Design Observer
Design Observer, Ellen McGirt, Rachel PaeseWelcome to Design Observer, a home for curious minds shaping the world. Find your people and new ideas.
| Platform |  | Pricing | Freemium | Publishes | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 153 | Founded | 6 years ago | Last Issue | 5 days ago |
| Active | |||||
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designobserver.substack.comLatest Issues
Who gets to decide where power begins and ends?
We’re sharing two new episodes of the Draw the Line podcast, and this time we’re taking you behind the scenes as voters and lawmakers clashed over voting rights this past spring.
In the days after the Callais ruling, Louisiana’s legislatur...
You need an observation practice
Jennifer Jerde in her studio
In all my Design Juice interviews, curiosity keeps coming up. Of course, it’s not completely surprising, considering curiosity is a designer’s natural inclination.
But these designers have pointed me to (and i...
What is designed, designs us
Early in my conversation with Todd Breyfogle, senior advisor for humanistic studies and practices at the Aspen Institute, he gave me a gift his grandmother had given him.
In the first episode of Season 13 of the DB|BD podcast, Breyfogle sh...
If Emmett Till Lived
If Emmett Till Lived, Exhibition Opening, September 10th, 2026.
The image is arresting: a small Black boy, tossed aloft by his father on a perfect Chicago summer beach day. The photo is black and white; the warmth of the other sun wraps th...
A Google UX researcher responded to digital fatigue by founding a newspaper
It’s been a tough go for newspapers lately.
Last week, McClatchy, a national local newspaper chain, announced its most severe cuts in years, eliminating more than 90 journalists and gutting newsrooms by up to 40% for 13 papers in eight sta...
Key Facts
Audience Metrics
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| Subscribers | Engagement | 66 | Monthly Web Visits | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accepts Sponsors | Estimated Cost per Ad | ||||
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| #199 |
Authors
The writers behind this newsletter.
Look closer with us, it's all designed.
Editor-in-Chief, Design Observer. I write. I podcast. I draw water drops. I wander.
In its various forms, what I love most is giving curious people better access to perspective-changing stories. Now Deputy Editor for Design Observer, I bring readers closer to the people and ideas that are designing a better world.
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