Archive for month: January, 2025

Original Source: https://smashingmagazine.com/2025/01/desktop-wallpaper-calendars-february-2025/

As designers, we are always on the lookout for some fresh inspiration, and well, sometimes, the best inspiration lies right in front of us. With that in mind, we embarked on our wallpapers adventure more than thirteen years ago. The idea: to provide you with a new batch of beautiful and inspiring desktop wallpapers every month. This February is no exception, of course.

The wallpapers in this post were designed by artists and designers from across the globe and come in versions with and without a calendar for February 2025. And since so many unique wallpaper designs have seen the light of day since we first started this monthly series, we also added some February “oldies but goodies” from our archives to the collection — so maybe you’ll spot one of your almost-forgotten favorites in here, too?

This wallpapers post wouldn’t have been possible without the kind support of our wonderful community who tickles their creativity each month anew to keep the steady stream of wallpapers flowing. So, a huge thank-you to everyone who shared their designs with us this time around! If you too would like to get featured in one of our next wallpapers posts, please don’t hesitate to submit your design. We can’t wait to see what you’ll come up with! Happy February!

You can click on every image to see a larger preview.
We respect and carefully consider the ideas and motivation behind each and every artist’s work. This is why we give all artists the full freedom to explore their creativity and express emotions and experience through their works. This is also why the themes of the wallpapers weren’t anyhow influenced by us but rather designed from scratch by the artists themselves.
Submit your wallpaper design! 👩‍🎨
Feeling inspired? We are always looking for creative talent and would love to feature your desktop wallpaper in one of our upcoming posts. Join in ↬

Fall In Love With Yourself

“We dedicate February to Frida Kahlo to illuminate the world with color. Fall in love with yourself, with life and then with whoever you want.” — Designed by Veronica Valenzuela from Spain.

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with calendar: 640×480, 800×480, 1024×768, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1440, 2560×1440
without calendar: 640×480, 800×480, 1024×768, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Sweet Valentine

“Everyone deserves a sweet Valentine’s Day, no matter their relationship status. It’s a day to celebrate love in all its forms — self-love, friendship, and the love we share with others. A little kindness or just a little chocolate can make anyone feel special, reminding us that everyone is worthy of love and joy.” — Designed by LibraFire from Serbia.

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with calendar: 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440
without calendar: 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Mochi

Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Spain.

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with calendar: 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440, 3840×2160
without calendar: 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440, 3840×2160

Cyber Voodoo

Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Spain.

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with calendar: 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440, 3840×2160
without calendar: 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440, 3840×2160

Pop Into Fun

“Blow the biggest bubbles, chew on the sweetest memories, and let your inner kid shine! Celebrate Bubble Gum Day with us and share the joy of every POP!” — Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.

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with calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440
without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Believe

“‘Believe’ reminds us to trust ourselves and our potential. It fuels faith, even in challenges, and drives us to pursue our dreams. Belief unlocks strength to overcome obstacles and creates possibilities. It’s the foundation of success, starting with the courage to believe.” — Designed by Hitesh Puri from Delhi, India.

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with calendar: 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440
without calendar: 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Plants

“I wanted to draw some very cozy place, both realistic and cartoonish, filled with little details. A space with a slightly unreal atmosphere that some great shops or cafes have. A mix of plants, books, bottles, and shelves seemed like a perfect fit. I must admit, it took longer to draw than most of my other pictures! But it was totally worth it. Watch the making-of.” — Designed by Vlad Gerasimov from Georgia.

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without calendar: 800×480, 800×600, 1024×600, 1024×768, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1440×960, 1600×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440, 2560×1600, 2880×1800, 3072×1920, 3840×2160, 5120×2880

Love Is In The Play

“Forget Lady and the Tramp and their spaghetti kiss, ’cause Snowflake and Cloudy are enjoying their bliss. The cold and chilly February weather made our kitties knit themselves a sweater. Knitting and playing, the kitties tangled in the yarn and fell in love in your neighbor’s barn.” — Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Farewell, Winter

“Although I love winter (mostly because of the fun winter sports), there are other great activities ahead. Thanks, winter, and see you next year!” — Designed by Igor Izhik from Canada.

