Summer is rapidly moving past us. As it passes, it’s hard to ignore the fact that here in the United States, our country has responded terribly to this horrific pandemic that continues to claim lives and create hardship for so many. The Atlantic has done some very good reporting on how, exactly, our country has failed. It’s very sad news, though. They’re also behind covidtracking.com, which is a vital source of data (one of the editors for that project is Erin Kissane, author of The Elements of Content Strategy, now available for free online).

Through all that, we’re still connecting with people about our book. Most meetup groups have gone online at this point, and it’s great to be able to join communities all over the world. We’ve done Zoom meetups in Chicago, Montreal, Philadelphia, Seattle, and L.A. since the book came out. If you’re interested in having us join your meetup or book club online, go ahead and reply to this email.

We also got to teach a workshop based on our book in partnership with Rosenfeld Media. It was very different to do it online, but it was still a great experience for us and the attendees. Here are the photos we took to introduce ourselves on day 1 (Andy especially needed that coffee, since we started at 8am Pacific time).

It got us thinking that we’d love to do more online workshops. It’s not that they’re better or worse than in-person, they’re just different. This one was split up over three days to minimize fatigue, and that also gave us a chance to stay on the video call with a few participants after each day to expand on things and talk through their challenges. It was an energizing, safe way for people to learn wherever they are. We also offer private, in-house workshops if you or your company are interested. Just let us know.

What we’re reading

From Andy:

Design for Cognitive Bias by David Dylan Thomas →

Okay, so I haven’t actually read this yet, but I will by the time we get to the next newsletter. Dave is a friend of mine, and I remember when he signed this book deal. This is the book the design community needs now, and he’s just the guy to write it. I’ve seen a couple talks he’s given on similar subjects — identifying certain cognitive biases and how it influences our designs — and this book is going to be GREAT. Pre-order it now for a late August release.

When the Culture Wars hit Fort Wayne →

This isn’t particularly UX-related, but it’s a great long piece in Politico about my hometown: Fort Wayne, Indiana. The author (a New York Times reporter, also from Fort Wayne) reports on a movement to establish a holiday celebrating General Anthony Wayne, a Union military man who, among other things, killed and drove indigenous people away from their lands to establish what is now Fort Wayne. This story isn’t unique to northeast Indiana, however — it’s useful to read for any white people living in the United States or other unseated territories.

From Michael:

How to think differently about doing good as a creative person →

Recently, I came across this article about engaging in activism as a creative person by Omayeli Arenyeka, based on her XOXO talk. It talks about how this type of work can result in a “Creative Savior Complex” that can do more harm than good. It was really helpful and gave me a lot to think about.

To start with, “doing good” as a goal is very vague and expansive. While you can be driven by a lofty, hard-to-quantify purpose, the goal of your actions or work should be more specific. If (one of) your objective(s) is to do good and not just to be expressive or make something for yourself, you should set a reasonably thought-through intention for what success (however you measure that) would look like. Keep in mind, the work you do can either solve a problem or plant seeds to inch towards a reality you want—the important thing is to be clear about what exactly it is your impact project is trying to accomplish.

The Vanishing Half →

This book has been at the top of bestseller lists for a reason. It’s an incredible story, and it’s told so beautifully. I soaked it up over a weekend.

I found myself reading and re-reading paragraphs not because I was lost, but because there were subtleties of narrative I wanted to enjoy.

What we’re up to

• August 27: If you’re located in the Asia Pacific region, you might be interested in a breakfast Q&A we’re doing with the Melbourne and Canberra meetup groups. 

• October 21-23: We’ll be at Button, which is shaping up to be an amazing conference filled with incredible voices in content design, ux writing, and product content strategy.

Pencil of the month: Doms Groove Slim

India produces some of the most fun pencils you can buy. Michael’s parents brought him a pack of these after a recent trip there, and just look at them! They’re trianglular. They’ve got holes drilled into the sides. They come in bronze, silver and gold. What grade are they? Who cares. They write like a good pencil should: Smooth and dark.

If you’re in India, these should be easy to find. Elsewhere, eBay might be your best bet.