Web-Drawing Throwdown: Paper.js Vs. Processing.js Vs. Raphael
Before drawing anything in a browser, ask yourself three questions: Do you need to support older browsers?If the answer is yes, then your only choice is Raphaël. It handles browsers all the way back to IE 7 and Firefox 3. Raphaël even has some support for IE 6, although some of its underlying technology …
Wrangle Async Tasks with jQuery Promises
Promises are an exciting jQuery feature that make it a breeze to manage async events. They allow you to write clearer, shorter callbacks and keep high-level application logic separate from low-level behaviors. Once you understand Promises, you’ll want to use them for everything from AJAX calls to UI flow. That’s a promise! Understanding Promises Once …
Finger-Friendly Design: Ideal Mobile Touchscreen Target Sizes
In darts, hitting the bulls-eye is harder to do than hitting any other part of the dartboard. This is because the bullseye is the smallest target. This same principle can also apply to touch targets on mobile devices. Smaller touch targets are harder for users to hit than larger ones. When you’re designing mobile interfaces, it’s …
PDO vs. MySQLi: Which Should You Use?
When accessing a database in PHP, we have two choices: MySQLi and PDO. So what should you know before choosing one? The differences, database support, stability, and performance concerns will be outlined in this article. Summary PDO MySQLi Database support 12 different drivers MySQL only API OOP OOP + procedural Connection Easy Easy Named parameters …
The Largest jQuery Class in the World
A couple weeks ago, Tuts+ Premium launched a free new real-time course, called “30 Days to Learn jQuery.” After signing up, each member receives an email, linking to a new video lesson for an entire month. I’m pleased to announce that, after only two weeks into the course, we’ve amassed the largest jQuery class in …
Beautiful Covers: An Interview With Chip Kidd
The work of Chip Kidd spans design, writing and, most recently, rock ’n’ roll. He definitely has the charisma to get ahead in that third field. He is best known for his unconventional book jackets, but he has published two novels of his own: The Learners and The Cheese Monkeys. Uninterested in design trends …
Stop Writing Project Proposals
After several grueling days I had finally finished the proposal. I sent it off and waited for a response. Nothing. After a few weeks, I discovered that they were “just looking”. Despite the urgency and aggressive timeline for the RFP (Request For Proposal) plus the fact that we had done business with this organization …
How To Recruit A UX Designer
The Web has entered an era of user-centricity. If businesses are to attract new customers and retain existing ones, they must create websites and apps that deliver intuitive and tailored experiences. Whether you run an online retailer or a not-for-profit community website, the user experience is mission critical. As a consequence, we have seen …
The Smashing Book #3: All Good Things Come In Threes
Yes, the brand new Smashing Book #3 is coming. The printing press is warming up, the illustrations are finished, and the chapters are being proofread. This third book is the best printed book we’ve produced so far: it is a valuable, cutting-edge, high-quality printed book that any Web designer should have on their bookshelf. …
