The Empire UI blog

2026-09-21 · 8 min read

Keyboard Shortcut Display in React: ⌘K Badges, Legend, Cheatsheet

Build polished ⌘K badges, shortcut legends, and cheatsheet overlays in React - with accessible markup, Tailwind styling, and real keyboard event wiring.

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2026-07-28 · 8 min read

Headless UI Libraries in 2026: Radix, Headless UI, Ark Compared

Radix, Headless UI, and Ark UI compared side-by-side in 2026 - accessibility defaults, bundle size, DX, and which one you should actually pick for your next React project.

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2026-07-27 · 8 min read

Color Contrast Checker: WCAG AA/AAA and APCA in 2026

Color contrast in 2026 means more than WCAG 4.5:1. Learn how APCA changes the math, when AA vs AAA matters, and how to check contrast fast without losing sleep.

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2026-07-26 · 8 min read

SVG Icon Accessibility: aria-label, role and title Explained Properly

Stop guessing which ARIA attributes to put on your SVG icons. Here's exactly when to use aria-label, role, title and aria-hidden - with React examples.

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2026-07-26 · 8 min read

Focus Management in React: Trap, Return and Programmatic Focus

Master focus trapping, return focus, and programmatic focus in React. Practical patterns for modals, drawers and accessible keyboard navigation that actually works.

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2026-07-24 · 8 min read

Context Menu (Right-Click) in React: Radix, Custom and Accessible

Build right-click context menus in React with Radix UI or a custom hook. Covers positioning, keyboard nav, WAI-ARIA, and real-world usage patterns.

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2026-07-23 · 8 min read

Multi-Select in React: Tags Input, Checkboxes and Combobox Patterns

Build multi-select UIs in React - tags input, checkbox lists, and accessible combobox patterns. Real code, keyboard nav, and no hand-waving about "best practices".

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2026-07-22 · 8 min read

Date Picker in React: react-day-picker v9 and Custom Approach

Build accessible date pickers in React with react-day-picker v9 or roll your own. Real code, real trade-offs, no hand-waving. Updated for 2026.

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2026-07-22 · 8 min read

Combobox in React: Accessible Autocomplete With Headless UI

Build an accessible combobox autocomplete in React with Headless UI. ARIA patterns, keyboard nav, filtering, and styling - all covered with working code.

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2026-07-21 · 9 min read

Command Palette in React: ⌘K Search, Keyboard Navigation, ARIA

Build a fully accessible ⌘K command palette in React with keyboard navigation, fuzzy search, and correct ARIA roles - no library required.

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2026-07-16 · 8 min read

React Aria Components: Headless UI Done Right by Adobe

React Aria Components from Adobe gives you fully accessible, headless UI primitives for React - here's how to actually use them and when to pick them over alternatives.

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2026-07-03 · 8 min read

Dark Mode UI Design: Principles, Pitfalls and Best Practices

Dark mode isn't just a color swap - done wrong it destroys readability. Here's how to build dark UIs that actually work, with CSS, React, and accessibility covered.

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2026-07-02 · 8 min read

Tooltip in React: Floating-UI, Radix and Pure CSS Approaches

Three real approaches to React tooltips - pure CSS, Radix UI, and Floating-UI - with code, a11y gotchas, and when to reach for each one.

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2026-06-30 · 7 min read

Neumorphism and Accessibility: The Contrast Problem and How to Fix It

Neumorphism looks gorgeous on Dribbble, but its low-contrast shadows fail WCAG 2.1 badly. Here's exactly how to fix it without killing the aesthetic.

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2026-06-30 · 8 min read

React Accessibility (a11y): The 8 Patterns You Keep Getting Wrong

Stop shipping inaccessible React apps. Here are the 8 a11y patterns developers get wrong most often - with fixes you can apply today.

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2026-06-29 · 8 min read

Dropdown Menu in React: Accessible, Animated, Keyboard-Ready

Build a fully accessible, animated React dropdown menu with keyboard navigation, ARIA roles, and smooth CSS transitions - without sacrificing DX or bundle size.

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2026-06-22 · 8 min read

WCAG 2025 Accessibility Guide for React Developers

Everything React developers need to know about WCAG 2.2 and the upcoming 3.0 - from ARIA patterns to focus management, with real component code.

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2026-06-13 · 15 min read

React UI Components Complete Reference: 60+ Patterns with Code

Every React UI component pattern you'll actually use - buttons, cards, tabs, carousels, modals, and 55+ more. Real code, real decisions, no filler. Built on Tailwind v4.0.2.

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2026-06-13 · 15 min read

Building Design Systems That Scale: Engineering Guide 2026

The complete engineering guide to building a scalable design system in 2026 - tokens, component APIs, Storybook, Figma handoff, accessibility, versioning, and team adoption in one place.

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