When one approach becomes “how things are done,” we unconsciously defend it even when standards would give us a healthier, more interoperable ecosystem. Psychologists call this reflex System Justification. Naming it helps us steer toward a standards-first future without turning the discussion into a framework war.
This whole piece is an excellent discussion about how tools can become an identity and why that’s a bad thing.
In a distressing moment, it’s like you’re rushing to the airport — you’re just looking for help right now. When you aren’t distressed, it’s like you’re on vacation. You can take your time, you’re more open to exploring.
In a recent study, the VA learned a lot from users navigating acute distress — and why typical UX patterns fail. This is highly recommended reading for anyone working in the design space.
I think it’s really key to understand what AI is good for and where it falls short. Not just in terms of results, but in terms of externalities as well.
To that end, this is a piece worth reading. To me, the golden nugget is this (when discussing who will succeed with AI agents):
[T]he winners will be teams building constrained, domain-specific tools that use AI for the hard parts while maintaining human control or strict boundaries over critical decisions. Think less “autonomous everything” and more “extremely capable assistants with clear boundaries.”
In this episode, Trevor Noah and Brad Smith talk about a lot of things, but I think the most prescient is their discussion of information bubbles and organizing around labels. Trevor astutely observes how the source of information often colors how we receive that information and whether we consider it or reject it out of hand. In today’s media ecosystem, the system of “in groups” and “out groups” creates deep division and makes us more susceptible to misinformation.
The disability personas contained in Sarah Horton & Whitney Quesenbery’s A Web for Everyone are a terrific resource, so I’m thrilled their available beyond the book now too.
About a year ago, the folks at Global Symbols pitched me on their vision for using image generation models to create new AAC symbols that fit thematically within an existing set. It was a truly compelling use case for generative AI and I was thrilled to fund their project through the AI for Accessibility grant program.
Fast forward to today and their project has launched! Please check it out and share it with any AAC users in your life!
This is the kind of work that keeps me excited about the potential of AI to meaningfully improve people’s lives. I’m so proud to be playing a small part in this project.
I really appreciated Cory LaViska’s take on #WebComponents here. Especially this bit:
You know what framework I want to use? I want a framework that aligns with the platform, not one that replaces it. I want a framework that values incremental innovation over user lock-in. I want a framework that says it’s OK to break things if it means making the Web a better place for everyone. Yes, that comes at a cost, but almost every good investment does, and I would argue that cost will be less expensive than learning a new framework and rebuilding buttons for the umpteenth time.
This is a fantastic run-through of HTML and CSS features that help reduce our dependence on JavaScript (and improve #accessibility). Great work Kilian!
I love straightforward examples, like this one, of how to build progressively enhanced experiences in frameworks like React.
Step 2: Add in some HTML web components!