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Abstract's The Commit - Stories from Behind the Artboards - 011

Hi Smiles Davis,

We want to start by recognizing the continued protests that are happening all over the country and world in response to unacceptable racial injustice and systemic racism in America. And we want to make it clear that we stand with the Black community, our colleagues, and friends. Black lives matter.

We also understand that there is so much more work to do. The past few weeks as a team, we’ve been reflecting on what we’re committing to individually and as a company. In this issue of the newsletter, we’re lifting up Black voices in our design and tech community, something we’ll continue to do a better job of going forward.

We’d also like to acknowledge that we can’t celebrate Pride this month without recognizing the work that’s been done by the Black LGBTQIA+ community. You may have noticed our updated Abstract app icon, which we’ve updated to include black and brown stripes representing people of color, as well as pink, white, and blue stripes to represent the Trans Pride banner. During Pride and always, we stand with our LGBTQIA+ and intersectional team members, customers, and community.

Alison Harshbarger
Editor, The Commit

P.S. We hid some Pride Easter eggs on our blog. Did you spot them?

The design community must not stay silent.

Illustration by C. Daniela Shapiro

Harrison Wheeler, a User Experience Manager at LinkedIn, is urging the design community to speak up against systems that aren’t right. Use the design principles we use in our work on a daily basis — empathy, research, discovery, solutions, and success metrics — to dismantle systems that don’t benefit everyone.

It’s clear that as an industry, we still have a lot of work to do. On Twitter, many folks are asking questions about how we can dismantle racist systems, how we change design education, and how the design and tech industries can do better.

In a time of social distancing, connection feels more important than ever. In the latest edition of Abstract Overheard, we’re checking in on how Design Twitter is coping.

If you liked our latest Overheard post and want to diversify the voices in your feed, follow these organizations on Twitter.

@BBFounders

@BlackGirlsCode

@blacktechmecca

@Blklivesmatter

@BTPipeline

@devcolororg

@Code2040

@HiddenGeniusPro

@MelaninTech

@pocintech

@projectinclude

Revision Path

By Maurice Cherry

An award-winning weekly showcase of Black designers, developers, and digital creatives.

Listen to the podcast

Blacks who design

By Tolu Olubode, Hasque, Yannick Zanfack, Nathalyn Nunoo, and Wes O'Haire

A Twitter directory of Black designers in the industry.

Explore the directory

Where are the Black designers?

By Mitzi Okou and Garrett Albury

An online conference on June 27 that connects designers, educators, and creative leaders to talk about the steps we can take to change the design industry.

RSVP to the event

Rememory

By Mia Coleman

A directory that highlights the work and experiences of nearly 200 black womxn creatives.

Explore the directory

Hustle Crew Membership

By Abadesi Osunsade

Tools and resources to empower you to advocate for positive, lasting change in your community.

Learn more

Cross-cultural Design

By Senongo Akpem

A book from A Book Apart on creating culturally relevant and responsible experiences that reach a truly global audience.

Read the book

Write us for the chance to contribute to The Commit.
We’d love to hear from you.

Have a question or are interested in learning more about Abstract? You’ll find plenty of articles, tutorials, and videos in our Help Center.

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255 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA
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