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without calendar: 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440, 2560×1600

True Love

Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Spain.

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without calendar: 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440, 3840×2160

Balloons

Designed by Xenia Latii from Germany.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Magic Of Music

Designed by Vlad Gerasimov from Georgia.

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without calendar: 800×480, 800×600, 1024×600, 1024×768, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1440×960, 1600×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440, 2560×1600, 2880×1800, 3072×1920, 3840×2160, 5120×2880

Febpurrary

“I was doodling pictures of my cat one day and decided I could turn it into a fun wallpaper — because a cold, winter night in February is the perfect time for staying in and cuddling with your cat, your significant other, or both!” — Designed by Angelia DiAntonio from Ohio, USA.

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without calendar: 320×480, 800×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Dog Year Ahead

Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Good Times Ahead

Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Spain.

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without calendar: 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440, 3840×2160

Romance Beneath The Waves

“The 14th of February is just around the corner. And love is in the air, water, and everywhere!” — Designed by Teodora Vasileva from Bulgaria.

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without calendar: 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1280×720, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

February Ferns

Designed by Nathalie Ouederni from France.

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without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1200, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

The Great Beyond

Designed by Lars Pauwels from Belgium.

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without calendar: 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

It’s A Cupcake Kind Of Day

“Sprinkles are fun, festive, and filled with love… especially when topped on a cupcake! Everyone is creative in their own unique way, so why not try baking some cupcakes and decorating them for your sweetie this month? Something homemade, like a cupcake or DIY craft, is always a sweet gesture.” — Designed by Artsy Cupcake from the United States.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1152×864, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1200, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Snow

Designed by Elise Vanoorbeek from Belgium.

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without calendar: <a href=”https://smashingmagazine.com/files/wallpapers/feb-15/snow/nocal/feb-15-snow-nocal-1024×768.jpg title=”Snow – 1024×768″>1024×768, <a href=”https://smashingmagazine.com/files/wallpapers/feb-15/snow/nocal/feb-15-snow-nocal-1152×864.jpg title=”Snow – 1152×864″>1152×864, <a href=”https://smashingmagazine.com/files/wallpapers/feb-15/snow/nocal/feb-15-snow-nocal-1280×720.jpg title=”Snow – 1280×720″>1280×720, <a href=”https://smashingmagazine.com/files/wallpapers/feb-15/snow/nocal/feb-15-snow-nocal-1280×800.jpg title=”Snow – 1280×800″>1280×800, <a href=”https://smashingmagazine.com/files/wallpapers/feb-15/snow/nocal/feb-15-snow-nocal-1280×960.jpg title=”Snow – 1280×960″>1280×960, <a href=”https://smashingmagazine.com/files/wallpapers/feb-15/snow/nocal/feb-15-snow-nocal-1440×900.jpg title=”Snow – 1440×900″>1440×900, <a href=”https://smashingmagazine.com/files/wallpapers/feb-15/snow/nocal/feb-15-snow-nocal-1600×1200.jpg title=”Snow – 1600×1200″>1600×1200, <a href=”https://smashingmagazine.com/files/wallpapers/feb-15/snow/nocal/feb-15-snow-nocal-1680×1050.jpg title=”Snow – 1680×1050″>1680×1050, <a href=”https://smashingmagazine.com/files/wallpapers/feb-15/snow/nocal/feb-15-snow-nocal-1920×1080.jpg title=”Snow – 1920×1080″>1920×1080, <a href=”https://smashingmagazine.com/files/wallpapers/feb-15/snow/nocal/feb-15-snow-nocal-1920×1200.jpg title=”Snow – 1920×1200″>1920×1200, <a href=”https://smashingmagazine.com/files/wallpapers/feb-15/snow/nocal/feb-15-snow-nocal-1920×1440.jpg title=”Snow – 1920×1440″>1920×1440, <a href=”https://smashingmagazine.com/files/wallpapers/feb-15/snow/nocal/feb-15-snow-nocal-2560×1440.jpg title=”Snow – 2560×1440″>2560×1440, <a href=”https://smashingmagazine.com/files/wallpapers/feb-15/snow/nocal/feb-15-snow-nocal-1366×768.jpg title=”Snow – 1366×768″>1366×768, <a href=”https://smashingmagazine.com/files/wallpapers/feb-15/snow/nocal/feb-15-snow-nocal-2880×1800.jpg title=”Snow – 2880×1800″>2880×1800

Share The Same Orbit!

