Whether you're looking for news about web design, development, and marketing; advice about programming; tutorials on how to implement new technologies; or ideas about how to get the most out of the work you do, there's always plenty of great reading out there on the web. That's why each month here on the Diagram blog, we like to share some of the best articles (or books, podcasts, videos, etc.) that our team members have been reading:
AJ Laporte:
Marketing the TNW Way: Making the Switch to HTTPS
There are several reasons why websites will want to implement tighter security by switching to HTTPS (including for SEO purposes), and this article by The Next Web is a detailed, informative look at their process of making the switch.
Joe Mayberry:
5 Lessons IT Can Learn From "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"
This amusing article that looks at the security failures that allowed the good guys to win in the most recent Star Wars spinoff is full of great details about how modern day practices like multifactor authentication, asset tracking, and encryption keep our data safe. (Note: if you care about avoiding spoilers, make sure you watch the movie before reading the article)
Laziness in the Time of Responsive Design by Ethan Marcotte—An Event Apart video
This video of a talk given by Ethan Marcotte, who coined the term "Responsive Web Design," is full of great insights about responsive design and how web designers should try to make their designs simpler rather than more complex.
Habits that Pay Off for Programmers
I liked this look at habits that programmers can cultivate not just to become better at what they do, but to further their careers.
Dustin Sier:
I Don't Need Help
This is a great look at why and how UX design should focus on helping people, whether that means helping them find information, helping them complete tasks, or simply answering their questions.
Nick Melville:
Practical Typography
While the format of this page has inspired some internal debate here at Diagram (should a typography manual need a tutorial page?), it’s still a really good resource that explains typography rules, text formatting, page layout, and much more.
Allison Casey:
My Single Best SEO Tip For Improved Web Traffic
This entry on the Moz blog is a great look at how optimizing your content for user intent can lead to huge benefits.
Doug Miller:
How to Uncover Hidden Keyword-Level Data Using Google Sheets
This is a great tutorial on how to import Google Analytics data into Google Sheets and then use that data to learn which keywords drive conversions on your site.
There are always more helpful information and insights available online, so if you know of any articles or blogs that we might like to share on the Diagram blog, please feel free to let us know in the comments below!
