Best Tools to Use For Building Your First Website

Ever wondered how people build professional-looking websites from the ground up? It’s not as hard as it looks! With the right tools in hand, anyone can create a stunning website without needing to learn a line of code. Let’s talk about some user-friendly tools that can turn your website dreams into reality. Wix For beginners, […]

10 Excellent WordPress Themes for 2024

There is certainly no shortage of excellent WordPress themes you can select from to help you create an engaging and high performing website. Finding the best one for the job would most certainly be a challenge as there are literally thousands of great WordPress themes available plus you’ll have to define just what the makeup of the “best” would be like. Simply finding one you can rely on to help you create a website that will attract and engage new visitors to your site can be a problem in itself.

Since the one you pick will go a long way toward determining the look and feel of your site and would play an essential role in creating a source of information potential customers can feel they can rely on, one of our 10 top picks for the best WordPress themes should suit you quite nicely in that each brings a wealth of powerful website-building features to the table. 

  1. Be – The Fastest WordPress Theme Ever Built

One of the most consistent features of BeTheme is that it keeps getting better with each new release, with each new feature or set of features adding to its already well-established popularity. BeTheme has in effect become a total website management system thanks to a multiplicity of powerful core features that can be used for quickly building high performance websites of any type.

  • BeTheme’s 700+pre-built websites, a longtime user favorite, feature total customizability, responsiveness, and built-in UX functionality plus they enable users to get their projects off to a rapid start.
  • BeBuilder heads up an imposing collection of builders that include a Header Builder, a Footer Builder, a WooCommerce Builder, a Loop Builder, a Popup Builder, and a Sidebar Menu Builder. Thanks to BeBuilder, BeTheme can lay claim to being the fastest, most flexible, and most intuitive WordPress theme ever built.
  • BeBuilder’s Blocks mode features 80+ building blocks to work with together with selections of premade payouts and global theme options.
  • BeBuilder’s Developer mode improves workflow and takes users to the next level.
  • Other new BeTheme features include a Dynamic Data feature, a Conditional Logic tool that can determine if a content element or section can be rendered, a Single Post option, a Single Portfolio option, a Layer Navigator, and a Nested Wraps capability for managing more advanced layouts.

Click on the banner to check out each of BeTheme’s core website-building features. You’ll be impressed and glad you did.

  1. Pro Theme + Cornerstone Builder

Take Cornerstone, the most advanced builder in WordPress, pair it with Pro Theme, and what you get is the most powerful combo in WordPress. Cornerstone, with its app-like design and development capability is website building in the browser at its best and makes building websites fun, as it should be.

The Cornerstone Builder brings to the table the ability to build custom layouts and templates, stunning headers, content blocks, optimized workflows, glorious grids, and much more.

Cornerstone’s imposing family of builders include a Header Builder, a Footer Builder, a Layout Builder, and a Blog Builder.

  • Cornerstone’s Design Cloud asset is only a click away and features hundreds of ready-made templates, an ecosystem of premium plugins, and a collection of valuable courses that include Cornerstone Charts, Web Design Magic, Super Loopers, Gridorama, Modern Sliders, and others.
  • Headline technical features include Blank & Starter Stack, Theme Parameters, Components, and Elements, Conditional Logic, Native Web Effects, Native Sliders, Native Mega Menus, Font Awesome 6, Presets, Responsive Modals, Element API, and much more.
  • Cornerstone recently launched an External API feature that enables users to connect any 3rd party API to WordPress.

Click on the banner, visit the Pro + Cornerstone website and be prepared to be impressed with what you see. Reviews by satisfied users are included. 

  1. Total WordPress Theme

Whether you have a new website building project in mind or have decided it would be a good idea to spice up an existing one, having Total at your fingertips will help you do either to perfection. The Total WordPress theme is an ideal choice for developers, small business owners, and web designers of all skill levels.

Having the ability to create a website that does justice to your business is good. Having tools on hand that enable you to build it your way is even better. The Total WordPress theme guarantees both with its:

  • 50+ ready to use demos, 100+ site builder elements, 90+section templates, and hundreds of live customer settings plus the Slider Revolution plugin and an extended version of the WPBakery drag and drop page builder with its ready to use patterns, sample demos, and pre-styled cards.
  • seamless integration with WooCommerce for your shop-building projects.
  • boxed and full-width layout options, dynamic layouts, one-page sites, and advanced page settings.
  • RTL and translation ready code, retina images, a unique WPBakery Slim Mode to speed up your site, and five-star support.

