Digital Arcana
Digital Arcana is a newsletter for people who design and build digital products, examining how accessibility and systems thinking shape product strategy, and design systems to create durable, high-quality digital infrastructure.
My work sits at the overlap of proactive product design and design systems, with accessibility embedded from the start. I focus on what happens when accessibility, product strategy, and design systems are treated as one interdependent system — and what breaks when they aren’t.
Digital Arcana is where I unpack those deeper mechanics and share practical frameworks for connecting these disciplines in real-world practice, including:
How accessibility reshapes product and system strategy
Why design system accessibility succeeds or fails
Patterns and governance models that reduce chaos at scale
Emerging technologies (including AI) and their impact on product quality
Real examples from my work that teams can apply directly
Articles and resources I return to and recommend
And occasionally, the messy human side of doing this work
What readers are saying
“This is really good and goes into superb detail on something I’ve been thinking about a lot.”
“This is such an excellent article about an accessibility topic I’ve had on my mind for a while now.”
Questions you might have
How often will I be emailed?
At most once a month and only when I have something genuinely useful to share. I’m very protective of my focus and my inbox, and I treat yours the same way.
What will I get in each newsletter?
Thoughtful writing from me, work worth sharing from across design, tech, engineering, and accessibility, plus a few wry notes on the latest tech absurdities.
Who is this for?
Designers, engineers, and product leaders who care about product quality and accessibility and want to move beyond reactive fixes toward systems that actually scale.
Is this a sales newsletter?
Digital Arcana isn’t a sales funnel. Occasionally I may share my work or events when it’s relevant but the primary goal is to be useful and build collective accessibility skills.
Do you support RSS?
Absolutely. You can follow new writing on this site using RSS, if that’s your preferred way to keep up. If you encounter errors in using my RSS, please let me know.
How often will you mention ketchup?
All of the time (if you know, you know). In moments like these, a little ketchup helps ground us back in reality so keep a look out for the Ketchup Corner in each edition.
Examples of what I write
Each newsletter will include a deep-dive piece I’ve created to guide you in what I know about design, accessibility, and technology.
Examples of what I share
Each newsletter will include pieces and resources I’ve come across recently that shaped my thinking, challenged my assumptions, or offered something useful.
Timely articles and writing
Can AI write accessibility specs? (Geri Reid) — Geri discusses a very real issue with using AI to generate accessibility specs, and the observations noted are similar to my own
The f*** off contact page (Nic Chan) — Intentionally exclusionary contact pages meant to discourage people from actually contacting the site owner
The Colonization of Confidence by Robert Kingett — A great piece from an author on how using AI to edit your writing can actually erase your story, meaning, and self.
Books, talks, and ongoing resources
Designed with Care – Written by designers, researchers, and educators around the world, the book is a must-read collection for anyone who works with people, information, or technology.
Accessibility Annotations Around the World – A talk from #id24 2025 by Jan Maarten and Daniel Henderson-Ede which taught me some amazing things about accessibility annotations around the world.
The Accessibility Operations Guidebook – A book by Devon Persing that is exceptionally informative about accessibility operations in any organization.
Past newsletters
Don’t want another email in your inbox? No worries, dig into the archives anytime!
