The design field is full of passionate practitioners who generously share their knowledge. Through the years, these resources have either stuck with me, or become the resources I refer to time and again.
Essentials for all design practitioners
- AI, Ain’t I a Woman by Dr. Joy Buolamwini
Through spoken word, poet of code and founder of the Algorithmic Justice League Dr. Joy Buolamwini illuminates the shortcomings of artificial intelligence that exacerbate real social inequities in our digital world and lived experiences. - A Web for Everyone: Designing Accessible User Experiences by Sarah Horton and Whitney Quesenbery
- Living in Information: Responsible Design for Digital Places by Jorge Arango
- Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do by Claude M. Steele
Usability foundations
- 18F.gsa.gov
The U.S. government’s in-house technology and design consultancy shares its guides and methods for more usable experiences. - GOV.UK Design System
When looking for usability best practices, I often refer to the UK government’s resources. - Norman Nielsen Group
Rich research on any number of user experience topics abounds on the Norman Nielsen Group website. A great resource to bolster design justifications.
Content design
- Content Design by Sarah Winters
Content Design London founder, CEO, and author Sarah Winters opened my eyes to the power of content design in a 2014 Bloomberg Design Week presentation on her team’s work that transformed www.gov.uk, the UK government’s website. Her book is a primer on content design — what it is, how to do it, and why it matters. If you’re just dipping your toes into or simply curious about the field, start with this book. - The Content Strategy Toolkit by Meghan Casey
Whenever I find myself asking, “How do I do X?”, I reach for Meghan Casey’s book. It’s filled with tactical instructions and templates that range from technical skills (how to do a content audit, how to measure content effectiveness), to invaluable soft skills (how to tell someone there’s a problem with their content, how to align stakeholders, how to advocate for budget and buy-in). My copy is well-thumbed. - The Content Strategy Podcast hosted by Kristina Halvorson
This podcast made me look forward to my daily commute. Brain Traffic content consultancy CEO and founder Kristina Halvorson is a delightful host who dedicates each episode to chatting with a mover and shaker in the world of content strategy — the practice of guiding “the creation, delivery, and governance of useful, usable content.”
Conferences
I can’t say enough good things about the community I met at both of these conferences. The years I attended, the presentations were top-notch, and I made connections that lasted.
In addition to conferences, local meet-ups are also great places to connect with other designers.
A few folks I follow
It can be tough to cut through clutter on social media, but there are many compelling design conversations happening on Twitter and elsewhere.
- Andy Welfle, co-author of Writing Is Designing: Words and the User Experience
- Anita Cheng, government services content designer and information architect
- Candi Williams, Bumble content design director
- Carrie Hane, co-author of Designing Connected Content
- David Dylan Thomas, Design for Cognitive Bias author
- Erika Hall, Mule Design Studio co-founder and author of Just Enough Research and Conversational Design
- Luke Wroblewski, “humanizing technology”
- Michael J. Metts, co-author of Writing Is Designing: Words and the User Experience
- Scott Kubie, “a designer who writes”
- Torrey Podmajersky, author of Strategic Writing for UX
- Whitney Hess, coach, writer, and UX designer