Total is developer friendly with a full complement of action hooks, filters, custom snippets and more. Click on the banner to learn more about what Total could do for you.

  1. Uncode – Creative & WooCommerce WordPress Theme

Suggestion. Visit Uncode’s website and view its inspirational user-built website gallery that shows what its users have accomplished, as well as what Uncode could do for you.

This best-selling (110,000+ sales) creative and WooCommerce theme features include:

  • a remarkable selection of 95 demos or concepts, each of which is built around a specific purpose for creating agency, business, event, or portfolio websites and blog projects.
  • an impressive library of useful page layouts.
  • Uncode’s WooCommerce Builder for designing shop pages and pixel-perfect product listings.
  • the Uncode Wireframes plugin with its 550+ section templates you can work with to create landing your pages or build a complete website.
  1. Outgrid – Multi-Purpose Elementor WordPress Theme

The Outgrid Elementor Theme with its impressive range of 2,000+ blocks, 250+widgets, pages, and stunning interactions gives you everything you need to create an exceptional website that will stand out from the competition.

  • Outgrid’s Theme Options tool gives you total control over every aspect of your website’s static elements.
  • Outgrid’s UiCore Framework, Elementor’s free page builder, and Element Pack Pro plugins provide the theme’s core functionalities and amazing horsepower.
  • Outgrid’s Performance Manager helps you manage your website features, all in one panel, with no extra plugins.
  • Go global with Outgrid’s multilingual, translation, and RTL capabilities,

Outgrid also offers a White Label version. Simply add your logo, brand name, brand color, and disable theme features.

  1. Avada WordPress Theme – #1 Top Selling Theme of All Time

750,000+ first-time WordPress users and professional web designers (more than 24,000 of whom have submitted 5-star reviews) have discovered how Avada, the ultimate website builder and the #1 best-selling WordPress website building theme ever, makes it so fast and easy to create an amazing website.

  • Avada lets you customize anything and everything while its live visual drag and drop builder and huge selection of templates lets you build your website quickly.
  • The demo importer is a time saver. One click, and you’re ready to start customizing.
  • You can build everything from one-page business websites to thriving online marketplaces without ever having to write a single line of code.

Avada is responsive, optimized for speed, e-commerce enabled, and you’ll receive top-notch customer support.

  1. Woodmart – WordPress WooCommerce Theme for Any Kind of Store

Woodmart, the owner of a 4.95/5.0 average rating, offers an all-in-one solution for creating an attention-grabbing online store.

Visit the Woodmart WooCommerce theme website and go down its selection of 80+demos with their shop, business, corporate, fashion, electronics, and furniture themes. Chances are you’ll catch yourself trying to order something before remembering it’s only a demo.

Woodmart is simply demonstrating what an engaging website should look like.

  • The 80+ attractively laid out pre-made websites are inspirational and realistic.
  • Woodmart’s Shop and Product Page Elementor builders and design elements help you build an online store the way you want to.
  • The full AJAX filter and search features and Elementor custom checkout reduce order completion time and increase conversion rates.
  1. Blocksy – Premium WordPress Theme

The 100% eCommerce ready Blocksy WordPress theme is chock full of intuitive website building tools and aids that include –

  • Powerful advanced header and footer builders.
  • Gutenberg capabilities and the latest web technologies together with advanced WooCommerce integration with features calculated to maximize your conversion rates.
  • Blocksy’s Content Blocks module for inserting content anywhere you choose.
  • The mega menu extension for creating gorgeous dropdowns and layouts.
  • Support for custom post types and dynamic data.
  • local Google fonts that endure GDPR compliance.

Blocksy is compatible with Elementor, Brizy, and Beaver Builder page builders. Blocksy also features a White Label module that allows users to emphasize their company brands for maximal trust and user engagement.

  1. XStore WordPress & WooCommerce Theme

Building an online store should be done with careful attention to detail but it does not have to become a tedious grind. You’ll need to have your own content (products, descriptions, etc.) at the ready, but the rest will be the easy part if you let the XStore WooCommerce theme do the work for you.