“I prepared a simple and chill layout design for February called ‘Share The Same Orbit!’ which suggests to share the love orbit.” — Designed by Valentin Keleti from Romania.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Dark Temptation

“A dark romantic feel, walking through the city on a dark and rainy night.” — Designed by Matthew Talebi from the United States.

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without calendar: 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Ice Cream Love

“My inspiration for this wallpaper is the biggest love someone can have in life: the love for ice cream!” — Designed by Zlatina Petrova from Bulgaria.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Lovely Day

Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Spain.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Time Thief

“Who has stolen our time? Maybe the time thief, so be sure to enjoy the other 28 days of February.” — Designed by Colorsfera from Spain.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1260×1440, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

In Another Place At The Same Time

“February is the month of love par excellence, but also a different month. Perhaps because it is shorter than the rest or because it is the one that makes way for spring, but we consider it a special month. It is a perfect month to make plans because we have already finished the post-Christmas crunch and we notice that spring and summer are coming closer. That is why I like to imagine that maybe in another place someone is also making plans to travel to unknown lands.” — Designed by Verónica Valenzuela from Spain.

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without calendar: 800×480, 1024×768, 1152×864, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1440×900, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 2560×1440

French Fries

Designed by Doreen Bethge from Germany.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Frozen Worlds

“A view of two frozen planets, lots of blue tints.” — Designed by Rutger Berghmans from Belgium.

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without calendar: 1280×800, 1366×768, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Out There, There’s Someone Like You

“I am a true believer that out there in this world there is another person who is just like us, the problem is to find her/him.” — Designed by Maria Keller from Mexico.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 640×1136, 750×1334, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1242×2208, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440, 2880×1800

“Greben” Icebreaker

“Danube is Europe’s second largest river, connecting ten different countries. In these cold days, when ice paralyzes rivers and closes waterways, a small but brave icebreaker called Greben (Serbian word for ‘reef’) seems stronger than winter. It cuts through the ice on Đerdap gorge (Iron Gate) — the longest and biggest gorge in Europe — thus helping the production of electricity in the power plant. This is our way to give thanks to Greben!” — Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Sharp

“I was sick recently and squinting through my blinds made a neat effect with shapes and colors.” — Designed by Dylan Baumann from Omaha, NE.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×600, 1024×1024, 1280×1024, 1600×1200, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

On The Light Side

Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Spain.

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without calendar: 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440, 3840×2160, printable PDF

Febrewery

“I live in Madison, WI, which is famous for its breweries. Wisconsin even named their baseball team “The Brewers.” If you like beer, brats, and lots of cheese, it’s the place for you!” — Designed by Danny Gugger from the United States.

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without calendar: 320×480, 1020×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1136×640, 2560×1440

Love Angel Vader

“Valentine’s Day is coming? Noooooooooooo!” — Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Spain.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×960, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1050, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440, 2880×1800

Made In Japan

“See the beautiful colors, precision, and the nature of Japan in one picture.” — Designed by Fatih Yilmaz from the Netherlands.

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without calendar: 1280×720, 1280×960, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1440, 2560×1440, 3840×2160

Groundhog

“The Groundhog emerged from its burrow on February 2. If it is cloudy, then spring will come early, but if it is sunny, the groundhog will see its shadow, will retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will continue for six more weeks.” — Designed by Oscar Marcelo from Portugal.

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without calendar: 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Original Source: https://smashingmagazine.com/2025/01/digital-playbook-crucial-counterpart-design-system/

I recently wrote for Smashing Magazine about how UX leaders face increasing pressure to deliver more with limited resources. Let me show you how a digital playbook can help meet this challenge by enhancing our work’s visibility while boosting efficiency.

While a design system ensures visual coherence, a digital playbook lays out the strategic and operational framework for how digital projects should be executed and managed. Here’s why a digital playbook deserves a place in your organization’s toolbox and what it should include to drive meaningful impact.

