We've been doing a little tidying up at 18f.org—a good opportunity to remind folks that the 18F guides and blog are archived on the site for anyone to use. After all, they belong to you!

Years ago I gave a research readout that everyone called 'really helpful' and then watched as nothing changed in the product backlog or roadmap. I assumed it was a one-time thing. 25 years later, I know it isn't. New piece on Making Research Matter: www.makingresearchmatter.com/we-dont-have...

After 25+ years as a UX researcher, I've watched too much strong work disappear without changing anything. So I started writing about what it takes for research to actually lead to action... Making Research Matter is now live. No paywall, no gated posts. www.makingresearchmatter.com/welcome/

New episode of The UX Consultants Lounge 🎙️ @jeffgothelf.bsky.social shared something in this conversation that really stuck with me: Even after 10+ years of consulting, every December he thinks “this is it… I’m going to have to get a job.” Consulting is an emotional rollercoaster for all of us. 🎢

Since September, ICE has shot people 9 times across 5 states. At least 5 people are dead, including 2 Americans in Minneapolis. But when we say ‘abolish ICE,’ we’re called radical. Meanwhile Trump has gutted USAID, the CFPB, the DOE, & more—without anyone calling THAT extreme. Abolish ICE.

🚨Friday Workshop🚨 How are you supposed to “bounce back” at work when you constantly have to navigate family, politics, and just life in general? That's what Alba Villamil explores in Beyond Resilience - An educational workshop focused on giving practical tools, not therapy.

If you buy your own health insurance through the ACA marketplaces, tell us how this year's experience is different from last year.

I recently joined @matthewoliphant.com on the ux matto show to talk about projective techniques in UX research and the realities of the democratization of research. We covered a bunch, including (see 🧵)...

Over the holiday break, I finally had time to listen to @sladner.bsky.social and @steveportigal.bsky.social's new podcast, Off the Path with Sam and Steve. I can’t recommend it enough for UX researchers. I’ve long admired Sam and Steve, and this podcast does not disappoint...

As 2025 comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on how grateful I am for the conversations that shaped The UX Consultants Lounge this year. At the end of each conversation, I asked everyone the same rapid-fire question: “What makes a consultant good?”...

What if getting acquired isn’t the happy ending everyone thinks it will be❓ 💬 "The best part wasn't the payout at the end. The best part was working with amazing people every day... If I could go back in time, would I still sell the company? Honestly, I'm not sure."

🎙️ New Episode: The UX Consultants Lounge Calling out big tech for being poor stewards of UX, Lisa D. Dance shares how her journey from founding her consultancy in 2011 to moving between full time and independent roles has relied on staying adaptable.

Saw threads sharing fav small businesses to buy from this holiday season instead of big box stores--here are some of my favs (some local to NC, some not)--please share your favs!

When they tell you they plan on throwing out the constitution, believe them.

I’m excited to join the Collective Cohort on Reimagining UX Research in the AI Age to share my process for using AI to streamline the creation of personas and journey maps! The cohort runs from Oct 9—24, 2025. See link in 🧵 for more details.

Big tech is laying off user researchers in droves, because it believes that coercing its customers is more profitable than silly things like "making good products people want to buy." But now the FAFO pendulum is coming around, with Amazon's $2.5B dark pattern settlement and #a11y lawsuits galore.

🍫 + 🥜 When two independent consultants combine their strengths, they create something neither could offer alone... In this new ep. of The UX Consultants Lounge, I talk w/ @steveportigal.bsky.social and @pseudoroom.bsky.social about their recent decision to collaborate.

ELIZABETH WARREN: What Zohran is saying is 'I want people to be able to afford to live in NYC' FABER: But raising taxes in order to do it? WARREN: Oh my goodness! Oh dear! Are you worried that billionaires are going to go hungry?

“And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed – if all records told the same tale – then the lie passed into history and became truth. ‘Who controls the past," ran the Party slogan, "controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.’" -1984, George Orwell

🎉 One year ago, I launched The UX Consultants Lounge, a podcast about the real, messy, and meaningful work of UX consulting. Twelve months and eleven episodes later, it’s still going strong! 📍 You can find it on your favorite podcast platform or at uxconsultantslounge.com

If you need to participate in society vis-à-vis "jobs", this new book by my pal Margo (definitely a human and not AI) might help you. Plus, it's a good size for flinging against the wall when the whole process gets too annoying.

Writing proposals without knowing the budget? What could possibly go wrong? 🙃 🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘄: You can find 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘟 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦 on your preferred podcast platform or visit the podcast website: uxconsultantslounge.com.

🚨 🎧 Ever wonder what really goes on when a client decides whether to hire you, or whether you should bring in a UX consultant? This week on The UX Consultants Lounge, I welcome my first client into the Lounge, Susan Mercer!

✨ How can consultants maintain their authenticity by speaking out on important issues in the world? In yesterday's ep. of The UX Consultants Lounge, I talked w/ @brownorama.bsky.social about this and much more. 🎬👇 CLIP: Dan talks candidly about the risks & rewards of staying true to your values.