Design tools include 130+ ready to customize and launch shops, Single Product, Product Archive, Checkout Layout, and Cart Layout builders, and 15 Sales Booster features that include:

  • Fake live viewing as a sales boosting aide.
  • product variation swatches selection dropdown.
  • popup that shows site activity in real-time.
  • frequently bought together ads as customer aids
  • 360 Product Viewer
  • Express Checkout, and
  • sticky add to cart bar that allows customers to add products without leaving pages.
  1. Litho Elementor WordPress Theme

If a creative, multi-purpose Elementor WordPress theme is your cup of tea, Litho is right for you.

Litho is built with Elementor and can be used for any type of business niche like corporate, design agency, restaurant, travel, yoga, architect, fitness, interior, cafe, application and more, plus portfolio, blog, and eCommerce. Just add the WooCommerce plugin and you’re ready to go.

  • The popular Slider Revolution plugin is included along with 37+ ready home pages, 200+ creative elements, and 300+ page-building templates.
  • Litho is WooCommerce ready, multilingual WPML compatible, and features top loading speeds and healthy SEO results.
  • Litho provides its users with detailed online documentation and top-notch customer support.

Litho is ideal for novice and advanced users alike.

*******

Site appearance is key with respect to how people will perceive your brand. It is therefore imperative that your online presence features a professional, visually appealing, and responsive design that helps you gain credibility, engage site visitors, and increase your conversion rates.

A WordPress theme can make this happen by giving you a fast, reliable, and efficient approach to website design by providing you with solutions that allow you to jumpstart your design efforts in minutes as opposed to the time it can take to create a layout from scratch.

Selecting the right WordPress theme is key if you want to present your content in an engaging, easy-to-digest, and functional manner. Now that you’ve checked out these 10 excellent WordPress themes, this might be the time to select one that suits you best and get on with building your site.

Read More at 10 Excellent WordPress Themes for 2024

Retro CSS Text Effect: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

CSS offers an array of tools that, when used correctly, can improve the visual experience on your website. In this tutorial, we’ll explore a straightforward way to design a retro text effect with pure CSS. The approach, while not overly complex, yields a visually appealing result and serves as a foundation for further customization.

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The HTML Setup

We’ll begin with our markup, containing the text we’ll be styling – “1stWebDesigner“.

<div class="retro-text"> 1stWebDesigner</div>

The div class .retro-text will be the hook for our CSS styling.

Designing the Retro Style with CSS

Next, let’s move on to our CSS file to create the retro text effect.

@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Lobster+Two:wght@700&display=swap');

body {
    background: #6868AC; /* Retro background color */
}

.retro-text {
    font-family: 'Lobster Two', serif; /* Stylish, retro font */
    font-size: 10vw; /* Responsive font size */
    position: relative; /* Enables use of z-index */
    color: #F9f1cc; /* Primary color of the text */
    text-shadow: -2px 2px 0 #FFB650, /* Orange shadow */
                 -4px 4px 0 #FF80BF, /* Pink shadow */
                 -6px 6px 0 #6868AC; /* Dark blue shadow */
    transform: skewX(-10deg); /* Skew the text on the X-axis */
    transition: all 0.5s ease; /* Smooth transition for hover effects */
    z-index: 2; /* Ensures text is layered above any potential background or border */
}

.retro-text:hover {
    color: #FFFFFF; /* Brighter color on hover */
    font-size: 15vw; /* Slightly larger text on hover */
    text-shadow: -2px 2px 0 #FFC162, /* Brighter orange shadow on hover */
                 -4px 4px 0 #FF92D0, /* Brighter pink shadow on hover */
                 -6px 6px 0 #8888D3; /* Brighter blue shadow on hover */
}

To explain our CSS setup:

  • font-family: 'Lobster Two', serif;: We’re using Lobster Two, a stylish retro font.
  • font-size: 10vw;: Sets a responsive font size that adapts to the viewport width.
  • position: relative;: The relative positioning is necessary for the use of the z-index property.
  • color: #F9f1cc;: This determines the primary color of the text. Here, we’re using #F9f1cc, a light cream color.
  • text-shadow: -2px 2px 0 #FFB650, -4px 4px 0 #FF80BF, -6px 6px 0 #6868AC;: Three layers of text-shadow (orange, pink, and dark blue) are added, creating a 3D effect that enhances the retro feel.
  • transform: skewX(-10deg);: The text is skewed on the X-axis to add a dynamic touch.
  • transition: all 0.5s ease;: Smooth transition for hover effects.
  • z-index: 2;: A z-index of 2 ensures the text is always layered above any potential background or border.
  • :hover: The hover state includes a brighter color, slightly larger text size, and brighter shadows.

