Links to new posts at Unsung, a blog about software craft and quality. Comments/replies are welcome! https://unsung.aresluna.orghttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.orghttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3muwstqar2o2tUnsung Heroes: Super Sprint I know, I know. I’m supposed to say iPod’s click wheel, or the Western Electric 500 rotary dial, or maybe the first Nest… https://unsung.aresluna.org/unsung-heroes-super-sprint/07 Sep 2026 15:23 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3muwstqar2o2thttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3muugiv2tbs2f“…and at that point it stops being a system.” A few nice moments that caught my attention in Marek Minor’s case study of designing icons for Cursor… https://unsung.aresluna.org/and-at-that-point-it-stops-being-a-system/06 Sep 2026 16:37 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3muugiv2tbs2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3muufmm3rio2fIvory’s account switching Ivory is a Mastodon client, and their account switcher has a few interesting mechanics… https://unsung.aresluna.org/ivorys-account-switching/06 Sep 2026 16:21 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3muufmm3rio2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mus55agfgk24Responsive text and code Many years ago, I put together a quick proposal of what I called “responsive text” for social proof… https://unsung.aresluna.org/responsive-text-and-code/05 Sep 2026 18:44 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mus55agfgk24https://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mus3e7nqup2wDon’t show again (Taylor’s version) An interesting take from a screen annotation app ScreenBrush – instead of a standard “don’t show again” checkbox modifying a button, it shows two buttons as a fork in a… https://unsung.aresluna.org/dont-show-again-taylors-version/05 Sep 2026 18:12 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mus3e7nqup2whttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mus3a3ok7c2gGot your back, pt. 8 A nice moment in iOS – even if you delete an app, you might still be on the hook for its subscription, so the operating system shows this right after… https://unsung.aresluna.org/got-your-back-pt-8/05 Sep 2026 18:10 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mus3a3ok7c2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mupe3ymzkp25Unsung @ 500: Behind the scenes A few people recently asked about my writing and publication process, so this post is for anyone who’s interested in that… https://unsung.aresluna.org/unsung-at-500-behind-the-scenes/04 Sep 2026 16:11 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mupe3ymzkp25https://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mupbhgdvsk2wUnsung @ 500: Nine design details Clicking or tapping on Newsletter or About links just above reveals the options in small drawers underneath, hopefully making it easier to engage without having to deal with new page… https://unsung.aresluna.org/unsung-at-500-nine-design-details/04 Sep 2026 15:23 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mupbhgdvsk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mupa76evqd2mUnsung @ 500: The new design Unless you’re reading via RSS, welcome to Unsung’s new livery! https://unsung.aresluna.org/unsung-at-500-the-new-design/04 Sep 2026 15:01 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mupa76evqd2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mumplsd6ab2p“I would be very happy to see all kinds of text editors adopt this.” Speaking of cut in File Explorer, Will McGugan, creator of the writing editor Ishmael, proposes doing the same thing for text editing – that is, leaving ghost text behind… https://unsung.aresluna.org/i-would-be-very-happy-to-see-all-kinds-of-text-editors-adopt-this/03 Sep 2026 14:58 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mumplsd6ab2phttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mumnbpbrfc25Windows does it better, pt. 3: Cut in File Explorer Dragging and dropping files with your mouse in the Finder is nice, but there are many moments you wanna reach for the keyboard instead. Finder supports that. You dragged the… https://unsung.aresluna.org/windows-does-it-better-pt-3-cut-in-file-explorer/03 Sep 2026 14:17 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mumnbpbrfc25https://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mukkfvz3ko25“A tricky problem I had to be thoughtful about.” Phones grow big and their top edges inch closer and closer toward the horizon. Over time, iOS and apps moved some of the important surfaces to the bottom (for better… https://unsung.aresluna.org/a-tricky-problem-i-had-to-be-thoughtful-about/02 Sep 2026 18:20 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukkfvz3ko25https://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3muhtq5igxp2wThe secrets of your menus I’m curious if you know of this pattern that existed for as long as I remember… https://unsung.aresluna.org/the-secrets-of-your-menus/01 Sep 2026 16:29 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3muhtq5igxp2whttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufqbnjknp23The Swiss Cheese model, pt. 3 After two more serious posts in this series, I wanted to stop somewhere a bit more lighthearted and inconsequential… https://unsung.aresluna.org/the-swiss-cheese-model-pt-3/31 Aug 2026 20:22 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufqbnjknp23https://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufptakpd724“You can always click on the mirror icon to turn it into… a mirror.” You know how much I love simple and clean release notes, and I just stumbled upon these supercasual video release notes by designer Rafael Conde, and they made me smile… https://unsung.aresluna.org/you-can-always-click-on-the-mirror-icon-to-turn-it-into-a-mirror/31 Aug 2026 20:14 