Purple book

Design details that feel like magic.

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001Arc
Delightful little icon animation in Arc Browser
Delightful little icon animation in Arc Browser
004Read.cv
Particle effects when following someone on Read.cv
Particle effects when following someone on Read.cv
008Slack
A friendly indicator when over-scrolling in a Slack channel
A friendly indicator when over-scrolling in a Slack channel
009Figma
FigJam’s music player is an interactive turntable
FigJam’s music player is an interactive turntable
010Airbnb
Animated isometric illustrations in Airbnb's filters
Animated isometric illustrations in Airbnb's filters
016iOS
The airplane flies away when turning off Airplane Mode on iOS
The airplane flies away when turning off Airplane Mode on iOS

About

Do you remember the micro-interaction that made you smile? Or the Easter egg you stumbled upon in your favorite app?

These design details might go unnoticed by many and have little impact on the metrics that today's apps are optimized for. They probably won't appear in any product roadmaps or company OKRs.

Nevertheless, these details are not pointless.

They infuse life, personality, and fun back into the web. They spark joy and reward those who find them with a sense of delight. They represent the last bastion of hope against the backdrop of a homogenous web.

It is at the intersection of design and engineering where these details are made possible. It is here that the real magic happens.

That’s why we started Design Spells — to celebrate and showcase the design details that feel like magic.

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