Bad at CSS

We promise. This episode is actually about CSS... I mean we get to it eventually. But what happens when you get a TypeScript fan (David) and a TypeScript skeptic (Adam) in a discussion? Well, a lot of spicy things are said.

NOTE: We swear we recorded this before the whole DHH Turbo TypeScript fiasco. 

The amazing Chris Coyier (founder of CSS-Tricks.com and CodePen.io) sat down with us to tell us all the things in CSS that he's bad at. He even brought us a list.

Figma has a brand new feature called Dev Mode! Adam was at Figma's big conference Config and he came here to teach us everything he knows about what Dev Mode has to offer. We also discuss why design handoffs are so difficult and tricks we've learned along the way.

Chapters:

0:00 - Is Figma bad at CSS too? 

0:29 - We are bad at design handoffs.

1:46 - Adam was at Figma Config

2:59 - A designer and developer story

5:34 - The difficulties from a design to CSS

7:45 - “Micro-decisions” in design

9:54 - Handoffs were the inspiration for Visbug

10:42 - It’s hard to get consistently get the design correct

12:44 - What is DevMode? 

13:40 - 30% of Figma users are developers.

15:10 - How DevMode works

18:48 - Figma can be the “source of truth” for Components 

20:39 - Visually coding in Figma 

21:53 - Designers can mark things “ready for dev”

21:59 - Generates a changelog 

21:30 - A copy SVG button! 

23:24 - DevMode still needs some work with layouts 

25:23 - There’s a Box Model in Figma! 

27:00 - A tangent on :has() 

28:20 - display: contents is a hidden gem

30:02 - A recap of DevMode features

View Transitions are a brand new totally rad cutting edge feature in the browser. They allow you to specify animation states from one state to another a lot easier than ever before. But guess what? We’re still bad at them. In this episode Adam explains how awesome View Transitions are by explaining the difficulties of the FLIP animation technique. Adam then discusses how he struggled, but finally succeeded, to build a morphing button with View Transitions. Oh and we also discuss how Adam isn’t a TypeScript fan, but you’ll have to listen to the end for that part.

Links:

Morphing Button - https://youtu.be/N2BKAKwGP6M

View Transition Pseudos Visualized - https://codepen.io/bramus/full/xxQKvJP

View Transitions like isotope.js - https://codepen.io/argyleink/pen/VwBKjwj

Chapters:

0:00 We are bad at CSS

0:54 Why are we talking about View Transitions?

4:03 Adam sings MMMBop

4:24 What problem are View Transitions solving?

5:29 Adam’s Mickey Mouse impression

5:44 Using FLIP to explain what View Transitions solve

6:27 Adam’s amazing getBoundingClientRect() joke

6:45 Using FLIP to explain what View Transitions solve

9:00 Tweening was easier in Flash

10:45 View Transitions simplify the amount calculations needed to animate

12:54 David is plugged into the Matrix

13:40 MPA View Transitions require no work! (but need a flag)

14:20 We are going to see some of the most wild transitions

16:35 What is Adam bad at with View Transitions?

22:04 What is a functional pseudo selector and why is it so fun to say?

23:50 Adam continues to be bad at View Transitions

25:35 Adam gets to talk to browser engineers to tell him why he’s bad

26:33 A rare case where height 100% did something

29:10 Adam gets even worse at View Transitions

30:00 Understanding view transition image pair and view transition group

35:29 David is bad at Sesame Street

37:55 An amazing visual of View Transition Groups and Pairs

39:52 Can you use other properties than transform and opacity?

40:27 Adam’s leaves to go tend to his kids

42:00 We’re finally wrapping up

45:33 Fun fact: Adam is not a TypeScript fan

47:12 View Transitions like isotope.js

49:32 Stay humble or CSS will humble you

Video moments

23:10 - functional pseudo selector

30:00 Understanding view transition image pair and view transition group

34:00 Especially here

37:55 An amazing visual of View Transition Groups and Pairs

47:12 View Transitions like isotope.js