The Result

Here’s how the above code renders:

See the Pen
Retro CSS Text Effects
by 1stWebDesigner (@firstwebdesigner)
on CodePen.0

Final Thoughts

As you can see, CSS provides numerous opportunities to enhance your design. Using our retro text effect as a launching pad, you could experiment with further tweaks like altering text shadows, adjusting opacities or incorporating gradient backgrounds to intensify the retro vibe.

However, it’s crucial to remember the function of your text. The aim is to create a visually engaging site while maintaining readability. This is particularly important when using viewport units like vw for font sizes, which we used in our example. These units allow your text to adjust with the viewport size, ensuring a responsive design.

Yet, care is required. In some contexts, such as headings, vw units could cause your text to appear disproportionately large or small. To prevent this, consider using a mix of viewport and fixed units like em or rem, or setting max/min font sizes with media queries. Always remember: while design is important, it should never compromise the user’s ability to comfortably read and understand your content.

So, whether you’re introducing new elements, tweaking existing ones, or harnessing advanced techniques, every step you take helps you create unique styles that reflect your design aspirations.

Conducting UX Surveys: A Practical Guide

UX surveys can be pivotal tools for designers seeking to understand user preferences, opinions, and behaviors. They foster alignment between design strategies and user expectations and can improve product or service usability. Our overview unravels the process of conducting UX surveys, highlighting how both quantitative and qualitative approaches can yield essential user insights.

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Conducting UX Surveys: Their Role and Execution

UX surveys serve as channels to collect insights directly from users about a product or service. They come in various forms, from online questionnaires to in-person discussions. These surveys aim to acquire both qualitative and quantitative data about user satisfaction, ease of use, and areas of potential improvement.

Conducting UX surveys follows a structured process. You begin by setting clear goals, and deciding what you aim to learn from the users. Then, you design a set of questions that invite insightful and actionable responses. Following the data collection, the task of data interpretation begins, leading to design changes that respond to the user’s needs.

Quantitative vs Qualitative: A Balancing Act

Quantitative surveys are useful when your goal is to collect numerical data. These types of surveys are great for tracking metrics such as usage frequency, user demographics, or user preferences. They offer the advantage of capturing data from a large audience, which can then be statistically analyzed to discern broader patterns and trends.

However, qualitative surveys offer something different. They are used when you want to dive deeper into the user’s thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Crucially, open-ended questions are the cornerstone of qualitative surveys, encouraging users to express their opinions freely. Although they might not yield broad statistical data, qualitative surveys provide detailed, nuanced information that can be invaluable for your design process.

Effective UX Survey: The Practical Steps

A well-designed UX survey is a careful process, requiring both strategic thinking and an empathetic understanding of your users. We’ll observe some of the indispensable steps that can guide your survey creation.

Objective Setting

Every UX survey must start with clear objectives. Whether you’re seeking to understand user behavior, assess user satisfaction, or gather feedback on a new feature, defining these goals will steer the development of your survey. It influences the kind of questions you will ask, the selection of respondents, and even the choice of the survey method. Clear goals ensure the collected data is genuinely useful and purpose-driven for your design strategy.

Drafting and Revision

The initial draft of your survey questions serves as a blueprint that should ideally be subjected to a review process. Don’t hesitate to involve your team, respected peers, or mentors in refining the questions. Their feedback will help eliminate ambiguities, prevent biased questions, and ensure the questionnaire resonates with your target audience.

Choosing the Right Platform

Selecting the most suitable platform for your UX survey significantly affects response rates and data quality. The nature of your survey – whether it’s a quick poll, an in-depth questionnaire, or an interactive survey – plays a huge role in this decision. Other factors to consider include the complexity of your survey, the technical competency of your target demographic, the platform’s user-friendliness on various devices, its visual appeal, and cost-effectiveness.

Question Design

The construction of your questions can be vital for the insights you gather. Close-ended questions, such as multiple-choice or Likert scale items, provide structured responses that are easier to analyze and compare. Meanwhile, open-ended questions encourage users to express their thoughts freely, providing deeper context and insight into their experiences. The key is to strike a balance: ask specific, direct questions to capture hard data, and open-ended ones to allow space for unexpected but valuable feedback.