🎙️ In the latest ep. of The UX Consultants Lounge, I had the pleasure of talking w/ @brownorama.bsky.social, co-founder of EightShapes & founder of Curious Squid. We covered everything from scaling, closing EightShapes, starting fresh with Curious Squid, and designing a consultancy with intention.

Agree with all of this. Dems did good in the Senate. Republicans are scared and trying to push this through before public opposition builds. Now's the time make some noise if you've got a GOP rep - let them know you and their constituents are watching closely.

Warren barely stops herself from saying “thrown to the fucking ground”:

🎧 New episode just dropped! I sat down w/ UX leader @cperfetti.bsky.social, who’s blending her consulting work w/ a mission-driven passion project called Lift Up Connections. Great convo if you're questioning... 👉 Should I stay in UX, or is it time to pivot? Listen Now: bit.ly/uxconsultant...

Is it just me, or does your trust increase a little when you see a typo or grammar slip in a post or email these days? My brain instantly goes, “Ah, a real human wrote this.”

StubHub is hiding tickets due to a filter being on by default and it's an Information Architecture fail. 🤦‍♀️ When users can’t find what is on your website, it's failed. Your IA is actively getting in their way. StubHub’s fix? Blame the seller... 🤯

Looking forward to #IAC25 next month in Philly! Hope to see some of you there!

CALLS ARE WORKING - it has bought us precious time, but we NEED to keep the pressure up. Tomorrow is the cloture vote. KEEP CALLING: (202) 224-3121 ☎️☎️☎️ Tell your Dem Senator to vote NO on Cloture and NO on the Republican spending bill. Do NOT assume your Senator will be good on this. Trust me.

Who’s working on DOGE related trackers? So far I'm aware of: 
 - cancelled contracts: app.g2xchange.com/doge-tracker
 - data rescue project: www.datarescueproject.org/dr-tracker-d... - federal cuts tracker map: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... - layoff tracker: layoffs.fyi

This letter appeared in the Bloomsburg PA Press Enterprise this morning. I am assured the writer is who he purports to be, an Air Force veteran.

More of this!

Tell 'em, Mayor Wu!

IAC has always been more than a conference—it’s a volunteer-run community where professionals return year after year for encouragement, camaraderie, and resilience. Especially in turbulent times, we stand together.

If you worked for 18F and got fired, Group together to start a consulting company. It’s just a matter of time before DOGE needs you to fix the mess they inevitably create. They will have to hire your company as a contractor to fix it. But on your terms. I’m happy to invest and/or help

Wiped out or fired up? ❤️‍🔥Thank you so much to @matteowong.bsky.social for writing about us!

18F was doing exactly the type of work that DOGE claims to want – yet we were eliminated shortly after midnight. Read our letter to the American people: 18f.org

Do you ever struggle with self-promotion? You're not alone! 🙋‍♀️ That's why I  invited Lisa Bragg, author of "Bragging Rights" to be a guest on the latest episode of The UX Consultants Lounge. Tune in: uxconsultantslounge.com #UX #Consulting #UXConsulting #Freelancing #UXFreelancing #UserExperience

Donald Trump and Elon Musk are trying to cut funding for cancer and rare disease research. A federal judge temporarily blocked the cuts in some states, but this fight is not over. We can’t let them play politics with our health.

This week’s newsletter is about why we're not marching in the streets as much as we were last time. (Look, I gave you donuts last week.) buttondown.com/monteiro/arc...

🤖💡 Just published: "Using AI to Streamline Persona and Journey Map Creation." Check out the article for a detailed exploration of practical, effective prompts and a step-by-step approach that respects the fundamentals of UX research while harnessing AI's potential. medium.com/@ksoucy/usin...

In the latest episode of The UX Consultants Lounge, I chat with Tamara Adlin, owner of Adlin Inc., about her impressive career journey and her profound impact on the field of UX consulting. Enjoy! uxconsultantslounge.com #UX #Consulting #UXConsulting #Freelancing #UXFreelancing #UserExperience

My kids & I are losing the battle of convincing my husband to get a dog. 😞 We’ve been trying for years, but he’s really hung up on the cost & responsibility. I can’t argue that either will be great, but truly believe the love/joy will be worth it. Any suggestions about what we could do to sway him?

When you grow up in LA it's hard to wrap your head around how small other places are.

As the year comes to a close, I want to reflect on the incredible journey of launching and hosting The UX Consultants Lounge podcast. It’s given me a creative outlet to connect with amazing guests, share their invaluable insights, and learn so much about the art of podcasting along the way.

I loved A Book Apart; it was a huge part of my life for around a decade, and I was devastated when it shuttered. I just learned that David Demaree has built a site tracking where titles (whose rights have reverted to the authors) are popping up as they become available again authors-together.org

🎙️ New episode alert! @erikahall.bsky.social & @monteiro.bsky.social join The UX Consultants Lounge to talk about the state of UX consulting, self-promotion, building trust, & stepping up as leaders. Honest, bold, & practical—this is a must-listen! 🎧 uxconsultantslounge.com