Hello Reader,
I enjoy Instagram posts that feature a mixed bag of photos from the past month. It provides an easy and relatable insight into the poster's life during that time. So, taking a similar approach, here's a collection of updates from my life over the past month.
Working on the "How to sell design" masterclass drained me mentally (and I apologize, I feel the actual talk was better than how the blog post turned out). It's surprisingly difficult to turn a talk into a blog post. Giving talks is always an emotional roller coaster for me: the excitement when booking the talk, the imposter syndrome leading up to it, the vibe during the talk, and the relief once it's all over... only to want to do it all over again 🤷♂️.
Besides the masterclass, Summer Health has been my sole priority in terms of work. It has been really nice to be able to focus on one product at a more holistic level again, working on everything involved in creating a great user experience: a visual brand refresh, an updated design system, new product features, and the core experience.
In the upcoming fall, I will have the capacity to take on another project. If you anticipate needing assistance, now would be a great time to reach out.
I’ve moved the list over to Convertkit and finally found a place to gather my books, coaching services and email list.
Lately, I've been enjoying using Threads. I think many people on Twitter have been waiting for something to replace it ever since Elon Musk took over the reins. I have a feeling that Threads might just be that replacement. Mastodon had a terrible onboarding experience and always felt too technical. Posts is nice, but it's a niche network with its own pros and cons. As for Bluesky, who knows what will happen with it? Someone once asked about Twitter, "Why did he buy it if he was only out to ruin it?" and I think that captures the sentiment quite well. Don’t miss the “How to blow up a timeline”article!
A couple of weeks ago, I was on the Nodes of Design podcast, talking about design systems, among other things. I'll let you know when the episode is released, but in the meantime, check out some of the other episodes that Tejj has recorded. Also, a big thank you to Sharif, who connected the two of us. Whether it's for business or personal reasons, a personal recommendation or referral always means the world to me.
For years I’ve been preaching that more features ≠ better user experience, in fact it’s often the opposite. I was pleased to see that Arc is aware of this too. Here’s an excerpt from their latest email update:
The crowd goes wild.
And then, before you know it, new members get lost before they’ve even begun! And current members get frustrated with little papercuts adding up over time.
So this summer, we’re going back to basics — inspired by your feedback — to improve the very core of Arc.
Most of all, I've been enjoying the summer. Spending time with Taylor in the garden under sunny skies is all it takes to make me a very calm and content man.
To wrap things up, how are you doing? Is there anything I can do to assist you? Whether it's answering a question, creatively unblocking you, or anything else, feel free to hit reply and let me know.
Links
Ok, until next time my friend - take care,
Anton