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🧠 3 Psychology Tricks to 2x Onboarding + CSS Custom Functions

February 12, 2025

Hey 👋

Big thanks to everyone who’s picked up some Unicorn Club merch so far—it’s been great to see the support! Remember, you can still grab free stickers with any T-shirt order, so don’t miss out. See more below!

This week’s newsletter is packed with great finds. We’ve got resources on scroll-driven CSS animations, simplifying product design by borrowing familiar patterns, psychology tips to level up onboarding, and even a look at why NASA had a coding error that literally reached another planet.

Enjoy 🦄 - Adam at Unicorn Club.

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Senior level CSS developers are so much more than syntax experts, so learn core skills, strategies, systems and approaches from Andy Bell, who has consulted on, and delivered CSS for huge organisations such as Google, Harley-Davidson, Oracle and the NHS, along with well-known brands such as BSkyB, Unilever, The Natural History Museum, British Cycling, Capita, Vitality and VICE Media.

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🧠 UX

3 Psychology Tips To 2X Your Onboarding

Learn the 3 psychology tips that Scribe used to double their user onboarding conversions.

🎨 Design

The Interface Is Always There

This might seem like a bold claim in an era obsessed with “invisible” and “UI-less” design, but consider what an interface actually is: any mediating layer between you and information.

Bring back the bezels

Towards a skeuomorphism of the soul.

Simplify your product design — borrow familiar patterns

Simple products are immediately familiar and usable. When I pick up a knife or a cup, I never have to think to myself, “How do I use this?”, even if I’m at a friend’s and have never seen their tableware before.

JavaScript Bugs in Space?! 🪐

In 1999, NASA's Mars Climate Orbiter was destroyed because one team used metric units while another used imperial. But here’s the kicker: the software that ran the orbiter didn’t throw an error—it just silently failed. A reminder that coding errors (and inadequate testing) can have astronomical consequences!

Learn More →

📋 CSS

Scroll Driven Animations

The technique of using CSS to create animations on scroll.

CSS scroll-state()

Like container queries; but for stuck, snapped, and overflowing queries.

CSS Custom Functions are coming … and they are going to be a game changer!

Chrome is currently prototyping CSS Functions, which is very exciting!

Launching Merch 🎉

Unicorn Club merch is officially live.

Huge thanks to everyone thats purchased so far! Can't wait to see everyone in their new merch 🙌

I’m throwing in free Unicorn Club stickers with your order of any T-shirt.

Here’s how it works:
1️⃣ Head to the link: shop.unicornclub.dev/promo/FREESTICKERS
2️⃣ Add any T-shirt and the stickers to your cart.
3️⃣ The discount is applied automatically at checkout. Boom—stickers = free.

Shop now →

🏎️ Performance

Understanding CORS errors in Signed Exchanges

Learn debugging techniques and why the all-or-nothing principle makes these errors critical (part 3 of 8). Over the coming weeks we'll be featuring each part of Pawełs series.

💭 Resources

Website examples for inspiration

Dedicated to creators focused on getting results rather than collecting awards

🗓️ Upcoming Events

Exclusive deal with GitNation to bring you the best deals.

✨ How to Have More Product Influence as a Designer

February 21, 2025 - Virtual Event

Join Femke and Miranda for a free session on mastering product influence as a designer. Learn to strengthen PM partnerships and make your ideas count in 45 minutes of actionable advice.

See Event →

⚡ Productivity Conference - Save 10%

March 27 & 28, 2025 - Online

Boost your or your team’s productivity at the Productivity Conference for developers and tech leaders. Learn to revolutionize your workflows with cutting-edge tools and strategies. Registration is open now!

With promo code UNICORN, you can get 10% off on tickets.

See event →