How InsurTech Companies Are Using IoT to Help Insurance Customers

When I first heard about insurance companies using internet-of-things (IoT) devices to monitor driving habits, I remember cynically thinking, “They just want to find a reason to justify raising my premiums.” I have seen too many product companies that didn’t stop to ask the question, “Should we?” and instead only asked, “Can we?” This led […]

Microaggressions: How to Fight Them in Your Workplace

This post is part four of a four-part collaboration between authors Marjie and Bella. In our previous posts, we reviewed microaggressions in the workplace and why it’s difficult for the recipients of microaggressions to fight them on their own. We also explored how to identify when you are the perpetrator of microaggressions. In this post, […]

Byzantine Failure: The Importance of Consensus Protocols in Distributed & Blockchain Networks

A consensus is a general agreement on value. When you have only two parties, it can be pretty straightforward: Bob: What should we eat? Sam: How about pizza? Bob: I had pizza for lunch; how about tacos instead? Sam: Sounds good! Bob and Sam have agreed on a value that was suggested by one of them, and they […]

Microaggressions: Check Yourself

This post is part of a four-part collaboration between authors Marjie and Bella. In our previous two posts, we reviewed microaggressions in the workplace and why it’s difficult for the recipients of microaggressions to fight them on their own. In this post, we’re going to explore four actions to help identify if you are a […]

Microaggressions: Catch 22

This post is the second in a four-part collaboration between authors Marjie and Bella. Responding to a microaggression can be difficult, as those making microaggressive statements are likely to make the statement based on a stereotype they believe to be true and typically respond defensively to being called out. Those on the receiving end of […]

Blockchain & Ethereum: Welcome to the Decentralized Internet

From a technical perspective, our society “trusts” big companies with too much of our data. Apps like Facebook and Google serve millions of users a day, all while collecting and storing that data on their servers. We call this process of trusting large corporations centralization, and it’s problematic because it creates single points of failure […]

Microaggressions: Not a Tiny Issue

Microaggressions are a well-known and well-documented experience. In light of current events, we thought it would be a good time to review microaggressions: what they are, why they’re important to consider, and how to recognize them in the workplace. This post is the first in a four-part collaboration between authors Marjie and Bella. What is […]

Names and Identities Change – You Should Design for That

A person’s name is not just a convenient way to refer to them. It’s part of the core of their identity. So when a person changes their name — for a marriage, a gender transition, or any other reason — our systems need to be responsive. You may even be aware of this, but you’d […]

A “Design Problem” Is Everyone’s Problem

“Well, that sounds like a ‘design’ problem.” It’s a phrase I’ve heard many times in my career. I used to love it. There was a unique challenge, and everyone was relying on designers to find the solution. But recently, it’s started to dawn on me that this phrase has not been used appropriately, or rather, […]

Kick out the JAMstack: A Reading List for Beginners

After my Ok Boomer post, I wanted to dig into “JAMstack” technologies and try to challenge my assumptions about modern web development. As it turns out, while this is a term I’m only recently familiar with, the JAMstack concept is actually about four years old (at the time of this writing), which feels like forever in […]

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