Lemonade and I have reached the stage of dog-human relationship where we trust each other, and I confidently let her off leash at the park. I can’t think of a better way to start the year.

Me in 2019: “If Anja ever wants to get a dog I will reevaluate our relationship.”

Me in 2024: “Do dogs understand movies especially those featuring dogs?”

The Omnifocus 4 branding feels like it was created for a demisexual trans non-binary space wolf otherkin named Delivery.

I edit my biography in a community app for Black professionals. Other people use the flags of their heritage, and I decide to do the same. Which one goes first, 🇳🇱 or 🇸🇹? I was born in the Netherlands, and consider myself not Dutch per se but definitely an Amsterdammer. Truth be told, I’ve never been to São Tomé and Principe, and the parent who hails from there left when he was ten. I wonder, brushing my teeth before bedtime, whether it’s appropriation for me to use the flag. And then I think of all the brown and Black faces I know, doing just the same, and entirely dignified and correct in doing what they do. It’s one of the prices of growing up Black in a white environment: I wonder when I’ll stop feeling like I’m the racist.

Hey dear Desi, a bit late, but as promised, here are some resources that may be helpful when diving deeper into UX:

• Don’t Make Me Think, The Design of Everyday Things, and 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People are books most UXers would recommend. In addition, Interaction Design Foundation has a great overview of books.
• The Guide to Design by uxdesign.cc is a great starting point
• Career Foundry has a nice overview of How to become a UX designer
• UX Matters is perhaps my favorite resource on UX topics
• UX Research Field Guide by UserInterviews.com. It focuses purely on research practice, but it’s a comprehensive overview of all things involved in focusing on the U in UX.