What Is A Digital Playbook?

A digital playbook is essentially your organization’s handbook for navigating the complexities of digital work. As a user experience consultant, I often help organizations create tools like this to streamline their processes and improve outcomes. It’s a collection of strategies, principles, and processes that provide clarity on how to handle everything from website creation to content management and beyond. Think of it as a how-to guide for all things digital.

Unlike rigid rulebooks that feel constraining, you’ll find that a playbook evolves with your organization’s unique culture and challenges. You can use it to help stakeholders learn, standardize your work, and help everybody be more effective. Let me show you how a playbook can transform the way your team works.

Why You Need A Digital Playbook

Have you ever faced challenges like these?

Stakeholders with conflicting expectations of what the digital team should deliver.
Endless debates over project priorities and workflows that stall progress.
A patchwork of tools and inconsistent policies that create confusion.
Uncertainty about best practices, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities.

Let me show you how a playbook can help you and your team in four key ways:

It helps you educate your stakeholders by making digital processes transparent and building trust. I’ve found that when you explain best practices clearly, everyone gets on the same page quickly.
You’ll streamline your processes with clear, standardized workflows. This means less confusion and faster progress on your projects.
Your digital team gains more credibility as you step into a leadership role. You’ll be able to show your real value to the organization.
Best of all, you’ll reduce friction in your daily work. When everyone understands the policies, you’ll face fewer misunderstandings and conflicts.

A digital playbook isn’t just a tool; it’s a way to transform challenges into opportunities for greater impact.

But, no doubt you are wondering, what exactly goes into a digital playbook?

Key Components Of A Digital Playbook

Every digital playbook is unique, but if you’ve ever wondered where to start, here are some key areas to consider. Let’s walk through them together.

Engaging With The Digital Team

Have you ever had people come to you too late in the process or approach you with solutions rather than explaining the underlying problems? A playbook can help mitigate these issues by providing clear guidance on:

How to request a new website or content update at the right time;
What information you require to do your job;
What stakeholders need to consider before requesting your help.

By addressing these common challenges, you’re not just reducing your frustrations — you’re educating stakeholders and encouraging better collaboration.

Digital Project Lifecycle

Most digital projects can feel overwhelming without a clear structure, especially for stakeholders who may not understand the intricacies of the process. That’s why it’s essential to communicate the key phases clearly to those requesting your team’s help. For example:

Discovery: Explain how your team will research goals, user needs, and requirements to ensure the project starts on solid ground.
Prototyping: Highlight the importance of testing initial concepts to validate ideas before full development.
Build: Detail the process of developing the final product and incorporating feedback.
Launch: Set clear expectations for rolling out the project with a structured plan.
Management: Clarify how the team will optimize and maintain the product over time.
Retirement: Help stakeholders understand when and how to phase out outdated tools or content effectively.

I’ve structured the lifecycle this way to help stakeholders understand what to expect. When they know what’s happening at each stage, it builds trust and helps the working relationship. Stakeholders will see exactly what role you play and how your team adds value throughout the process.

Publishing Best Practices

Writing for the web isn’t the same as traditional writing, and it’s critical for your team to help stakeholders understand the differences. Your playbook can include practical advice to guide them, such as:

Planning and organizing content to align with user needs and business goals.
Crafting content that’s user-friendly, SEO-optimized, and designed for clarity.
Maintaining accessible and high-quality standards to ensure inclusivity.

By providing this guidance, you empower stakeholders to create content that’s not only effective but also reflects your team’s standards.

Understanding Your Users

Helping stakeholders understand your audience is essential for creating user-centered experiences. Your digital playbook can support this by including:

Detailed user personas that highlight specific needs and behaviors.
Recommendations for tools and methods to gather and analyze user data.
Practical tips for ensuring digital experiences are inclusive and accessible to all.

By sharing this knowledge, your team helps stakeholders make decisions that prioritize users, ultimately leading to more successful outcomes.

Recommended Resources

Stakeholders often are unaware of the wealth of resources that can help them improve their digital deliverables. Your playbook can help by recommending trusted solutions, such as:

Tools that enable stakeholders to carry out their own user research and testing.
Analytics tools that allow stakeholders to track the performance of their websites.
A list of preferred suppliers in case stakeholders need to bring in external experts.

