Vol_9.8.25

We curate web design resources.

Author

Gene Crawford
September 08, 2025

In partnership with

Website of the week:

News & Notes on: America by Design

America by Design, Harm by Default

TL;DR: There are a lot of hot takes and poignant analyses since the announcement of the Executive Order for America by Design last week. The quiet rollout of the AmericaByDesign.

lnkd.in/gC_Xq9Sq

There are a lot of hot takes and poignant analyses since the announcement of the Executive Order for America by Design last week. The quiet rollout of the AmericaByDesign.gov website is worth looking at and noting your initial reactions. I’d suggest you follow that quickly by reading through AmericaByDesign.fail.

What do you think? https://americabydesign.gov/

From Ethan Marcotte: A notional design studio.
“We’ll start with the fact that the “America by Design” site is a single HTML page, not unlike the blog post you’re reading. But to make those words appear in your browser, this new “national studio” used almost three megabytes of code. Imagine having to download a three-minute MP3 each time you visit a web page, and you’re in the ballpark.”

Should every country have a design minister?
Why national design policies and even design ministers could reshape our collective future
https://uxdesign.cc/should-every-country-have-a-design-minister-326873cdba6c

The National Design Studio is a Scam
Joe Gebbia has no business designing government services.
https://www.chrbutler.com/the-national-design-studio-is-a-scam

s20e06: Not About How it Looks
America By Design dot gov has a manifesto on it, which... I would say that at best it’s mid. Wait, I changed my mind. It’s terrible. It’s overwritten and overwrought. It’s too long. It is many things. None of those things are “good”.
https://newsletter.danhon.com/archive/s20e06-not-about-how-it-looks/

Marketing ideas for marketers who hate boring

The best marketing ideas come from marketers who live it.

That’s what this newsletter delivers.

The Marketing Millennials is a look inside what’s working right now for other marketers. No theory. No fluff. Just real insights and ideas you can actually use—from marketers who’ve been there, done that, and are sharing the playbook.

Every newsletter is written by Daniel Murray, a marketer obsessed with what goes into great marketing. Expect fresh takes, hot topics, and the kind of stuff you’ll want to steal for your next campaign.

Because marketing shouldn’t feel like guesswork. And you shouldn’t have to dig for the good stuff.

Some Favorite Things

In 2012 I was finishing school and one of our assignments was to do a full rebrand. This included all the usual parts and pieces. I chose to do… Cracker Barrel. I’ll admit this is a bit of… | Russ Pate

In 2012 I was finishing school and one of our assignments was to do a full rebrand. This included all the usual parts and pieces. I chose to do… Cracker Barrel. I’ll admit this is a bit of playing into the zeitgeist, but it’s also a good moment of reflection. I would be the first one to tell you this looks and feels like student work. Lacks polish. And primarily the details that make it feel finished and real. My big takeaway isn’t how bad this is (or even how similar it is to where they landed) it’s a real appreciation for the journey I’ve taken over the past 13 years. I owe it to a lot of people along the way — my skills in color, typography, and layout have all improved. And I would say that is mostly by having the privilege to work beside people who were much better than me. Now, I look ahead. I try to put myself in my shoes 13 years from now as a 50 year old designer — if I look at the work I’m doing right now, what can I be doing better? But even more, who can I come along side to make sure they are afforded the same opportunities as me? As a side note, as long as Cracker Barrel still has far too many rocking chairs, delicious pancakes, crappy coffee, and those little bottles of maple syrup. All will be forgiven.

www.linkedin.com/posts/russpate_in-2012-i-was-finishing-school-and-one-of-activity-7364674027333849092-Is6v?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAABYywUBYxCBrUoMkhzJQfBhVVIpzIds-bo

CODEPEN Pen of the Week