, because users find it visually appealing. In exceptional cases, it can contribute to improved accessibility. However, always provide users with the option to switch between Dark and Light modes. Nevertheless, it is not less tiring for the eyes and results in minimal energy savings. Therefore, it is better to prioritize other matters, such as improved user-friendliness, rather than developing a Dark mode.

This is a great example of 'how it can be done'. Instead of an unclear and confusing PDF form that is difficult to fill out, Nicolas has built a user-friendly online form tool, step by step, with clear instructions.

In addition, masculine countries like the United States, Italy, and Greece would employ a more aggressive style, with competition (the strongest wins) being central.

In feminine countries like the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway, design is approached with a focus on emotion, emphasizing photos over hard facts. Additionally, more white space is used.

Although there is no strong scientific basis, it is an interesting observation that prompts reflection.

A collection of presentations from companies such as Apple, OpenAI, and Zapier, with extra emphasis on design.

And argues that a UI/UX designer is more user-focused and research-oriented due to its academic origins. The product designer is more oriented towards the business side because this role originally emerged in Silicon Valley.

Including those of America, Canada, the UK, and also the Netherlands. Does a Design System actually work? Opinions are divided because, as user ProxCoques rightly points out, it's easy to create a repository with polished components and patterns. But correctly implementing the Design System in legacy systems is a whole different story. The other responses are also worth reading for anyone involved in Design Systems.

Enter an MP3. Wait a moment... it can take quite a while. And you will receive separate tracks of the drums, vocals, bass, and possibly other parts.