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Top posts
Every blog post that took off on Hacker News, ranked by the votes of its best submission. 680 posts.
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I printed a huge batch of connectors to make a 15ft structure out of plastic
To put SLS technology’s capabilities to the test, we used the Fuse 1 SLS printer to build the structure that housed the 2017 FUSE conference.
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A bad design is a good reminder
Our new office has a dishwasher. It’s sleek, modern, and silent. It blends into the stainless cabinets and countertops just perfectly. It has the same handle style as the drawers and doors to the left and right. It has no buttons or lights or anything on the outside. You don’t even know…
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The Science of Word Recognition
Reviews the history of why psychologists moved from a word shape model of word recognition to a letter recognition model.
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Computers shouldn't make people feel like idiots
Predictably, some argue the iPad doesn’t do enough. It needs a keyboard or a removable battery or multitasking ability or whatever. But there’s an interesting backlash to that backlash. (Meta-backlash!) The discussion has people openly discussing an ugly truth that doesn’t typi…
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Learning from "bad" UI (37signals on TripLog)
When Gruber first linked the TripLog/1040 UI by Stevens Creek, I wasn’t kind either. Bright colors, controls seemingly placed at random. It was the opposite of what designers strive for in our circles. A mess. Soon the Flickr page was a schoolyard of insults. And then something interesting ha…
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How to get better at UI design
A curated guide to UI and UX design books, courses, pattern libraries, publications, and conferences, with resource recommendations reviewed for 2026.
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Introducing the Ubuntu Font Family to the web
Google and the Ubuntu project have today released the Ubuntu Font Family to the world through the Google Font Directory. The new Ubuntu Fon...
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Panic’s lost 1982 artwork. Found.
As you probably know, in the late 70’s Panic was writing VAX/VMS automation code for the textile industry. Cotton attenuators, zipper sublimation, loom dynamics, that sort of thing. What you might not know is that, once the early 80’s arrived, Panic got hit hard with two things: unkempt mutton chops, and Pac-Man Fever.
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PNG vs JPG: 6 simple lessons you can learn from our mistakes
Free, preconfigured Linux server images for self-hosting
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Why the Drudge Report is one of the best designed sites on the web
A couple weeks ago on Twitter I said: “I still maintain the Drudge Report is one of the best designed sites on the web. Has been for years.” A few people agreed, but most didn’t. Some thought it was a joke. I wasn’t kidding. To clarify, my definition of design goes beyond…
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Shoes and software
Yesterday, during an interview with Andrew Warner at Mixergy, I spoke about my early work experience bagging groceries, selling shoes, pumping gas, etc. There’s nothing particularly unique about these jobs – they are common jobs. But they taught me some important lessons about people, h…
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What happens when it's all glass?
Apple’s design dominance over the past decade has been due to industrial design first, software design second. Their hardware designs have inspired a generation. Over those last 10 years their software has gotten better and better too (it’s really damn good now), but it’s been…
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Oklch in CSS: why we moved from RGB and HSL (2024)
CSS Color Module 4 adds oklch(), and we gain P3 wide-gamut support, boost code readability, and improve developer-designer communication.
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There's no shame in looking good
Aesthetics have a bad rap in geek circles. CmdrTaco infamously slammed the original iPod with “No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame”. In other words, it’s all about the features and the functionality. If you don’t do more than the other guy, you’re useless. I don…
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Dark Mode vs. Light Mode: Which Is Better?
In people with normal vision (or corrected-to-normal vision), visual performance tends to be better with light mode, whereas some people with cataract and related disorders may perform better with dark mode. On the flip side, long-term reading in light mode may be associated with myopia.
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Why we disagree with Don Norman
Don Norman, an author, professor, and partner at the Nielsen Norman Group, read the Wired article about us and wrote a piece asking, “Why is 37signals so arrogant?” Hansson said: “I’m not designing… for other people.” I think that simple phrase speaks volumes.…