Strategic Question Ordering

The placement of questions in your survey requires careful thought. Given the reality that some respondents will not complete the entire survey, it’s practical to position the most critical questions at the beginning. With this, you can somewhat secure the most valuable data, regardless of whether the user completes the entire questionnaire. Still, ensure a natural flow that doesn’t feel abrupt to the participant.

Testing the Waters

Prior to a full-scale launch of the survey, it’s beneficial to conduct a pilot test with a smaller, yet representative, sample of your user base. This approach allows for the identification and rectification of any potential issues – from ambiguous questions and technical glitches to unexpectedly long completion times. Moreover, pilot testing provides an opportunity to assess the survey’s ease and relevance, ensuring that the final version is as refined as possible before it reaches all users.

Wrapping Up

UX surveys can yield valuable user perspectives, but they should be seen as guides rather than definitive decision-makers in design choices.

Additionally, remember that a survey is a time commitment for your users. Avoid deterring completion or introducing response bias by overloading it with questions. Aim for a concise, engaging survey with a balance of question types.

Instead of duplicating data from analytics, use surveys to uncover user motivations, thoughts, and feelings that analytics can’t capture.

Lastly, consider both the user experience and your analysis capabilities when formatting questions. Open-ended questions offer rich insights but can overwhelm users and complicate analysis. Pilot-test these questions and refine them based on feedback. Some may work better as closed-ended questions for easier response and analysis.

For additional insights on managing broader yet valuable UX aspects, such as minimizing decision fatigue, feel free to check out this article.

Minimizing User Decision Fatigue in Web Design

Offering an array of choices might seem like an excellent way to cater to diverse user preferences, but more often than not, it can cause decision fatigue, negatively impacting the user experience and conversion rates. So, how do we strategically minimize this fatigue through effective web design?

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Decision Fatigue in Web Design

Decision fatigue can lead to a decline in the quality of decisions after a continuous decision-making process. In web design, users can experience this fatigue when faced with too many choices, leading to indecisiveness, frustration, and eventual disengagement.

Hick’s Law plays a part in this, suggesting that the time to make a decision increases with the number and complexity of choices. Nonetheless, Hick’s Law is just a fraction of a much broader picture. Balancing user choices and decision fatigue effectively also requires understanding principles like settling for the first reasonable option, avoiding potential losses, and making decisions based on readily available information.

Strategies to Minimize Decision Fatigue

To help users make confident decisions without causing fatigue, several tactics can be implemented.

Streamlined Navigation

Develop a logical, intuitive navigation path to eliminate unnecessary decision-making. For example, clear categorization in a website’s menu helps users find what they need without going through numerous options.

Prioritized Choices

Present the users with essential choices first and omit irrelevant ones. A home page showcasing the most popular products instead of an extensive catalog can prevent choice overload.

Restricted Options

Limit the number of options at each decision point to avoid overwhelming users. For instance, in a subscription selection, offering three plans – basic, premium, and advanced, can be more effective than having numerous slightly differing options.

Design Strategies to Reduce Cognitive Load

Strategic design choices can further alleviate decision fatigue.

Consistent Design

Keeping design elements consistent throughout the website simplifies cognitive processing. For instance, maintaining the same style for all buttons or icons aids user recognition and reduces the cognitive load.

Utilizing Familiar Patterns

Use recognizable icons and layouts to reduce cognitive effort and decision-making time. Employing standard symbols for shopping carts or menus enables users to interact with your website effortlessly.

Anticipatory Design

Predicting user actions and simplifying processes can lessen the number of decisions a user needs to make. Autofilling forms based on past user data is one such example.

Effective Error Handling

Minimize frustration and decision fatigue by guiding users effectively when errors occur. For instance, a clear error message with a suggested solution can keep a user engaged, even in the event of a mistake.

Final Thoughts

Taking into account the principles of decision fatigue and integrating the mentioned design strategies, your web design can become more user-friendly, reducing decision fatigue. Our overview aims to set you on the right path but remember, UX practices often involve deeper explorations and constant testing. Your understanding of decision fatigue will deepen as you engage more with UX research and real-world testing.

While we’re grappling with the complexities of choice, remember there’s another potent tool at your disposal – social proof. Using elements like reviews, testimonials, or popularity indicators can steer users toward decisions others have already made, thus easing their decision-making process. To learn more about how social proof can reinforce user decisions, we invite you to read our article on the topic.

