Flexbox is extremely useful in layout in modern web design. However, one thing it’s not good at vertically aligning wrapped text in some circumstances. Returning to the example I detailed last week, the solution works really well when the text for both links is the same length, but when the text of one link wraps but not the other, the result is out of alignment:
A Designer’s Guide To Flexbox: Order
One of the most powerful features of flexbox is its ability to re-order page content with just a single line of CSS, a feature that previously was only achievable with JavaScript. This makes the flexbox layout module incredibly useful for responsive design, which is much more than “making things smaller”: mobile-first design often includes such features as re-prioritization of content to create different reading orders.
It also means that designers have an enhanced ability to easily re-order the elements they’ve crafted for a page. Unfortunately, the vast majority of flexbox support documentation is technical, and aimed towards developers. This series aims to correct that.
Washington D.C. Attacked By Flying Saucers
Dateline Washington D.C.
Frank Bragg reporting
The country was brought to a standstill today when flying saucers – presumably from Mars, although Venusians have also been suspected – appeared over the nation’s capital, intent on destruction. Curiously, they only attacked Pennsylvania Avenue, and have not appeared elsewhere in the country.
Bigfoot Found, Shot, Killed
Dateline Washington State
Jessica Walsh reporting
The first conclusive proof of the elusive Sasquatch was found today, when one of the ape-men was found and killed by a hunter in the north-eastern corner of the state.
The hunter plans to tour the pelt in the fall.
Nest of Alligators Found in New York Sewers
Dateline New York City
Ted Sturgis reporting
Years of rumours were confirmed yesterday when a nest of alligators were found in the sewers of New York City, just south of Times Square. The largest, which locals have dubbed “Mugsy”, measures over 21 feet long.
A Designer’s Guide To Flexbox: Understanding Visual Weight
One of the most notoriously difficult parts of the CSS flexbox spec to understand is the eponymous flex property, which uses cryptic values like 1 1 auto. Confusion only deepens when the designer discovers that flex is merely a shortcut for properties with even stranger names like flex-grow and flex-basis.
Most explanations of the flexbox spec are fairly technical and dense, with few concessions to visual thinkers. After struggling with the properties and values, I realized that these aspects of flexbox are actually talking about visual weight.