These recommendations ensure stakeholders are equipped with reliable resources that align with your team’s processes.

Policies And Governance

Uncertainty about organizational policies can lead to confusion and missteps. Your playbook should provide clarity by outlining:

Accessibility and inclusivity standards to ensure compliance and user satisfaction.
Data privacy and security protocols to safeguard user information.
Clear processes for prioritizing and governing projects to maintain focus and consistency.

By setting these expectations, your team establishes a foundation of trust and accountability that stakeholders can rely on.

Of course, you can have the best digital playbook in the world, but if people don’t reference it, then it is a wasted opportunity.

Making Your Digital Playbook Stick

It falls to you and your team to ensure as many stakeholders as possible engage with your playbook. Try the following:

Make It Easy to Find
How often do stakeholders struggle to find important resources? Avoid hosting the playbook in a forgotten corner of your intranet. Instead, place it front and center on a well-maintained, user-friendly site that’s accessible to everyone.
Keep It Engaging
Let’s face it — nobody wants to sift through walls of text. Use visuals like infographics, short explainer videos, and clear headings to make your playbook not only digestible but also enjoyable to use. Think of it as creating a resource your stakeholders will actually want to refer back to.
Frame It as a Resource
A common pitfall is presenting the playbook as a rigid set of rules. Instead, position it as a helpful guide designed to make everyone’s work easier. Highlight how it can simplify workflows, improve outcomes, and solve real-world problems your stakeholders face daily.
Share at Relevant Moments
Don’t wait for stakeholders to find the playbook themselves. Instead, proactively share relevant sections when they’re most needed. For example, send the discovery phase documentation when starting a new project or share content guidelines when someone is preparing to write for the website. This just-in-time approach ensures the playbook’s guidance is applied when it matters most.

Start Small, Then Scale

Creating a digital playbook might sound like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Begin with a few core sections and expand over time. Assign ownership to a specific team or individual to ensure it remains updated and relevant.

In the end, a digital playbook is an investment. It saves time, reduces conflicts, and elevates your organization’s digital maturity.

Just as a design system is critical for visual harmony, a digital playbook is essential for operational excellence.

Further Reading On SmashingMag

“Design Patterns Are A Better Way To Collaborate On Your Design System,” Ben Clemens
“Design Systems: Useful Examples and Resources,” Cosima Mielke
“Building Components For Consumption, Not Complexity (Part 1),” Luis Ouriach
“Taking The Stress Out Of Design System Management,” Masha Shaposhnikova

Original Source: https://webdesignerdepot.com/are-logos-becoming-irrelevant-in-modern-branding/

Logos are no longer the sole defining element of a brand, as dynamic branding, AI personalization, and social media dominance challenge their relevance. While still valuable as anchors of identity, logos must evolve into adaptable, integrated tools to thrive in today’s fluid and experience-driven branding landscape.

Original Source: https://smashingmagazine.com/2025/01/svelte-5-future-frameworks-chat-rich-harris/

Svelte occupies a curious space within the web development world. It’s been around in one form or another for eight years now, and despite being used by the likes of Apple, Spotify, IKEA, and the New York Times, it still feels like something of an upstart, maybe even a black sheep. As creator Rich Harris recently put it,

“If React is Taylor Swift, we’re more of a Phoebe Bridges. She’s critically acclaimed, and you’ve heard of her, but you probably can’t name that many of her songs.”

— Rich Harris

This may be why the release of Svelte 5 in October this year felt like such a big deal. It tries to square the circle of convention and innovation. Can it remain one of the best-loved frameworks on the web while shaking off suspicions that it can’t quite rub shoulders with React, Vue, and others when it comes to scalability? Whisper it, but they might just have pulled it off. The post-launch reaction has been largely glowing, with weekly npm downloads doubling compared to six months ago.

Still, I’m not in the predictions game. The coming months and years will be the ultimate measure of Svelte 5. And why speculate on the most pressing questions when I can just ask Rich Harris myself? He kindly took some time to chat with me about Svelte and the future of web development.

