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Fighting Deceptive Patterns

Deceptive patterns can be hard to spot, but they are all around us: Social media apps forcing us to connect our phone numbers, “free trials” that automatically turn into paid services without a reminder, or prompts where the “no” option is well-hidden. The list could go on. Luckily, there are some great initiatives out there that take a stand against Deceptive patterns.

One of them is the Dark Patterns Tip Line. To raise awareness of the harm that manipulative design can cause, it crowdsources stories of digital manipulation. The goal is to help policymakers and enforcers hold companies accountable for their practices. So whenever you come across a dark pattern, don’t hesitate to report it to the tip line.

The hall of shame by Deceptive Design also collects stories from users who had to deal with deceptive patterns. The same goes for the Dark Pattern Detection Project. Their goal is to develop an open-source, AI-based text analysis tool that detects deceptive patterns automatically and redesigns them in a personalized manner for the respective customers.

The Design Systems Guide

Getting a design system right is hard. There are so many different types of design systems and so many ways of setting up one and maintaining it over time. Fortunately, there is plenty of incredible resources all around design systems. But where do you even start? What would be a good process to use to make sure that your efforts don’t hit the wall of tough deadlines and final tweaks? The Design System Guide, kindly released by Romina Kavcic, has got your back. The guide is a very comprehensive interactive book on the foundations of design systems, design metrics, design tokens, checklists, and handy resources for managing design systems.

https://thedesignsystem.guide/

JavaScript frameworks security report 2019

The folks at Snyk published their state of JavaScript frameworks security report for 2019. It investigates the state of security for the Angular and React ecosystems as well as security practices for the popular JavaScript frameworks Vue.js, Bootstrap, and jQuery. Given the fact that Angular and React both have their proponents with ongoing discussions whether one or the other is a true framework, the report doesn’t intend to venture into rivalries but reviews each of them as viable front-end ecosystem alternatives, while focusing on security risks and best practices and the differences between them.

Read more: https://snyk.io/blog/javascript-frameworks-security-report-2019/

How to GraphQL

GraphQL enables a client to specify exactly what data it needs from an API, so instead of multiple endpoints that return fixed data structures, a GraphQL server exposes a single endpoint and responds with precisely the data a client asked for. If you want to wrap your head around GraphQL, here are two great resources to get you started. How to GraphQL is a free open-source tutorial to take your GraphQL skills from zero to production. Divided up into two parts, part one covers the core concepts of GraphQL while part two gives you a broader understanding of the GraphQL ecosystem.

Read more: https://www.howtographql.com/

Having fun in Infinitown

Do you enjoy WebGL tech demos? Imagine a little town with perfectly square city blocks, a park, a coffee shop, a factory, a gas station and cute little homes. Cars and trucks are driving through the streets, but as you navigate through the town, you realize that there’s a twist: no matter where you go, you’ll never reach the town limit.

Infinitown is a WebGL concept made by the team at Little Workshop. It’s an attempt to create a city that is alive and fun to watch.

How it was done: Little Workshop generated a finite grid of random city blocks, then the viewpoint wraps around this grid, and thus makes it seem infinite.

Check it out here: Infinitown

Tools used: Three.js, Blender, and Unity

 

The biggest checklist for of inclusive design…. ever!

…ever?? Yes!

A lot of aspects add up to an inclusive web experience. Considerations that might not come to one’s mind in the first place — like the use of inclusive language or providing alternatives or descriptions for complex visualizations.Or, accessible considerations such as providing transcripts for audio content.

To get your site on the best track of becoming truly inclusive, the magical Heydon Pickering has put together an Inclusive Design Checklist. The biggest and most comprehensive one available. It includes items for accessibility, performance, device support, interoperability, and language.

Do check it out!

 

Senior Website Developer wanted!

jagex logoHappy Friday everyone! What better way to start the weekend than looking for a talented website developer to join my team here in Cambridge! 🙂

Jagex Ltd, the UK’s leading independent Online Games Studio, is looking for a talented Senior Website Developer to join my team! We are currently going through an exciting phase, with multiple titles in development in addition to third party publishing opportunities, and as such we are looking to expand the Web Development team to cope with this increasing demand.

Working with industry standard web languages alongside our in-house technology, in close partnership with our team of designers and back-end programmers, you will be responsible for the development of the front end of our public-facing websites.

Key Duties Include:

  • Constructing high quality websites from supplied designs whilst utilising modern methods such as HTML5 & CSS3
  • Website usability, interactivity and application development using JavaScript
  • Working closely with our programming team to create interfaces to match existing site design
  • Maintaining and supporting current websites, products and applications
  • Management and mentoring of the website development team

Essential Requirements:

  • Standards compliant, accessible website coding in HTML/CSS by hand
  • Strong JavaScript skills, including experience of frameworks (preferably jQuery)
  • Able to demonstrate good functionality and usability through current online portfolios / sites (should be examples of work, not solely Flash based)
  • A good working knowledge of Photoshop CS
  • The ability to create and enhance user interfaces through the careful use of scripting
  • Emphasis on user friendly and accessible sites that work in all modern browsers
  • Experience managing a team
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Desirable Requirements:

  • Experience with very high-traffic, bandwidth optimised sites
  • Experience with Firebug, server side scripting (eg, PHP, ASP), CSS frameworks all beneficial
  • Degree level education in a relevant subject or commercial experience in the web dev sector
  • Editorial or writing experience
  • Portfolio of well-crafted commercial websites
  • Understanding of Thymeleaf or Freemarker
  • Understanding of Javascript MVC frameworks

 

This is an excellent opportunity for an outstanding developer, with commercial experience and a deep understanding of usability and end-user experience, to forge an exciting career within our hugely successful, world-leading games studio.

Apply now!

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Don’t know what life at Jagex is like? Have a look:

Once again, click here to apply 🙂

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