In a world where choice overload is a reality, appreciating the power of simplicity and efficiency in decision-making is invaluable. It’s about striking that optimal balance – giving users ample choice without sparking decision fatigue.

Making an Underwater CSS Text Effect

Web design can serve as a playful exploration ground for learning new techniques. In today’s guide, we’ll dive into the creation of an underwater CSS text effect, not just for the visual outcome, but to deepen our understanding of how different CSS properties harmonize to create dynamic text effects.

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Setting up the Structure

Our journey into the deep sea starts with a simple HTML structure: a div element with the class underwater, wrapping around an h1 tag.

<div class="underwater">
	<h1>1stWebDesigner</h1>
</div>

Achieving the Underwater Effect

For our underwater CSS text effect, we introduce a range of CSS properties such as background-image, animation, and -webkit-background-clip.

@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Maven+Pro:wght@700&amp;display=swap');

body{
	/* Using a dark background color for optimal contrast */
	background-color: #000;
	font-family: 'Maven Pro', sans-serif;
}

.underwater h1{
	/* Font settings: sizing and a semi-transparent color */
	font-size: 2.5rem;
	color: #2c3e5010;
	
	/* Assigning an underwater image as the background */
	background-image: url('https://w7.pngwing.com/pngs/183/509/png-transparent-under-water-scenery-sunlight-underwater-ray-star-ocean-atmosphere-cloud-computer-wallpaper.png');
	
	/* Clipping the background image to the outline of the text */
	-webkit-background-clip:text;
	
	/* Setting a 10s infinite animation for a dynamic effect */
	animation: waterEffect 10s infinite;
}

/* Animation to simulate flowing water */
@keyframes waterEffect {
	0% { background-position: left 0 top 0; }
	100% { background-position: left 100% top 0; }
}

Explaining Key CSS Properties and Values

Breaking down our CSS code, the first point of interest is the background-image property. By setting an underwater image as the background, we immediately set the tone for our effect.

The -webkit-background-clip:text property clips the background image to the shape of the text. It allows the underwater image to fill the text, setting the stage for our effect.

The color property plays a vital role as well. We’re using a semi-transparent color (color: #2c3e5010;), where the last two digits 10 represent the alpha channel in hexadecimal format, controlling the transparency. This enables the background image to shine through, enhancing the underwater illusion.

The animation property sets our waterEffect animation into motion. Defined by the @keyframes rule, it continuously shifts the background-position from left 0 top 0 to left 100% top 0, creating the illusion of water flowing over the text.

The Result

See the Pen
Underwater Text Effect by 1stWebDesigner (@firstwebdesigner)
on CodePen.0

Exploring Other Methods

Different methods can achieve similar effects. An alternate approach involves utilizing the clip-path property with CSS animations, yielding a wavy text appearance akin to an underwater CSS text effect. This method manipulates the clip region of an element over time, evoking a dynamic sense of movement reminiscent of water’s rhythmic flow. In addition, the technique doesn’t necessitate a background image, instead, it transforms the appearance of the text directly. By turning to this method, you’re exposed to yet another aspect of CSS and its potential for dynamic text effects.

How to Optimize UX Design for Screen Readers

Creating a user experience that is accessible and inclusive to all visitors, including those who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers, is a priority for any modern website. This article provides an outline on adapting UX design for screen readers, an important step in shaping an inclusive digital ecosystem.

Screen Readers: Vital Tools for Accessible Experiences

Screen readers interpret digital content for visually impaired users by converting visual information into speech or Braille. A tailored UX design for screen readers requires understanding this linear, sequential content interpretation and its influence on web navigation.

Strategies for Adapting UX Design for Screen Readers

The following approaches offer a basis for creating a more accessible UX design for screen readers. They call for deliberate implementation, meticulous attention to detail, and ongoing refinement:

Standardized Layouts

Visually impaired users appreciate predictability and consistency. Consistent layouts across your website allow users to predict element locations, facilitating smoother navigation.

Contextual Labels

Links and buttons should offer insight into their function upon activation. For example, a button labeled “Download Accessibility Guide” provides clearer information than a simple “Click Here.”

Image Alt Text

Detailed alt text for images helps screen readers convey the content and context of the image, enhancing users’ understanding of the overall content.