Not Magic, But Magical

Svelte 5 is a ground-up rewrite. I don’t want to get into the weeds here — key changes are covered nicely in the migration guide — but suffice it to say the big one where day-to-day users are concerned is runes. At times, magic feeling $ has given way to the more explicit $state, $derived, and $effect.

A lot of the talk around Svelte 5 included the sentiment that it marks the ‘maturation’ of the framework. To Harris and the Svelte team, it feels like a culmination, with lessons learned combined with aspirations to form something fresh yet familiar.

“This does sort of feel like a new chapter. I’m trying to build something that you don’t feel like you need to get a degree in it before you can be productive in it. And that seems to have been carried through with Svelte 5.”

— Rich Harris

Although raw usage numbers aren’t everything, seeing the uptick in installations has been a welcome signal for Harris and the Svelte team.

“For us, success is definitely not based around adoption, though seeing the number go up and to the right gives us reassurance that we’re doing the right thing and we’re on the right track. Even if it’s not the goal, it is a useful indication. But success is really people building their apps with this framework and building higher quality, more resilient, more accessible apps.”

— Rich Harris

The tenets of a Svelte philosophy outlined by Harris earlier this year reinforce the point:

The web matters.
Optimise for vibes.
Don’t optimise for adoption.
HTML, The Mother Language.
Embrace progress.
Numbers lie.
Magical, not magic.
Dream big.
No one cares.
Design by consensus.

Click the link above to hear these expounded upon, but you get the crux. Svelte is very much a qualitative project. Although Svelte performs well in a fair few performance metrics itself, Harris has long been a critic of metrics like Lighthouse being treated as ends in themselves. Fastest doesn’t necessarily mean best. At the end of the day, we are all in the business of making quality websites.

Frameworks are a means to that end, and Harris sees plenty of work to be done there.

Software Is Broken

Every milestone is a cause for celebration. It’s also a natural pause in which to ask, “Now what?” For the Svelte team, the sights seem firmly set on shoring up the quality of the web.

“A conclusion that we reached over the course of a recent discussion is that most software in the world is kind of terrible. Things are not good. Half the stuff on my phone just doesn’t work. It fails at basic tasks. And the same is true for a lot of websites. The number of times I’ve had to open DevTools to remove the disabled attribute from a button so that I can submit a form, or been unclear on whether a payment went through or not.”

— Rich Harris

This certainly meshes with my experience and, doubtless, countless others. Between enshittification, manipulative algorithms, and the seemingly endless influx of AI-generated slop, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the web is becoming increasingly decadent and depraved.

“So many pieces of software that we use are just terrible. They’re just bad software. And it’s not because software engineers are idiots. Our main priority as toolmakers should be to enable people to build software that isn’t broken. As a baseline, people should be able to build software that works.”

— Rich Harris

This sense of responsibility for the creation and maintenance of good software speaks to the Svelte team’s holistic outlook and also looks to influence priorities going forward.

Brave New World

Part of Svelte 5 feels like a new chapter in the sense of fresh foundations. Anyone who’s worked in software development or web design will tell you how much of a headache ground-up rewrites are. Rebuilding the foundations is something to celebrate when you pull it off, but it also begs the question: What are the foundations for?

Harris has his eyes on the wider ecosystem around frameworks.

“I don’t think there’s a lot more to do to solve the problem of taking some changing application state and turning it into DOM, but I think there’s a huge amount to be done around the ancillary problems. How do we load the data that we put in those components? Where does that data live? How do we deploy our applications?”

— Rich Harris

In the short to medium term, this will likely translate into some love for SvelteKit, the web application framework built around Svelte. The framework might start having opinions about authentication and databases, an official component library perhaps, and dev tools in the spirit of the Astro dev toolbar. And all these could be precursors to even bigger explorations.

“I want there to be a Rails or a Laravel for JavaScript. In fact, I want there to be multiple such things. And I think that at least part of Svelte’s long-term goal is to be part of that. There are too many things that you need to learn in order to build a full stack application today using JavaScript.”