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufptakpd724https://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufpsq2k2d25“This was not the first time the European Commission had attempted to correct for the permissions pollution.” It seems sometimes that browsing the web these days is just constant closing of pop-ups and banners, and ignoring those that cannot be closed… https://unsung.aresluna.org/this-was-not-the-first-time-the-european-commission-had-attempted-to-correct-for-the-permissions-pollution/31 Aug 2026 20:14 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufpsq2k2d25https://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufps7rgpq2y“I just chose words carefully.” I don’t think anyone particularly enjoys typesetting in monospace… https://unsung.aresluna.org/i-just-chose-words-carefully/31 Aug 2026 20:13 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufps7rgpq2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufprpiyfl2t“We want it to really confuse people, but also really make people happy.” I often link to John Gruber’s Daring Fireball posts with a nod, but this time around I want to offer an opposing point of view. About a month ago, Gruber… https://unsung.aresluna.org/we-want-it-to-really-confuse-people-but-also-really-make-people-happy/31 Aug 2026 20:13 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufprpiyfl2thttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufpr7ec5p2e“An absolute bare minimum of interactivity” I mentioned Atari’s Pong recently, a game often considered to be the first videogame ever. It wasn’t, and as a matter of fact, it was a clone of one of… https://unsung.aresluna.org/an-absolute-bare-minimum-of-interactivity/31 Aug 2026 20:13 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufpr7ec5p2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufpqp5xah2e“They had no concept of a duty of care to their users.” A Mastodon post by computer scientist David Chisnall has a very Unsung opener… https://unsung.aresluna.org/they-had-no-concept-of-a-duty-of-care-to-their-users/31 Aug 2026 20:12 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufpqp5xah2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufpq6vzoi2e“This time, there had to be a different ending.” It is a testament to how much things have changed in competitive NES Tetris – a game released the same month the Berlin Wall fell – that this hour-long documentary… https://unsung.aresluna.org/this-time-there-had-to-be-a-different-ending/31 Aug 2026 20:12 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufpq6vzoi2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufpposeyu2cMedium’s writerly favicons One of the small things I added to Medium in early 2016 was a change to the favicon… https://unsung.aresluna.org/mediums-writerly-favicons/31 Aug 2026 20:12 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufpposeyu2chttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufpp5yvzr2bLet me walk around A perfect example of breaking the “let me click” slash “the current action has the most momentum” principles we just talked about, in macOS Settings. When you try to add… https://unsung.aresluna.org/let-me-walk-around/31 Aug 2026 20:12 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufpp5yvzr2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufponwwxf2pTwo previews for the price of one A thoughtful moment in the Arrange Displays pop-up in macOS’s Settings when you choose to designate a screen to be a primary screen… https://unsung.aresluna.org/two-previews-for-the-price-of-one/31 Aug 2026 20:11 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufponwwxf2phttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufpo5f3y72eMark MacKay’s explainers If you haven’t played Kern Type yet, you’re in for a treat – released by Mark MacKay in 2011, it’s a delightful browser game that teaches you the art and… https://unsung.aresluna.org/mark-mackays-explainers/31 Aug 2026 20:11 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufpo5f3y72ehttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufpnngqhx24“This way, the interface does not get in the way.” Ilya Birman on his blog talks about interfaces that unnecessarily slow people down, in a series of two posts… https://unsung.aresluna.org/this-way-the-interface-does-not-get-in-the-way/31 Aug 2026 20:11 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufpnngqhx24https://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufpn4yjrb2b“This would result in some serious street cred and respect.” A fascinating 11-minute video by Modern Vintage Gamer about the PC videogame piracy in the 1990s… https://unsung.aresluna.org/this-would-result-in-some-serious-street-cred-and-respect/31 Aug 2026 20:10 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufpn4yjrb2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufpmmu2zl2uTesting tip: Make your keyboard fast I believe every modern operating system allows you to set the key repeat rate and the delay before first repeat… https://unsung.aresluna.org/testing-tip-make-your-keyboard-fast/31 Aug 2026 20:10 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufpmmu2zl2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufpm4mtw22c“A quick internet search should provide you with step-by-step instructions.” In 2018, Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie teamed up to make a short PSA about the dangers of frame rate interpolation, a.k.a. the soap opera effect… https://unsung.aresluna.org/a-quick-internet-search-should-provide-you-with-step-by-step-instructions/31 Aug 2026 20:10 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufpm4mtw22chttps://bsky.app/profile/unsung.aresluna.org/post/3mufplm5rxl2jYouTube’s right click relay An interesting mechanism in YouTube I just learned of… https://unsung.aresluna.org/youtubes-right-click-relay/31 Aug 2026 20:10 +0000at://did:plc:maxj7cjlrx6cs4cedgs2xlga/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufplm5rxl2j