Dreaming Of A Magical December

2020 was a year that was anything but ordinary, and, well, the upcoming holiday season will be different from what we all are used to, too. To cater to holiday cheer in these weird times, artists and designers from across the globe got their creative juices flowing and created festive and inspiring wallpapers for December. Following our monthly tradition, they all come in versions with and without a calendar and can be downloaded for free.

We are very thankful to everyone who took the time to create an artwork and shared it with us this month — you are truly smashing! And since so many talented people have helped fill our archives with designs that are just too good to be forgotten in all these years we’ve been running this wallpapers challenge, we also compiled a little best-of from past December editions at the end of this post. Maybe you’ll spot one of your almost-forgotten favorites in there, too? Have a cozy December, everyone, and stay safe!

All images can be clicked on and lead to the preview of the wallpaper.

We respect and carefully consider the ideas and motivation behind each and every artist’s work.

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Adobe Flash is soon to die (and people are suddenly nostalgic, hmmm)

Adobe has announced the end of its stalwart Flash browser plugin, and there's been an outpouring of emotion (sadness and joy) across the internet. To be fair, this has been coming for the best part of the last decade and it therefore seems apt that 2020 is the year to finish Flash off. 

Flash Player's final days were announced with the release of its final update, named AIR 32. You'll have until 31 December 2020 to enjoy Flash, at which time Adobe will stop supporting it. It will then block content running in Flash Player from January 12, 2021. (For Adobe tools that aren't about to die, check out this Adobe software list.)

The cancellation of one of the internet's most well-known plugins is due to a cacophony of issues including a lack of users and a rise of (more secure) replacement programs. Given Flash Player's buggy, often annoying, performance issues and the fact it's a target for malware, we weren't surprised to see there are many users unbothered by the situation (and see our Adobe Flash Pro CS6 review for a dose of nostalgia).

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Try the New Material Design Capabilities for WordPress

If you like to build websites with WordPress, then you’re in for a treat.

Now, for the first time, you don’t need to know how to code to use Google’s popular Material Design system on your WordPress website; the web giant has released a WordPress plugin and theme to import its colors, icons, UI elements, and typography straight into your CMS.

You need to install both the plugin and theme to take advantage of Material Design for WordPress. Using the add-ons, you can tweak your typography via Google Fonts, add-in MD color, and even choose your own icons. If even that’s too much, pick one of the pre-built themes. One of the best features is that the plugin warns you if your customizations break accessibility guidelines, saving you a do-over when you discover it later on. Google calls it ​“an experimental plugin and theme,” which means it’s subject to change. And Google has been quick to emphasize that the plugin is very much a work in progress, asking for feedback to help them direct future development efforts. It’s a really great option for anyone who’s starting on the web, building their first site, or who really wants a nice reliable design system that they can build on in the future. It’s yet another automation tool that has driven WordPress to the top of the technology pile and made it the CMS of choice for 40% of the web. As tech hots up and AI continues to develop, it’s hard to dismiss the idea that one day soon, our only contribution to websites will be paying the hosting bill!

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How To Design A Simple UI When You Have A Complex Solution

Software and apps often solve very complex problems for businesses and consumers in the way of sales, marketing, finances, and so on. But offering a product that solves your users’ problems isn’t enough. If the UI is just as complex as the original problem, user churn is going to be high. Today, we’re going to look at some tips for designing a simple UI regardless of your solution’s complexity.

What is it they say? Complex problems require complex solutions. That is certainly true when developing apps and software.

But how do you ensure that the complex backend doesn’t trickle over to the front end?

A complex UI, in general, is more than enough reason for many people to abandon a website or mobile app. When it comes to paying or subscribed users, though, don’t expect any of them to settle for your software’s complicated interface.

It doesn’t matter how amazing your product is. If the outward appearance of it drives your users crazy, you can expect large amounts of costly user churn in return.

The Flatfile team is very familiar with this problem, having built a successful data importer, which is a technology that many designers have struggled to build on their own. Below, we’re going to look at some of the tips that helped them overcome this UI design challenge and can help you, too.

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