— Rich Harris

Why Don’t We Have A Laravel For JavaScript? by Theo Browne
“Why We Don’t Have a Laravel For JavaScript… Yet” by Vince Canger

Onward

Although Svelte has been ticking along happily for years, the release of version 5 has felt like a new lease of life for the ecosystem around it. Every day brings new and exciting projects to the front page of the /r/sveltejs subreddit, while this year’s Advent of Svelte has kept up a sense of momentum following the stable release.

Below are just a handful of the Svelte-based projects that have caught my eye:

webvm: Virtual Machine for the Web
number-flow: An animated number component for React, Vue, and Svelte
sveltednd: A lightweight, flexible drag and drop library for Svelte 5 applications
Threlte 8

Despite the turbulence and inescapable sense of existential dread surrounding much tech, this feels like an exciting time for web development. The conditions are ripe for lovely new things to emerge.

And as for Svelte 5 itself, what does Rich Harris say to those who might be on the fence?

“I would say you have nothing to lose but an afternoon if you try it. We have a tutorial that will take you from knowing nothing about Svelte or even existing frameworks. You can go from that to being able to build applications using Svelte in three or four hours. If you just want to learn Svelte basics, then that’s an hour. Try it.”

— Rich Harris

Further Reading On SmashingMag

“How To Build Server-Side Rendered (SSR) Svelte Apps With SvelteKit,” Sriram Thiagarajan
“Web Development Is Getting Too Complex, And It May Be Our Fault,” Juan Diego Rodríguez
“Vanilla JavaScript, Libraries, And The Quest For Stateful DOM Rendering,” Frederik Dohr
“The Hype Around Signals,” Atila Fassina

Original Source: https://abduzeedo.com/cooking-success-jamie-olivers-web-design-transformation

Cooking Up Success: Jamie Oliver’s Web Design Transformation

abduzeedo
01/26 — 2025

Discover how Rotateº reimagined Jamie Oliver’s digital platform with sleek web design and a content-first approach.

The Jamie Oliver Group, a culinary brand synonymous with approachable and joyful cooking, has embarked on a digital transformation led by London-based technology studio Rotateº. The project reimagines JamieOliver.com as a unified hub, aligning the group’s diverse offerings—including media, products, and restaurants—under a cohesive web design strategy.

A Unified Vision for Web Design

JamieOliver.com’s redesign prioritizes functionality and aesthetics, presenting a content-first experience. By placing recipes, food stories, and seasonal content at the forefront, the new platform seamlessly reflects the brand’s ethos. Every visual element, from the color palette to the typography, reinforces Jamie Oliver’s identity, ensuring a unified and engaging user experience.

Modular Systems for Dynamic Content

A key aspect of the redesign is its modular design system, which empowers content teams to craft rich, flexible stories while maintaining consistency. This scalable system allows for an intuitive balance between bold headlines and precise subheadings, using a custom typeface that feels modern and approachable.

Sanity’s Content Management System (CMS) plays a vital role, acting as a custom page builder for brand-focused storytelling. This integration enables seamless updates, ensuring the website evolves alongside the Jamie Oliver Group’s ambitions.

Elegance in Simplicity

The refreshed platform uses sleek, curved design elements to achieve a balance between minimalism and vibrancy. The clean layouts elevate content, making recipes and features easier to explore. This simplicity enhances usability while celebrating the seasonal and colorful nature of Jamie Oliver’s culinary world.

Consolidation for a Global Audience

The redesign isn’t just about aesthetics. It consolidates multiple digital properties under one cohesive domain, creating a streamlined experience for global audiences. This strategy strengthens brand consistency while laying the groundwork for future innovations.

“We are excited to collaborate with the Jamie Oliver Group on this transformative project. At Rotate°, we are committed to blending modern technologies with creative design to deliver exceptional digital experiences. This partnership with Jamie Oliver is a testament to their enthusiasm for innovation in the digital space.” – Chris Harris, CXO, Rotate°

This redesign marks a significant milestone in the Jamie Oliver Group’s evolution as a global food brand. Rotateº’s thoughtful integration of design and technology ensures the platform meets user needs while showcasing the brand’s personality.

The collaboration is a reminder of how modern web design can bring flavor and functionality together. For more on this project, visit Rotateº or Jamie Oliver.

Web design artifacts