All stories

Every essay, guide and field note we have published, newest first. Pick a topic to narrow it down.

Every essay, guide and field note we have published, newest first. Pick a topic to narrow it down.

The archive

Work

8 min read

What a four-day week actually changed for us

We tried it for a year with a team of nine. Output held steady. What changed was how we planned Mondays, and who got to say no.

By Nell Ashby

Design

5 min read

The case for a smaller home screen

I deleted 41 apps in one evening. Three months later I've reinstalled four. Here's what the rest taught me about attention.

By Idris Kaan

Places

7 min read

A slow weekend in Porto, on foot

Two days, one pair of shoes and no itinerary. The tiled streets reward anyone willing to walk uphill twice.

By Mara Solberg

Ideas

6 min read

Notes on writing every morning for 500 days

Three hundred words before breakfast, every day, for a year and a half. Most of it was bad. That was the point.

By Nell Ashby

Design

4 min read

Why good signage is quiet

The best signs are the ones you read without noticing. A short guide to wayfinding that respects the reader.

By Theo Brandt

Work

9 min read

How we run a newsletter with two people

No budget, no ads, 14,000 readers. The schedule, the tools and the one rule that keeps it going.

By Theo Brandt

Places

5 min read

Cities that let you sit down

Count the benches on your street and you learn a lot about who a city is built for.

By Mara Solberg

Ideas

6 min read

The best tools are the ones you forget

A good pencil, a sharp knife, a text editor that opens in a second. On tools that disappear into the work.

By Idris Kaan

Ideas

5 min read

What 112 reader letters taught us

We asked one question and read every answer twice. Here is what our readers want more of, and what we stopped doing.

By Nell Ashby

The Thursday letter

One good read in your inbox, every Thursday.

The week’s best essay, three links worth your time and a short note from the editor. Free, and one click to leave.

14,000 readers · Sent at 7 a.m. · No ads, ever

The Thursday letter

One good read in your inbox, every Thursday.

The week’s best essay, three links worth your time and a short note from the editor. Free, and one click to leave.

14,000 readers · Sent at 7 a.m. · No ads, ever

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