✏ Issue #509: UX Design’s Dirty Secret, VSCode.dev, Assertive SEO in 2021+, DOOM rendered via Checkboxes, and more…

You may have noticed an unfortunate phenomenon in UX. All too often, designers are expected to act as if they’re designers without actually doing any design work. Tanya Snook refers to this as UX Theatre when the mere appearance of a UX process will do. In this passionate post, she explains what’s going wrong.

Visual Studio Code is rightly one of the most popular coding IDEs. Now, if you visit vscode.dev, you’ll see a lightweight version of VS Code running in your browser. All you have to do is open up a folder on your local machine and start coding. It’s an incredible resource for anyone who needs to code on the go.

Lighthouse is an excellent tool for checking sites’ performance, but misunderstanding how Lighthouse scores are calculated can lead to some embarrassing and inaccurate claims. In this helpful post, Zach Leatherman explains precisely how easy it is to misinterpret Lighthouse, so you avoid the pitfalls.

Lorem.Space is a handy collection of placeholder images that are actually useful. You can request all kinds of random images using the API, from movie posters to game covers to random faces to random shoe pictures and more. You can specify a width and height in the URL’s query string, and it’s free to use.

Traditional SEO is all based on numbers, traffic, and comparable metrics. However, in 2021, into 2022, and beyond, the benchmarks for SEO success have changed. In this thought-provoking article, our editor Ben Moss explores the search giants’ directions and proposes a strategy for future SEO success.

There are tons of design systems available, but some are better than others. Case in point, Nord is the design system for Nordhealth. It’s an excellent basis for apps and sites, particularly those that need to communicate complex data in a simple and accessible format. Use it for free, or contribute yourself on GitHub.

All too often, when we’re coding, speed takes priority over quality, and shortcuts are taken in the name of agile or lean development. However, high-quality code benefits the mental health of coders, improves communication and efficiency, and ensures long-term organizational health. Isaac Lyman explains more in this excellent post.

As bizarre code experiments go, rendering the FPS classic DOOM in HTML checkboxes must rank up there with the strangest. In this super-nerdy post, Andrew Healey explains how and why he’s built a playable version of DOOM in checkboxes. You can browse through the source code, and yes, there’s a playable version.