Mark W.rites

In 1978, Matthew Carter designed the typeface Bell Centennial. It was a special typeface, built for a unique set of goals. What manifested was an adaptable typeface that tackled the printing challenge of “dot gain.”

The fundamental purpose of information architecture is to enable efficient information retrieval. We accomplish this with meaningful information structure and intuitive labels. And we bring them together with sensible navigation design.

UI design takes on an entirely different meaning when the UX doesn’t include a screen. That’s a lot of what automotive UX/UI design is all about.

In the early years of my career, every user experience I was designing comprised a single modality and a single visual UI. As my career progressed, I was able to work on an ever-expansive ecosystem of modalities, including products with smaller UIs, and even without UIs at all.

Good design is holistic. It considers the journey your audience is on well before they ever interact with your product. It guides them from start to finish, even if your product only touches the center of that path. It also means understanding their emotional state, which in turn impacts their mental state. And their level of tolerance for whatever UX you’re about to put in front of them.

Accessibility is for everyone. Even you. And in the context of education, it’s especially important for students. They can only learn if content is accessible to them. So let’s look at some ways we can help with that.

Well-intended product design can turn into a usability/accessibility nightmare. Something as simple as a button can be marked up with HTML/CSS in myriad ways. We can make sure it’s done properly with a sensible markup.

While there are many reasons to make a product accessible, the most important is simply because it’s the right thing to do. But you may have a client, team, or boss who doesn’t see the value. It’s absurd that we even have to sell accessibility, but often we do. If this is your world, I got you (complete with resources, below).

My post about hashtag accessibility on Mastodon (and later LinkedIn) got a lot of attention. There were so many replies from people who didn’t know about the accommodation I outlined, who vowed to commit to it. I also learned a lot from folks who weighed in with great insights.

After flawed journeys with Medium and Write.as, I finally figured it out: my content belongs to me, and I should dictate how it’s published.

Over the past couple years I’ve only written a handful of articles. This is because I’ve been writing a book. But this year I found the time to publish fifteen new pieces. I also published heaps of posts on Mastodon.

On November 10, 2014 I published my first article on Medium. I had published other pieces elsewhere, but it was my first on this new-to-me platform. It was also the first time I published my own work instead of writing for publications.

Two weeks ago a small publisher sent me an email about the book I’m writing. They asked what it was about. I responded with a synopsis and a link to the talk I’ve been giving which is the foundation for it. It’s about exclusivity and biases in design.

Music is an ever-expanding spectrum of delights. People are continuously introducing new instruments and genres. Maybe you think you’ve heard it all. But I have a collection of gems for you. Unusual music, sound effects, and indigenous battle sirens. Hopefully most of it will be new to you.

Music is of my favorite parts of the human experience. Few things bring me more joy. So every year I compile a list of my favorites to share with everyone.

This is my annual list of records that brought me the most joy during a respective calendar year. 2023 brought the world some really spectacular music. Here is a list of my favorites (18 in total).

Music is a very significant part of my life. I was a full-time musician for a number of years, with a lot of records and shows under my belt. But more immediately relevant, I’m a music fan. I listen to music all day, every day.

For Black History Month I curated this list of pivotal Black Americans in art. They are legends who have amplified the fight against systemic racism. Either using art as their weapon or inspiring millions (of any race) to take action. In this way, we can better understand that Black art is more than the joy of the craft. It’s a gift that we can use to amplify our resistance against systemic inequities.

Vegan chocolate chip cookies are yummy. But baking without eggs is an art form, even though baked goods taste better without them. Fortunately, I found a recipe that slays all the others. These cookies are chewy and delicious. I modified the original ever so slightly, and made everything easy to follow. Which means you can make them even if you’re an amateur, like me. Give it a whirl. I believe in you.

People ask me what it’s like to be a moderator. Our discussions reveal that a lot of what we do is a mystery. So, I’m gonna lay it out for you. Specifically about the unique fediverse moderation model, mutual aid, and mental health.

We’re well into Jewish American Heritage Month. In honor of that, I have some (hopefully) enlightening things to share with you. My people are deeply misunderstood. And vehemently hated by many.

The curated list of things that bring me joy. Plus bytes on design, code, accessibility, privacy, and tools you might find useful. Available via RSS and email. This volume’s goodies…

The weekly curated list of things that bring me joy. Plus bytes on design, code, accessibility, privacy, and tools you might find useful. Available via RSS and email. This week’s goodies…

The weekly curated list of things that bring me joy. Plus bytes on design, code, accessibility, privacy, and tools you might find useful. Available via RSS and email. This week’s goodies…

The weekly curated list of things that bring me joy. Plus bytes on design, code, accessibility, privacy, and tools you might find useful. Available by email and RSS. This week’s goodies…