Welcome to First & Fifteenth — a newsletter for design researchers working at the intersection of sociology and technology
I’m Michael, a design researcher with interdisciplinary interests that span human-computer interaction, conceptual art, Black studies, and data justice.
First & Fifteenth is a newsletter that reflects my interdisciplinary interests in academic and design research while presenting my ideas in an engaging and accessible way.
Try out First — my free newsletter
Each month, my free newsletter publishes a book review which I feel addresses an important topic informing the practice of design research.
These reviews are aimed to be thought-provoking or generative for anyone interested in thinking critically about how digital technology has changed the way we live and relate to each other and the planet.
Free newsletters are published on the 1st of each month.
In addition to the free newsletter, you get limited access to my publication archive.
Try out Fifteenth — my paid newsletter
Fifteenth follows my interests across conceptual art, Black studies, design histories, and data justice, weaving these into lessons for doing culturally aware and insightful design research.
Design researchers should engage with the social, political and economic contexts of the people, infrastructures and societies in which their digital products and services are used.
In recent months, I have published essays on refusal, FESTAC ‘77 (Africa’s greatest and most forgotten expo), undersea internet cables, the meaning of datasets and data gaps, and the erasure of Black presence in shared cultural memory — I promise you, no two months are the same!
Choosing a subscription model allows me to independently produce this newsletter with editorial freedom, free from institutional or commercial constraints
Paid newsletters are published on the 15th of each month.
In addition to the paid newsletter, you get full access to the whole of my publication archive.
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If you are not in a position to commit to a paid subscription, the next best thing you can do to help me is to share this newsletter with other creative thinkers who have similar interests.
I am active on social media and am happy to connect with you on Instagram, LinkedIn or BlueSky.
November 2023 • uxmichael.co (updated, May 2025)
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