We love workshops. In fact, our book began as a workshop we taught at content strategy and design conferences. There’s something about diving into a hands-on activity with a group of other people who care about the work. It’s a chance to try out a new skill, not just learn about it.

This year, conferences have looked very different, and they rarely include workshops. However, we’ve still done a few, and they’ve been amazing. One thing we’ve noticed is how much richer the discussion can be when all a participant has to do is unmute, rather than stand up and speak into a mic in front of a huge room of people.

Because of all that, we don’t want to let 2020 stop us from teaching. This week, we announced that we’re doing one virtually! The Writing is Designing workshop will take place November 11-13 and it’s going to include 10+ hours of instruction, hands-on activities, and discussion. We’ve also converted the activities from the paper booklet we usually give out in person to interactive Miro boards that attendees can adapt and use after the workshop.

It’s limited to 24 people to give you plenty of opportunities to talk with us and the other participants. Several people have already registered even though we just announced it two days ago! If you’re one of those people, thank you so much. We’re really grateful, and we’re so excited to spend some time with you.

If you’d like to join us, register before October 1st to get $200 off. If you know someone who may be interested, we’d love it if you could tell them about it! It’s great for new and upcoming UX writers, product designers who want to learn UX writing, technical writers who work with product teams, and anyone else who works in the technology space(including PMs and developers who write).

Thanks, as always, for being so supportive of our book and what we have to offer.

What we’re reading

From both of us:

Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brené Brown →

Both of us are taking Vivianne Castillo’s HmntyCntrd workshop this fall. We’re excited to grow and develop as UX practitioners, talk about deeper inclusivity, equity issues, and more honestly confront our own privilege and biases. One piece of required reading is this book. It’s a great examination of how disconnected we are from each other across the country, and how true belonging means that sometimes, you have to stand alone in the wilderness for what you believe. It’s a fast read, and Dr. Brown is, as always, an engaging writer.

From Michael:

Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism by Safiya Umoja Noble →

This book takes a deep, analytical, and academic look at how Google’s search engine has caused harm and upheld white supremacy. In particular it shows how technology claims to be neutral as a selling point, and how many users of a platform take that at face value, when in fact the algorithms are commercially driven and are incentivized financially to cause harm. I’d recommend this to anyone working in tech, because these patterns are everywhere. How can we dismantle them if we don’t learn how to name and see them?

Lillith’s Brood by Octavia Butler →

I enjoy science fiction, but haven’t read a lot of books in the genre. This was my first Octavia Butler book, and it was amazing. I ended up reading the whole Xenogenesis trilogy (this is the first book in that trilogy). It’s a fascinating story that wrestles with what it means to be human. 

What we’re doing 

Writing is designing workshop, November 11-13 →

This is a big deal. This is the first time we’re offering this workshop independently and open to the public. Learn the fundamentals of UX writing, and build foundational concepts like writing for clarity, strategic writing systems like voice and tone, and how to put those into action through prototyping, collaboration, and critique. And if you sign up before October 1, you can save $200! 

Writing is designing talk at UX Writers España, September 22 →

Our friend and UX writing community stalwart Mario Ferrer was kind enough to invite us to speak to Spain’s UX writing group. Our Spanish is rusty to non-existent, but our European colleagues are kind enough to let us give our talk in English. If you live in Europe or the UX, this meetup should be friendly to your timezone!

Writing is designing talk at TorCHI, October 14 →

We’re really excited to talk about the big ideas from our book at the next meeting of the Toronto Computer-Human Interaction professionals group (TorCHI), and explore how writing the user experience fits into their larger mission of advancing UX as an industry. The event is free and open the public, but if you’re in the Toronto area, consider becoming a TorCHI member.

Pencil of the month

“The Goldfield” Bridge pencils by Write Notepads & Co. →

Bridge pencils are hard to find nowadays. They’re considerably thinner than a regular-width pencil — history has it that they’re thin enough to stick in with your deck of cards after a Bridge game. This one, by one of our favorite pocket notebooks brands, Baltimore-based Write Notepads & Co., pays tribute to The Goldfield, a turn-of-the-century jazz club in Baltimore owned by Black boxer Joe Gans.

I (Andy) don’t play Bridge, but I like to keep one in my toolbox to use to make marks in tight spaces if I can’t reach with a carpenter pencil.