The latest articles on DEV Community by Aj Loren (@ajloren). https://dev.to/ajloren https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3030161%2Fa1f62746-4be5-48cf-aff5-65f107859e7d.png https://dev.to/ajloren en Aj Loren Mon, 28 Jul 2025 11:01:45 +0000 https://dev.to/ajloren/a-clean-carousel-ui-with-progress-navigation-codepen-demo-inside-1lg https://dev.to/ajloren/a-clean-carousel-ui-with-progress-navigation-codepen-demo-inside-1lg <p>I designed a carousel section that’s minimal, interactive, and mobile-friendly. It’s built to showcase featured articles, but you can easily adapt it for blog posts, portfolios, or products.</p> <p>Instead of using clunky arrows or pagination dots, it uses a clean horizontal progress bar that doubles as a next button. Hovering on a card reveals more content by fading out the image—letting the copy take center stage.</p> <p><strong>⚙️ What’s Inside</strong></p> <ul> <li>Slick.js carousel (no arrows, no dots)</li> <li>Progress bar that updates with the slide</li> <li>Clickable progress bar to go to next slide</li> <li>Subtle hover animation that reveals content</li> <li>Responsive: 3 slides on desktop, 2 on tablet, 1 on mobile</li> <li>Clean glassmorphism-style card layout with blurred background</li> </ul> <p><strong>🎯 Why This Works</strong><br> This layout balances visual content with readable text. It’s interactive without being overwhelming, and it doesn't rely on bulky controls. The hover effects make it feel more alive, and the progress bar keeps the UI compact.</p> <p><strong>🚀 Live Preview</strong><br> 👉 <a href="https://codepen.io/ajloren83/pen/QwjKeJB" rel="noopener noreferrer">Check the CodePen</a></p> <p><strong>🧩 Use Cases</strong></p> <ul> <li>Tech blog featured posts</li> <li>Agency portfolios</li> <li>News sliders</li> <li>SaaS dashboards</li> <li>Curated content modules</li> </ul> <p>If you like how it works and want to extend it with swipe support, thumbnails, or CMS data—you can easily build on top of it. Let me know if you do; I’d love to see how others remix it.</p> <p>Again, here’s the CodePen: <a href="https://codepen.io/ajloren83/pen/QwjKeJB" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://codepen.io/ajloren83/pen/QwjKeJB</a></p> <p>Want me to help turn this into a template or integrate it with something like WordPress, Webflow, or a CMS? Let’s talk.</p> carousel blog css webdev