This week we dive into how the same UI is perceived differently for disabled users, how sound can improve UX, and how to choose the right list form controls. Also: data-viz inspiration, accessibility patterns, and a few brain-bending curiosities.
9 science-backed ways to get people to read your stuff (any stuff).Continue reading on UX Collective »
A change is happening… for a lot of designers, code is becoming our new canvasContinue reading on UX Collective »
The return to physical keyboards in the age of the touchscreen.Continue reading on UX Collective »
Little micro interactions and accessibility concerns make a big difference to showing your attention to detail. Key Links ...
Sharing a build-in-public update.I’ve been working with my assistant “Gideon” (running inside OpenClaw) to solve a very specific problem:I want the agent to control my real browser (logged-in sites, my normal cookies, my actual tabs) - not a sandboxed headless browser - while still keeping the control surface simple and auditable. This means my OpenClaw won't break the moment a site gets "clever".So... We built it! I say we but it was mostly Gideon and I was along for the ride as
Hi HN,I’ve been working across multiple frontend stacks over the past few years (React, Vue, Angular, etc.), and one recurring frustration kept coming up:Core UI components like selects and toast notifications get rewritten every time the framework changes.Even when the behavior and UX are essentially the same, the implementation is tightly coupled to the framework, which makes long-lived UI logic surprisingly fragile.So I decided to experiment with a different approach: building UI primitives a
Hey HN — I’m building an app where users upload “real life” clothing photos (ex. a wrinkly shirt folded on the floor). The goal is to transform that single photo into a clean, ecommerce-style image of the garment.One key UX requirement: the output needs to be a PNG with transparency (alpha) so we can consistently crop/composite the garment into an on-rails UI (cards, outfit layouts, etc.). Think “subject cutout that drops cleanly into templates.”My current pipeline looks like: 1. User-uploa
Hey HN!I built UseWhisper.dev — an AI code reviewer that analyzes your code diffs, PRs, or snippets and returns review feedback instantly. It runs in the browser with no signup required, and is meant to give developers quick second opinions on logic, style, security, and best practices.https://usewhisper.devWhat it does:Paste a diff, GitHub PR link, or code snippetGet line-by-line intelligent feedbackSuggestions on readability, errors, anti-patternsNo login, minimal UI, fast responsesW
I built Audit8n (https://audit8n.com) to solve a problem I kept running into: n8n workflows that looked fine on the surface but had hidden security vulnerabilities, performance bottlenecks, and reliability issues.The tool runs 100+ checks across three categories:• Security: hardcoded secrets, public webhooks without auth, RCE via Execute Command nodes • Performance: aggressive polling intervals, AI token bloat, N+1 SQL patterns • Reliability: fragile loops without error handling, block
A 9,000-year vibe code analysis of 83 artifacts revealing the four cultural triggers that turn ancient traditions into billion-dollar “disruptions.The acceleration of history: A chronological mapping of health artifacts from 7000 BC to 2024 AD, revealing the extreme density of “innovation” in the 21st century.Collective amnesiaIt took four weeks, five days, and seven hours to finish this research — and I’ve barely scratched the surface. As a Product Manager in healthcare, I was taught that “habi
The redesign tested well. Users hate it anyway. Welcome to the paradox that costs companies millions and leaves everyone baffled.When Sonos released its redesigned app in May 2024, the backlash was immediate and brutal. Users couldn’t access basic features like volume control and alarms. Systems became unusable. The company’s stock plummeted 25%. Eventually, the CEO was replaced, and lawsuits claimed over $5 million in damages from customers who’d lost functionality they’d paid for.But here’s th
Stay relevant by honing your intuition, not your processIllustration by Hannah JamesYou likely know, or at the very least know of, a designer who just gets it. I’m talking about the designer who solves complex problems with elegant, user-centred, buildable solutions without breaking a sweat. Or maybe that designer who turns everything they touch into something genuinely beautiful. Or even the one who gets up on a stage and says what we’re all thinking more clearly and eloquently than we can. May
Once the QA Engineer enters the room, everyone expects that quality issues will be magically solved.Throughout my career in software testing, I’ve noticed dilemmas that affect the overall team’s dynamics and product outcomes. Believe it or not, these are the patterns that are quite common for every development team I worked with. These very patterns easily block the team’s goal, e.g. to develop an amazing cutting-edge product that could help humanity... As a result, this amazing product exists o
Hey HN, Chris and Yuhong here from Onyx (https://github.com/onyx-dot-app/onyx). We’re building an open-source chat that works with any LLM (proprietary + open weight) and gives these LLMs the tools they need to be useful (RAG, web search, MCP, deep research, memory, etc.).Demo: https://youtu.be/2g4BxTZ9ztgTwo years ago, Yuhong and I had the same recurring problem. We were on growing teams and it was ridiculously difficult to find the right information across ou
What Makes SSSInstagram Different?SSSInstagram is an online service designed specifically for downloading Instagram videos without any technical knowledge. Unlike many apps that require installation or registration, SSSInstagram works directly in your browser and is completely free.The tool supports all major Instagram content types and works equally well on desktop and mobile devices.What Can You Download with SSSInstagram?SSSInstagram allows users to download:- Instagram videos- Reels- Stories
Backstory: As a developer who spent years in front of screens dealing with stress and focus issues, I found most meditation apps either too childish or too commercial. I wanted to create a minimalist, developer-oriented tool that treats meditation as a productivity and mental health necessity rather than a trendy accessory. After optimizing the neumorphic design, SEO performance, and curating a library of natural soundscapes, I'm excited to share this with the HN community. What ma
Designers love to complain about constraints — deadlines, budgets, brand rules — but secretly, that’s what makes their best work possible. Total freedom kills creativity; limits spark it. The truth is, we don’t need fewer rules — we need better ones.
Hi, I’m Nikki. I run Drop In Research, where I help teams stop launching “meh” and start shipping what customers really need. I write about the conversations that change a roadmap, the questions that shake loose real insight, and the moves that get leadership leaning in. Bring me to your team.Paid subscribers get the power tools: the UXR Tools Bundle with a full year of four top platforms free, plus all my Substack content, and a bangin’ Slack community where you can ask
When learning the principles of basic CSS, one is taught to write modular, reusable, and descriptive styles to ensure maintainability. But when developers become involved with real-world applications, it often feels impossible to add UI features without styles leaking into unintended areas.This issue often snowballs into a self-fulfilling loop; styles that are theoretically scoped to one element or class start showing up where they don’t belong. This forces the developer to create even more spec