The Collective #887

A Framework for Evaluating Browser Support * An official logo for CSS

In partnership with

Olá, frontend friends! 👋

It’s Thursday, and we’ve got some gems to share!

First up, Harry Roberts is rethinking how we measure web performance with CrRRUX, a new metric designed to give real-world insights while keeping comparisons simple and meaningful. Meanwhile, Geoff Graham explores the nuances of alt text, highlighting when it’s necessary, and when it might not be.

Jen Simmons introduces the new CSS property that’s pure fun: background-clip: border-area. Think gradient-filled buttons and image-based borders without the hassle.

Lastly, Daniel Destefanis created a great tool/Figma plugin to create those lovely mesh gradients from photos!

Happy exploring!

Standout Web Design Picks

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Drawing inspiration from game UI design in Forza Horizon 3 and Forza Motorsport 7, this detailed guide explores recreating frosted glass effects for the web using CSS and JavaScript.

This article by Bramus discusses using a MutationObserver to automatically trigger View Transitions in web applications, simplifying the process of managing DOM changes with animations without embedding extra JavaScript logic.

Harry Roberts introduces CrRRUX (Chrome Relatively-Ranked User Experience), a new metric for comparing web performance across competitors, focusing on Core Web Vitals and real user experience, while balancing simplicity, objectivity, and continuity.

Josh W. Comeau shares a thoughtful framework for evaluating browser support for CSS features, balancing fallback experiences, audience browser usage, and potential harm caused by lack of support.

Geoff Graham’s article explores when alt text is necessary, how to avoid redundancy, and tips for making images accessible and purposeful.

Abbey Bamford details SomeOne’s Motability Scheme rebrand, blending accessibility and aesthetics to create an inclusive, engaging design system centered on usability and representation.

Jen Simmons introduces the new CSS property background-clip: border-area, which allows designers to apply gradients or images directly to borders, enabling creative effects like gradient-filled buttons, image-based borders, and circular progress rings.

Ana Boyer explains how Figma built the Pattern Library (FPL) for UI3, a new design system created by designers and engineers working together.

A place for exploring the shader source code from Three.js, including features like meshphong, meshlambert, and more.

The CSS-Next Community Group introduces a modernized, official CSS logo, designed to represent the language as a whole rather than specific versions, complete with accessible usage guidelines, variations, and community-driven design principles.

Daniel Destefanis has launched Photo Gradient, a free Figma plugin (also web-based) that lets you create mesh gradients from photos with ease.

A text comparison tool to highlight differences in plain text, code, or files with secure, client-side processing. Supports JSON, YAML, HTML, CSS, and more, with word or character comparison modes. Drag, drop, or open files directly.

(From our blog) Follow Waaark behind the scenes of Nod Coding Bootcamp’s new website transformation and discover how we turned a lacklustre site into a memorable experience.

(From our blog) Oguzhan Tufenk shows how to code real-time terrain reshaping through user interactions, using React Three Fiber.

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