Don’t worry, this isn’t about the U.S. election
A couple weeks ago, the two of us participated in Button, the new product content conference put on by Brain Traffic, the creators of Confab.
Confab is very important to us — it’s where we started collaborating, and it’s what sparked our idea to start a workshop, which sparked the idea for our book. So when we first heard that Kristina, Tenessa, and the rest of the supremely talented Brain Traffic folks were spinning up a new conference, we had some questions: What’s the difference? What will Confab become? Will Button (what’s with that name, anyway?) be held to the same high standard by Brain Traffic and the community?
If you attended Button, you’ll know what a resounding success it was. From panel discussions with Jess Sand about equitability in content design, to presentations about how UX writing is like parenting toddlers, the programming was high-quality and super helpful.
Beyond that, it was an incredible reminder of the power of our community. This conference brought people who do product content work together in a way that we all really needed in 2020. We were able to be open, honest, and vulnerable with each other. We had important conversations unpacking privilege and responsibility. We grew. Props to the organizers for creating an environment where that was possible.
And of course, we found ways to contribute — we were both on a panel about UX book writing with our friends and colleagues David Dylan Thomas, Torrey Podmajersky, and Scott Kubie.
(Speaking of Dave Thomas, we’re going to be recording an episode of his podcast this evening! If you’d like to attend a livestream of that, you can sign up here.)
In any case, Button was a bright spot on our calendar, amidst a sea of stress and tension. If you’re able to go next year (it’ll be virtual again), you should plan on it!
What we’re doing
TONIGHT! Live recording of the Cognitive Bias Podcast with David Dylan Thomas →
As mentioned before, we’re guests on the newest episode of David Dylan Thomas, author of Design for Cognitive Bias! If you don’t know Dave, he’s one of the smartest, friendliest, most interesting UXers in the field and is a wealth of knowledge about how designers can overcome cognitive biases in their work and for their users.
Attendance is free, but please sign up through Eventbrite for the Zoom link.
February and March 2021 “Writing is designing” workshops are on the books →
While our November workshop is sold out, we have two more dates available:
Our February 10-12 series features times that are more friendly to those in Asia/Pacific timezones — 9AM to 1PM Singapore time
Our March 10-12 series is more friendly for Africa, Europe, and the Americas
As before, we’re offering a significant discount if you register before January 1: $200 off the $695 price. And, as before, we’ll be offering a few free spots for those who experience inequity. Check out this page and fill out a short application before January 1 if you’d like to apply for an equity scholarship!
Andy’s content strategy team at Adobe is looking for an inclusive design and accessibility intern next summer →
This is an interesting and pretty unique opportunity — they'll be working across Andy’s team and Matt May's inclusive design team on content strategy for inclusive print and video training materials and inclusive content standards across the organization. If you or someone you know is a college student who will be returning to school in Fall 2021 (undergrad OR grad), and if this type of work piques your interest, I encourage you (or them) to apply for it! Folks from historically underinvested communities to especially encouraged to apply. This is, of course, a paid internship.
What we’re reading
Andy:
Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora →
Instagrammer @nat_pyper has been spending the last few months recommending books that feature science-fiction from Black authors. I dug into one recommendation recently that has stories from Black authors that span centuries. That’s right, centuries. From W.E.B. Du Bois’s “The Comet” from 1920, to London-based West Indian author Anthony Joseph’s story “The African origins of UFOs,” I’m loving the words that come from outside of the very white sci-fi bubble I’ve lived in for most of my sci-fi reading career.
Michael:
Why you need a content team and how to build one by Rachel McConnell →
Absolutely love this book. If you’ve ever needed to make the case for a content team or explain how this work fits into an organization, McConnell gives you everything you’ll ever need and then some. It’s a book that proudly demonstrates why our work matters, and gives you the tools to grow a practice. Highly recommended.
Design for Cognitive Bias by David Dylan Thomas →
We’re on the author’s podcast tonight and Andy has written about this book before in our newsletter, so haven’t we plugged this book enough? No. No we have not.
I just finished reading it, and I’m here to tell you that Design for Cognitive Bias is incredible. While it’s specifically written for designers, the subject matter is relevant to almost anyone. By them as stocking stuffers. Give them to your co-workers. Start a book club. Read. This. Book.
Pencil of the month
John Dickerson’s “The Hardest Job in the World” custom Blackwing pencils →
Okay, so some of this newsletter is about the elections, but we saved it for the end.
Famed CBS News journalist John Dickerson is a huge fan of pencils and notebooks. A few years ago, he worked with Field Notes to create “Front Page,” a reporter’s notebook, and more recently, collaborated with Blackwing to create some custom pencils for those who pre-ordered his new book, The Hardest Job in the World, a history of the American Presidency and how that institution has been in trouble in recent years.
These pencils were in limited supply and are sadly sold out, but we absolutely love the 12 quotes on the side of each of these dozen pencils, and perhaps Tim Wasem (Andy’s co-host on The Erasable Podcast) highlighted the most important one, a quote from John Adams:
“May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof”