The Antics of Semantic UI for U and I

25 Feb 2021

U and I

You’re probably wondering why the U and I are split. The formal definition of UI is User Interface but it can also be seen from another perspective as “You and I” hence the header and part of the title, “U and I”. In a way, you are working together with the machine. The machine is waiting on “U” to give instructions on HTML and css for what the website is going to look like while “I” in the website’s perspective is going to display its graphical appearance. One specific tool used when coding HTML and CSS is Semantic UI.

Semantic’s antics

Learning Semantic UI allows a cleaner version of HTML and CSS. It allows for smoother design, better customization, and overall more freedom in design editing. Unfortunately, the antics are much bigger than just doing HTML and CSS. In return for learning semantics, it also requires a bit more memorization of the library and learning what mixes well with others. Some classes can have a possibility of canceling or negating the intentions of changes in text color or other usages. It can be also quite time-consuming due to the amount of research and learning how the semantic UI code works before implementing them into HTML/CSS.

Personal Opinion

So after going through all the antics of semantics and its long time consumption, why not just use basic HTML and CSS? Well if we just used HTML and CSS by itself, we would get the basic website up but it doesn’t really look as visually appealing. Semantic UI not only comes with design but also more flexibility in control like being able to adjust the alignment of the elements, customize certain elements like links, borders, and buttons, and much more utility. Semantic UI may be a lot to take in and lots of thinking at first, but once you understand the schematics of semantics, the reward is quite visually pleasing. Suddenly the antics feel a bit less between U and I eh semantic?