Hello folks! It’s been a while since we’ve written you last. There’s not a whole lot of news to report — Michael got a new job, Andy bought a house, and we haven’t been doing many workshops because we’ve been, frankly, pretty burnt out. We’re hurtling into the third year of the pandemic, and despite what the governor of Indiana says, the medical emergency is not over. Heartbreaking war and genocide continue all around the world, and here at home (where we are, in the US), there’s a war being waged against trans kids and people of color. It’s an all-around scary, exhausting time.

And yet, there are some good things in this world. Here’s a few things we’ve been grateful for lately:

• Vivianne Castillo, a UX leader we both have a lot of respect for (and who has been in this newsletter before), pulled together a small group of Black women leaders in UX to talk about emotional labor, workplace racism and psychological safety. They recorded their talk, so you can listen in! We’re so thankful for their candor and wisdom.

• We’re both pumped for this adorable little video game system, called Playdate to be released soon. Isn’t it cute?

• And last but not least, we’re thankful for our community. We’ll both be back at Confab — in person! We’re so excited to see each other and so many other amazing people IRL.

How have you been doing? Feel free to send us a reply—we’d love to hear from you.

What we’re up to

Andy’s speaking at Tempo, a conference for content design leaders →

This brand-new conference, organized by Rachel McConnell and Alis Cox, is virtual and features some really fantastic speakers, like Sara Wachter-Boettcher, Candi Williams, Jordan Craig, and a bunch more. The conference is March 10-11(only a couple days after we’re sending this newsletter), so if tickets are still available, you’ll want to jump on it!

We’re doing our workshop IRL at Confab in May! →

We’re so excited about this one — we’re going to be at Confab — in person! — in Minneapolis, and we’ll be adapting our normally 12-hour Writing is Designing workshop for a half-day! If you’re thinking about coming to Confab and haven’t registered yet (and if there are still tickets available), you can make the hard choice to use WELFLE100 or METTS100 (YOU CAN ONLY CHOOSE ONE!) for $100 off the registration price.

We’re hosting another three-day WID workshop June 27-29 →

Speaking of Writing is Designing workshops, we’re hosting another one, virtually, on June 27, 28, and 29. It’s our first one since last October. Registration is open, and as per usual, we’re offering four free seats for equity scholarships. This one is Americas-friendly (each day starts at 11AM Eastern/8AM Pacific), but we welcome folks from all around the world. Just let us know, and we can factor that into our plans! Register before May 1 for a $100 early bird discount, and if you use the coupon code NEWSLETTER at any time, you get an additional $100 off.

What we’re reading

Andy :

The Birthday of the World and Other Stories by Ursula K. Le Guin →

I’m really digging Ursula K. Le Guin’s short stories lately. Many of them take place in, and build off of the Hainish universe (perhaps best known for her revolutionary book The Left Hand of Darkness), and feature a few other world and societies that challenge our notions of gender and sexuality. If you’ve read this one already, check out Changing Planeswith an almost Dr. Suess-style imagination.

You Should Write a Book by Kate LeDû and Lisa Maria Marquis →

We both really respect Katel and Lisa Maria from A Book Apart, and recently, they wrote a book about how to write a book! From the pitching stage, to the ideation and research stage, to publishing and promoting, it’s the book that I wish we had when Michael and I were navigating this process. It’s friendly, accessible, inclusive, and it doesn’t shy away from topics around equity and justice.

Michael:

The Eternaut by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano Lopez →

This incredible graphic novel wasn’t on my radar until a previous teammate who helped edit the English version sent it to me as a gift. It’s the story of an alien invasion, set in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The art and writing are great, but the backstory is even more powerful. The creators sacrificed so much in their personal lives, and the book is filled with powerful metaphors about their experience.

Pencil of the month

Pentel Black Polymer 999

You can’t buy these anymore, unless you find some old stock. They are legendary for great point retention, dark lines, and a smooth writing experience. Pencil Talk has a great review from 2008 about these babies if you want to read more about them. If you find some at a flea market or something, buy all of them. And maybe send a few our way as well? 😉