Something you very much want to avoid in web design is unreadable text. That can happen when the background color of an element is too close or exactly the color of the text. For instance:
Which could lead to text that's there, but invisible.
This is ... very bad.
You'd never do that on purpose of course! The trouble is it can sneak up on you. For one thing, the default background-color is transparent, so without setting any background the background of an element is probably white.
More commonly, you're using a background-image that makes the background a different color, and you're setting white text on top of that.
But let's take a look at what it looks like while the website is loading over a very common "Slow 3G" internet connection:
There's no reason our dear visitor needs to wait to discover the incredible savings awaiting them this Sunday! Fortunately, a tiny bit of CSS solves this.
The black background color will ensure the white text will be visible while the image loads (or if it never loads at all!). Getting slightly fancier, we could use a color used in the image. I like a little app called Frank DeLoupe for helping me pluck a color from anywhere on my screen. Then I'll use that color as the fallback color using the shorthand syntax for backgrounds:
This kind of thing takes very little effort, improves your design's resiliency and UX, and I think you'll find becomes are part of your CSS muscle memory the more you write CSS.
Another related topic here, since we're working with a photograph, is the idea of a "Progressive JPG." Photoshop has the ability to save a JPG in this format. This changes how the displays as it's coming across the network. Here's a comparison video:
A low-res version of the image loads into place first, and it becomes higher quality as more of the image loads.
Perhaps a more desirable loading experience, but not a replacement for a fallback color.
Leveling up!
Images are one of the heaviest parts of websites, and loading techniques for them are a big topic in web performance. Here are some more related to things to think about:
Interesting, although it doesn't matter much to me, since I already have my texts on all my devices (thank you, Google Voice).
Google is pushing a new update to Android Messages and while the software may appear innocuous, a teardown by Android Police has revealed a lot of changes under the hood. The biggest change is that Google appears to be prepping Android Messages for web use, allowing users to carry on their communications between paired phones, laptops, and desktops. Users will go to a website on their computer and then scan the QR code with their phone to pair the devices.
Google is also planning to heavily push Rich Communication Services (RCS) texting, which adds features like texting over data, read receipts, and HD photos. The promotional text makes it sound as though Google will be handling the features, which is interesting, as RCS is generally implemented by carriers, not intermediaries.
The other change is that Google will add purchases to Android Messages. It’s not entirely clear as to how this will be laid out in Messages. It could arise as sending payments between individuals, or it could be implemented as a shopping feature for businesses to send advertisements directly to customers, with the option for customers to securely purchase from within Android Messages.
The update is rolling out now, but do remember that these features aren’t currently in place and may not come to fruition. As of now, Google has only laid the framework for these features, which is no guarantee of their existence.
What are your thoughts on these potential changes?
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Thursday that the Houston Texas Temple will be rededicated on Sunday, April 22, 2018.
Emoji have become an easy and effective way to communicate in the digital era, but the range of emoji is still lacking. Unicode is continually working to change that, and the new Emoji 11.0 set adds 157 new emoji to the current line. Some of the notable additions include red hair, curly hair, white hair, and baldness, which is the first time that emojis have been added for different hair components.
There are also some new activities, such as sewing, knitting, and skateboarding, as well as objects like boots, magnets, dynamite, and lab coats. Cupcakes now have an emoji, and the animal range has been expanded to include kangaroos, raccoons, and peacocks among others.
The Emoji 11.0 update will be released alongside the Unicode 11.0 update in June 2018, with new emoji expected to reach smartphone users in August or September.
It made the rounds a while back that Chris Bolin built a page of his personal website that could only be viewed while you are offline.
This page itself is an experiment in that vein: What if certain content required us to disconnect? What if readers had access to that glorious focus that makes devouring a novel for hours at a time so satisfying? What if creators could pair that with the power of modern devices? Our phones and laptops are amazing platforms for inventive content—if only we could harness our own attention.
Now Bolin has a whole magazine around this same concept called The Disconnect!
The Disconnect is an offline-only, digital magazine of commentary, fiction, and poetry. Each issue forces you to disconnect from the internet, giving you a break from constant distractions and relentless advertisements.
I believe it's some Service Worker trickery to serve different files depending on the state of the network. Usually, Service Workers are meant to serve cached files when the network is off or slow such as to make the website continue to work. This flips that logic on its head, preventing files from being served until the network is off.
Now we need this in Texas so I don't get hassled for letting my 7-year-old play on the playground by herself.
It was 10 years ago I let my 9-year-old son ride the subway by himself. In response to the enormous media blowback (Today Show video below), I started the Free-Range Kids blog, the predecessor to this one, to say that I LOVE safety, but do not believe that our kids are in constant danger (and the crime stats
On a serious note, I have absolutly no problem with people pictures of their food on the internet. I myself even follow a sandwich board on reddit. I have lost many hours looking at peoples sandwiches.
When I was a kid, my family couldn’t afford a computer, so I’d only get to use one in my father’s office, for a few minutes at a time. When I was a little older, we got a computer at school—one computer, for the entire school—and I was able to spend a bit more time with a PC.
Fast forward to 2018, my daughter is walking around her middle school with a computer in her pocket that enables her to connect to the internet and use apps at any time. Even as a parent at a tech company, it’s hard to believe that this has become the norm: Most kids get a smartphone by the time they are 10 years old, and more than 77 percent of kids 6-12 years old are using them on a weekly basis.
The opportunity for kids to get help with math homework, listen to any song, or video chat with their grandparents at any time is amazing. But technology presents new challenges for parents, and it's important that they're equipped with resources to tackle them effectively.
Today is Safer Internet Day, and this year’s theme is a call to action to create a better internet for the youngest users. Here are some of the resources we’ve developed over the years that do just that.
Whether they’re playing Interland, our interactive online game, or learning from educators that are applying our lesson plans in their classrooms, Be Internet Awesome aims to help kids be thoughtful about what they share, identify phishing and other scams, protect their personal information, and be respectful of their peers.
One of the program’s most important pillars is: “When in doubt, talk it out.” Making sure that kids can talk about these new issues with a trusted adult—like a parent or teacher—is critical as they’re learning to navigate the web safely.
Family Link
It’s hard to balance giving kids the freedom to explore the internet, while guiding their experience. Family Linkcan help parents stay in the loop as their kid begins using their first mobile device. Parents can create a Google Account for their kid that's much like their own—and do things like manage apps, keep an eye on screen time, and set a bedtime for their kid's device.
Google Wifi
We’ve also built family-friendly controls into Google Wifi. Site Blocking, which uses the best of SafeSearch, enables parents to block access to more than 8 million non-kid-friendly websites on any device in the home—all with a few taps in the Google Wifi app. And to help you manage screen time, Google Wifi has a helpful feature where you can pause the Wi-Fi when it’s time to sit down for dinner or wind down for bed.
We’ve come a long way since I was using my dad’s computer in his office, and in the years ahead, technology will only become a more central part of our lives. We’re committed to building tools and designing programs that enable parents to provide a safer and inspiring experience for their kids online.
As a father of two kids, I find this come 100% accurate.
Ugh, every time.
On a serious note, I have absolutly no problem with people pictures of their food on the internet. I myself even follow a sandwich board on reddit. I have lost many hours looking at peoples sandwiches.