Accessible Forms

Screen readers should be able to interpret form controls accurately. Adequate labeling of each form field can significantly improve the user interaction experience.

Logical Content Structure

Content should be sequenced logically, given that screen readers interpret information top-to-bottom. The narrative should be coherent when read in this manner, with key messages strategically placed.

A study by the Nielsen Norman Group provides valuable insights into the unique challenges of using screen readers on mobile devices. It underlines the importance of thoughtful, native accessibility improvements as opposed to reliance on third-party solutions.

Wrapping Up: The Way Forward in UX Design for Screen Readers

The outlined strategies serve as an introduction to the ongoing pursuit of accessible UX design for screen readers. This journey entails consistent fine-tuning of your design based on user feedback and changing accessibility standards.

Building a genuinely inclusive digital platform requires understanding and empathizing with your users’ experiences. By making your website more accessible, you don’t just contribute to a more inclusive digital world—you potentially expand your user base and increase your business growth.

Remember, inclusivity is more than a best practice; it’s an ethical responsibility and a potential competitive advantage. It’s a process of striving towards a digitally accessible future, recognizing the challenges, and continuing to learn and improve.

Ripple Button Effect Using Pure CSS

Google’s Material Design guidelines introduced the ripple effect, a subtle animation that indicates user action. The ripple effect rapidly gained popularity in web design as a sophisticated visual feedback form that refines user interaction, particularly on buttons. Today, we’ll show you how to create a ripple button effect using nothing but pure CSS.

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Building the Button

The basic structure of our button is quite simple. It’s a single line of HTML:

<button class="btn-ripple">CLICK ME</button>

This is a standard button element with a class btn-ripple attached to it, which will be our reference when we define the ripple effect in CSS.

Casting Ripples With CSS

/* Styling for the ripple button */
.btn-ripple {
  border: none; /* Removing the default button border */
  border-radius: 6px; /* Giving our button rounded corners */
  padding: 12px 16px; /* Providing some padding around the button text */
  font-size: 1.2em; /* Increasing the font size of the button text */
  cursor: pointer; /* Changing the cursor to a hand icon when hovering over the button */
  color: white; /* Making the button text color white */
  background-color: #fa6e83; /* Setting the initial button background color */
  outline: none; /* Removing the outline from the button */
  background-position: center; /* Setting the position of the background image to center */
  transition: background 1s; /* Adding a transition to the background color */
}

/* Defining the hover state */
.btn-ripple:hover {
  background: #f94b71 radial-gradient(circle, transparent 1%, #f94b71 1%)
    center/15000%; /* Creating a radial gradient background on hover */
}

/* Defining the active (clicked) state */
.btn-ripple:active {
  background-color: #f97c85; /* Changing the button color when active */
  background-size: 100%; /* Increasing the size of the background image */
  transition: background 0s; /* Removing the transition from the background color */
}

Let’s break down the CSS setup:

  • The .btn-ripple class sets up the basic appearance of the button. The background-color is initially set to #FA6E83, a light color, and the background-position is centered to ensure our ripple effect starts from the middle of the button.
  • When you hover over the button, the :hover pseudo-class is activated. It changes the background to a radial gradient that’s centered where the pointer is located, simulating the ripple effect. The gradient starts as transparent (transparent 1%) and transitions to the button color (#F94B71 1%), creating a soft ripple effect.
  • Upon clicking the button, the :active pseudo-class takes effect. It changes the background-color to a darker shade (#F97C85) and expands the background-size to 100%, reinforcing the ripple effect. The transition for the background is also set to 0s, making the effect appear instantaneously when the button is clicked.

The Result

See the Pen
Pure CSS Ripple Button Effect
by 1stWebDesigner (@firstwebdesigner)
on CodePen.0

Final Thoughts

We demonstrated a classic example of how simple CSS can be used to create appealing interactivity in a user interface. But as you strive to refine your UI, it’s critical to remember that each interface element might require different tweaks.

Consider the context in which your buttons are used. A button for submitting form data might benefit from a more subdued ripple effect, while a call-to-action button could be more prominent with a stronger one.

For more intricate animations or synchronizing with other UI events, JavaScript could be leveraged for more granular control. CSS provides a solid base for styling and basic animations, but JavaScript opens up more advanced possibilities.

And of course, customization is key. While we used specific colors for our ripple button here, feel free to experiment with colors, shapes, and transitions that align with your brand and design aesthetic.