Today I feel like the dummies in this photo; poised to be destroyed by the test detonation of an atomic device. An Event Apart remains mind blowing. My overall takeaway is this: the internet changes at such a rapid pace that we could revisit just about everything we’ve done in the past six weeks and make adjustments using new techniques.

Here are some instant insights from day 2 of An Event Apart Seattle. Again, I’ve picked out the most salient point from each talk. Some of the talks were much more hands-on, so some of the nuggets are very specific and technical.

  • Evaluating Technology - Jeremy Keith
    There is a hierarchy for determining which constituent group takes priority when there is a conflict written into the HTML Design Principles. Users are first on the list and theoretical purity is last.
  • New CSS Layout Meets the Real World - Rachel Andrew
    Using CSS Grid, you can set a minimum and a maximum size for a track. You may be thinking: “*yawn*, max-width and min-width.” But, you could use fractional elements.
  • Designing with Grid - Jen Simmons
    The single column design that currently dominates is an artifact of our tools, techniques, and technology. It is a penguin on the tip of the iceberg of what is to come.
  • Design for Real Life - Eric Meyer
    We can’t assume the digital universe revolves around us as designers/developers. This talk wasn’t about user-centered design. It challenged us to understand that we affect people’s lives in small, but important ways with our decisions.
  • The Joy of Optimizing - Una Kravets
    One way to optimize image load is to save images at a small dimensional size initially and then load the full image in the background.
  • 10 Things You Can and Should Do With SVG - Chris Coyier
    You can create an icon library in SVG with a single SVG include and the element.

Stay tuned for one more bit of instant insight tomorrow.

Originally Posted on A Brave New