Five Links #109

Hello!

There’s a new look to these emails. I pushed some design tweaks to my personal site last weekend, and migrated the newsletter archive as well.

If you spot any issues with these changes, or emails are rendering weirdly, hit reply to let me know.

1. So your boss built a prototype

If you’re on the receiving end, presented with Claude’s latest on a 15” Dell? Be a designer about it. Go back to first principles. Who is the user, what’s the problem they’re trying to solve, and what is the context?

2. Fragment Mono

I discovered this lovely monospace typeface while researching type for a client project recently.

3. Neglecting the scrollbar: a costly trend in UI design

The scrollbar is often relegated to serving as a mere visual indicator. And in some UI patterns, like infinite scrolling, the scrollbar effectively loses all meaning or utility. As a result, they are typically styled to be thin, semitransparent, and sometimes auto-hiding. They’re optimized for being seen when the context is right (e.g., when the user is scrolling). But that comes at a cost.

4. Wishcessibility

Another great piece from Nic Chan:

But this is all a farce, a wish, if you will. It’s a lie we tell ourselves to hide the fact that perfect accessibility is actually impossible. The only way to get anywhere close is through systemic support and buy-in so that people can do the gritty, in-the-trenches work of grappling with our shared humanity.

5. Weekend Type

Great ethics section from this foundry:

That’s why we offer free and discounted licenses for projects that work with communities experiencing oppression, fighting for social justice, or striving to build a better future for all – not just a few.

What am I up to?

If you enjoy discovering the links in the emails, please tell other people about it: give it a share or forward it to someone you think might like it. If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe here.

Until next time,

Dave

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