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The Toptal Blog is the top hub for developers, designers, finance experts, executives, and entrepreneurs, featuring key technology updates, tutorials, freelancer resources, and management insights.

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Toptal core team members share their experience, expertise, and perspectives on the Toptal Edge Blog

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Will JS Frameworks Spark a Front-end Revolution?

Are Vue.js, React, and Angular actually delivering a good developer and user experience, or are they used simply because they’re the current de facto standard? Discover some exciting approaches to web development.

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Kevin Bloch

Kevin Bloch

Kevin has 20+ years among full-stack, desktop, and indie game development. He lately specializes in PostgreSQL, JavaScript, Perl, and Haxe.

What Is Strategic Design Thinking and How Can It Empower Designers?

Designers are not mere pixel pushers. If they improved communication and employed their skills more effectively through strategic design thinking, they could make a bigger impact with their work.

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Kent Mundle

Kent Mundle

Kent is a globally recognized environmental designer who uses design and writing to create innovative and transformative experiences.

A Deep Look at JSON vs. XML, Part 3: XML and the Future of JSON

In Part 1 and 2, we took a closer look at the evolution of the web, how XML and JSON arose, and the differences between the two standards.

In this final part of our series on JSON vs. XML, Toptal Freelance Full-stack Developer Seva Safris looks at XML as a data interchange format and how well it supports complex requirements. And finally, he will discuss the future of JSON as well as explore solutions that bring the strengths of XML to JSON.

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Seva Safris

Seva Safris

Seva is a veteran of both enterprise and startups and a UC Berkeley graduate in EECS and MSE with 20 years of industry experience.

A Deep Look At JSON vs. XML, Part 2: The Strengths and Weaknesses of Both

Nearly all computer applications rely on either JSON or XML. Today, JSON has overtaken XML, but is it better? In part 1 of this series on JSON vs. XML, we take a closer look at the history of the web to uncover the original purpose of XML and JSON and analyze how JSON became the popular choice.

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Seva Safris

Seva Safris

Seva is a veteran of both enterprise and startups with 20 years of industry experience and a UC Berkeley graduate in EECS and MSE.

Yours Truly, Freelance Design Advice

It wasn’t easy, but you looked uncertainty in the eye and made the biggest bet of your career. Now what? We’ve got an encouraging word for new freelancers and anyone who’s braved self-employment.

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Micah Bowers

Micah Bowers

Micah helps businesses craft meaningful engagement through branding, illustration, and design.

A Deep Look at JSON vs. XML, Part 1: The History of Each Standard

Nearly all computer applications rely on one of two principal message standards: JSON and XML. Today, JSON is the most widely used format, having overtaken XML within the last 5 years, but is JSON better than XML?

In part 1 of this multi-part series on JSON vs. XML, Toptal Freelance Full-stack Developer Seva Safris will take a closer look at the history of the web to uncover the original purpose of XML and JSON, and analyze the software trends in recent years that lead to JSON becoming more popular than XML.

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Seva Safris

Seva Safris

Seva is a veteran of both enterprise and startups with 20 years of industry experience, and a UC Berkeley graduate in EECS and MSE.

How to Structure an Effective Typographic Hierarchy

Since designers work with so much text-based content, creating an effective typographic hierarchy—one that clearly shows what information is most important—is a vital skill for designers to master.

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Cameron Chapman

Cameron Chapman

Cameron comes from a design background and is the author of two web design books: Color for Web Design and The Smashing Idea Book.

Rails 6 Features: What’s New and Why It Matters

Rails 6 is finally here, featuring major improvements and clever new features that should make development easier and faster than ever.

In this article, Toptal Ruby on Rails Developer Avant Mittal dives into the Rails 6 changelog to introduce you to these new features and explain how you will be using them in your next Rails project.

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Avant Mittal

Avant Mittal

Working as a consultant, Avant helped build applications for clients such as Chipotle, Sebamed USA, HealthEngine, DealDey, and many more.

How to Leverage Thematic Analysis for Better UX

Thematic analysis, an approach used to analyze qualitative data, is central to credible research and can be used to improve UX design by uncovering user needs, motivations, and behaviors.

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Shane Ketterman

Shane Ketterman

Shane comes from a background in architecture, information technology, customer experience, and UX design.

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