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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Harry Roberts recreated the hover effects on Luke’s Beard’s social icons in a January 2011 post on CSS Wizardry, doing it without JavaScript and using what he called “progressive CSS.” The post is a short pointer to a demo and a stylesheet rather than a step-by-step tutorial, so the useful takeaway is the approach and the reuse terms, not a copy-paste recipe. This article explains what the post establishes, what it leaves out, and how to handle the code and the design responsibly today.
What the original post is
The page is titled “Link: Recreating the Luke’s Beard social icons with CSS3” and was written by Harry Roberts on his CSS Wizardry site. It is dated 23 January 2011. Roberts labels it a link post: he points to Luke’s Beard’s work and to his own recreation, and the substance lives in the demo and the linked CSS file. The archive for the site lists the post under that date, so 2011 is the reliable reference point.
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Why it was built
Roberts found Luke’s Beard through that studio’s Dribbble profile and website. On the site he noticed hover effects on the social icons and decided to reproduce them himself. Nothing in the post describes a commission or a client relationship; Roberts says Luke did not commission the recreation.
The method: CSS only, progressive
Roberts describes the result as built “without JavaScript” and “using some progressive CSS.” In plain terms, the effect is driven by stylesheet rules rather than scripts, so a visitor whose browser handles only the basics still sees the icons and their links. The post does not spell out which properties, selectors, durations or easing values were used in prose, and this article does not infer them. Anyone who needs those details has to read the linked stylesheet directly.
Who may reuse what, and under what terms
The post separates two kinds of ownership. Roberts states his position in two sentences:
“I noticed some pretty cool hover effects going on with his social icons which I decided to recreate without JavaScript and using some progressive CSS.”
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“I allow full use of my code (with attribution) but please don’t copy Luke’s format for social icons–the code is mine but its implementation on social icons is Luke’s.”
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- Roberts’s code: he allows full use with attribution, as he states it in the post.
- Luke’s social-icon format: the presentation belongs to Luke’s Beard. Roberts asks readers not to copy it, which in practice means seeking permission from Luke’s Beard before reproducing that look.
- The general technique: hover effects built with CSS are a common technique. The post does not claim a monopoly on the idea, and nothing here restricts you from building your own icon hovers in your own style.
These are the author’s stated terms as published in 2011. They are not legal advice, and if you plan commercial reuse, check the current position with the copyright holders.
How to use this reference today
- Open the original post at https://csswizardry.com/2011/01/link-recreating-the-lukes-beard-social-icons-with-css3/ and follow its links to the demo and stylesheet.
- If the demo or stylesheet does not load, the post’s own text is the only verified description; do not reconstruct the code from memory.
- Read the stylesheet for your own purposes, and attribute Roberts’s code if you reuse it.
- Design your icons from your own visual choices. Do not reproduce Luke’s Beard’s icon format without their permission.
- Test any hover effect in current browsers and with keyboard focus. A 2011 demo was written for the browsers of its day, and this article makes no claim about its compatibility or performance.
What remains unestablished
The exact code, the visual result of the effects, and any browser or performance behaviour are not confirmed by this article. The original demo and stylesheet are the only primary sources for those details, and they are the first things to check before relying on the technique.
Harry Roberts’s post stands as a documented, dated example of CSS-only hover effects, with a clear statement of how the code and the icon design are owned.
Source: https://csswizardry.com/archive/
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The Bottom Line
Roberts’s 2011 post shows that Luke’s Beard’s social-icon hover effects were recreated with CSS alone, and that his code is available with attribution while Luke’s icon format is not to be copied without permission. For working code, go to the original demo and stylesheet and verify them yourself.
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