Each month, we curate a list of the best design articles, tools, and insights for our Clearleft, UX London, and Leading Design subscribers, showcasing the ever-evolving design world.
In this series, I’ll share the nine most popular links, three from each newsletter, plus an occasional bonus link for something special we’ve achieved or an event update.
Here are the top three picks from Clearleft’s December newsletter!
Stressed and overwhelmed...
10 learnings that changed how I think about emotions by Brené Brown.
Going Offline is now online, for free...
Clearleft's Co-founder, Jeremy Keith, wrote a book about service workers. It’s called Going Offline. It was first published by A Book Apart in 2018. Now, it’s available to read for free.
Nudging user decisions...
Applying foundational theory from behavioural economics to UX and service design.
14-minute read
Next, here are your top three links from the UX London curated links newsletter last month.
Words matter...
We all know alt text is part of accessibility basics. By adding descriptions to our images, we explain them to visually-impaired users and boost our SEO in the process. But how do we decide which words to choose for our descriptions? This practical guide from Emma Cionca and Tanner gives some actionable tips to help us find the right words when they really matter.
Do less research...
This might be a surprising viewpoint (especially as we are looking forward to a
conference all about research, but Carol Rossi is making us think with her question: "Are you doing too much research?". Here she explores when research is critical, when it can be skipped, and – critically – how we tell the difference.
Visual stimulation...
How many ways can you visualise a set of data? Do you often return to your favourite techniques, or do you explore new ways to tell each story? The Data Viz Project is a brilliant resource full of ideas on how to turn numbers into visuals.
Explore the visuals
There wasn't a curated link newsletter for Leading Design in December, instead, here are some of the things the team have planned in 2025.
Online coaching...
A 10-week group executive coaching programme for mid-to-senior design leaders. Hurry, our next cohort starts February 4th.
A sold out Leading Design New York...
Leading Design New York will bring design leaders together for a meaningful conversation on the future of design in a rapidly changing, AI-driven world. The event has sold out, but you can join the waiting list.
Leading Design London 2025
Since 2016, Leading Design has convened leaders from around the globe to learn, share, and grow. This world-class conference is designed for people leading design teams or overseeing design direction. Can't make it in person? Check out Leading Design On Demand, our extensive archive of talks.
Be a super early-bird
Finally, from us…
Going on a research safari...
This is the story of how we helped London North Eastern Railway better understand how digital can help create an industry-leading staff experience.
The result? A practical starting point for change combining immediate next steps for projects over the next 12–18 months with an inspiring vision for the future. This balance of ambition and practicality is already driving excitement across LNER.
Read the full case study
Before you go...
The links in this blog are snippets of longer versions; if you would like to subscribe to any of our newsletters exclusively and be the first to receive the full version of any of our curated links newsletters, you can sign up for links from Clearleft, from UX London, and Leading Design.