DIP 026: What are you doing

PLUS: Apartamento's wine subscription, DTC tiles, and Everlane's new naming strategy

👋 Hi. There's a paragraph in Rebecca Solnit's Men Explain Things To Me that I return to often: "Thanks to demographics, that conservative push is not going to work — the United States is not going to be a mostly white country again — and because genies don't go back into bottles and queer people are not going back into the closet and women aren't going to surrender. It's a war, but I don't believe we're losing it, even if we won't win it anytime soon either."

Recent instances of police brutality, compounded by COVID–19 disproportionally affecting Black people, have made systemic racism and inequity visible in a way and on a scale that many had not witnessed before. Amid all of this, scary as it may be, I feel an undercurrent of optimism. We're not going back to what was, which means there's an opportunity to craft better, more equitable systems. As always, reply with questions, comments, or thoughts about anything you read here.

The Chips ⭐

• Glossier alumni Nick Axelrod-Welk and Annie Kreighbaum launched a podcast called Eyewitness Beauty.

• Also in Glossier alumna news, Mélanie Masarin’s Ghia is live.

• Outdoor Voices is selling skincare products from Supergoop and By Humankind.

• The Natural Wine Company is a natty vino subscription service created in partnership with Apartamento magazine.

• Ordinary Habit is a forthcoming puzzle and mindfulness tool label.

• I’m looking forward to trying these balm bars from Agua De Vida, which are similar to Kate McLeod’s body stones.

• Kule launched a collection of organic cotton tees.

• Revival Rugs makes furniture now.

• Field Tiles applies a direct-to-consumer strategy to ceramic tiles.

• This modular set-up from Made By Choice is what all standing desks should look like.

• After years of adhering to a pared-down system, Everlane has begun to editorialize its product names: it recently launched the “Party Of One” dress and the “Selfie” tank.

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The Dip 🦄

When New York shut down back in March, I lost interest in what brands were doing. It was due in part to depression, but mostly a forced reevaluation of what really matters. How could I get excited about a skincare company’s content strategy when thousands of people were dying and when I, myself, was doing the bare minimum to care for my skin?

As we enter our third week of protests against militarized police forces and systemic racism, that feeling of indifference toward brands has largely returned. But instead of not caring at all, I find myself latching on to brands that target underserved and overlooked populations. [Note: The original version of this newsletter appropriated bell hooks’ framework of “centering on the margins.” I have since removed it and revised the previous paragraph, recognizing that much of what is written in this newsletter stands in direct contrast with hooks’ anti-capitalist feminist theories. I apologize for co-opting hooks’ work and using it as a rhetorical tool to serve my own analysis.]

Accessibility and visibility

There’s a good chance you’re familiar with OXO’s origin story: a woman’s arthritis was inhibiting her ability to use basic kitchen tools, so her husband set out to create more accessible alternatives. OXO’s products are designed for accessibility but we don’t think of them as such today — they’re just good, sturdy kitchen tools. But the fact that they’re made for people with reduced or weakened mobility is the very reason they’re better.

There are a lot of companies that seek to create products that solve problems. I’m realizing more and more how important it is to interrogate that line of thinking — for whom is it a problem? does the new product actually present a solution? The answer, more often than not, is no, in large part because new products tend to center on a young, able-bodied consumer.

To offer something new and truly solution-oriented, we need to think about those whose needs are not being met. Guide Beauty is a good example: it’s a make-up company that makes applying eyeliner and mascara easier for people with mobility issues, as well as those without. Ffora makes wheelchair-adaptable accessories and operates with the belief that “when you design disability-first, you create design that’s better for all.”

There's also Care + Wear, which makes clothing that allows easy access to PICC lines and chest ports. While Care + Wear’s utility is specific, its products offer a solution that responds to the needs of the user and does so without othering them.

Easy aging

When thinking of demographic-specific experiences and opportunities, elder care always comes up as a stagnant field. There’s a lot that can be done to improve the overall quality of life among older populations, and improvements made today will directly translate to better and more humanistic experiences for the collective whole as we grow older.

People are living longer and growing more fluent in technology, and society at large is recognizing the impact that isolation and reduced efficacy have on cognitive function. We’re seeing a handful of community platforms pop up to foster connection among those of age for AARP memberships — there’s Revel, Mon Ami, and Stitch.

Mobility aids seem like an area of opportunity (I say this without fully understanding the role that insurance coverage plays in access and distribution) — there’s no Colugo for walkers or canes. But what would it look like for someone to have a tool that looks so nice it lessens the stigma of needing to use it? And what would it look like for a mobility aid to be filtered through an intuitive design lens?

And then there’s the issue of UX design. Attn:Grace is a sustainable bladder health company whose website feels like a glimpse into our collective digital future. Its site is different from that of most digitally native brands in a way that feels intentional and targeted to its specific audience. The navigation is easy and intuitive, it uses high-contrast colors, and there’s a button that increases or decreases font size without compromising the overall look and feel of the site.

Stand for something

We’ve seen the curtain pulled back on a number of brands in recent weeks. The progressive values that they espouse have been revealed as little more than marketing ploys. The root, I think, is that companies launch with the intention of projecting a particular image, and therefore achieving a particular end, rather than focusing on the process of working toward something better.

So, what does it mean for a company to have a conscience? What does it mean to solve a problem?

The spice company Diaspora was founded in 2017 to decolonize the spice trade. It supports farms that engage in sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices, it pays farmers a better-than-fair wage, and its products are stunningly good. Diaspora sells spices, but it’s working toward something bigger — its goal is to create a better and more sustainable supply chain.

It’s not enough to sell a product. It’s not enough to have built a fan base. Companies need to find ways to create positive change, ideally on a system-wide or societal level.

For too long, we’ve bought into the narrative that digitally native brands are better because they’re everything traditional retail is not. And in lauding digitally native brands for having nice visuals and clever copy, we’ve excused their bad habits. We need more companies that believe in something and stand for something, and not just because it looks good on Instagram.

Still hungry?

• On the subject of accessibility, there’s still a lot of room for improvement in the area of digital design. Glossier was among a slew of brands sued for ADA violations in 2018. More recently, Twitter was criticized for not considering accessibility when launching audio tweets, and for tasking volunteer employees with ensuring the accessibility of its features.

• Tangential to the idea of “doing good,” writer Rachel Cargle wrote about the oppression of appropriation for The Helm.

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Real Dip 💫

Basil-scape pesto.

Start with a good-sized tangle of garlic scapes. Give ‘em a rough chop and add them to a food processor along with a heaping cup of basil and a handful of sunflower seeds. Pulse it a few times. Add the juice of half a lemon, some salt, and a small mound of grated Parmesan. Blitz it and drizzle in olive oil until the pesto starts to emulsify and turn bright green.

Pause to taste. If it’s too garlicky, add more lemon juice.

Plays well with smashed potatoes, ghee-scrambled eggs, and roasted carrots.

Thanks for snacking,

— Emily 💦

(PS: I’m going to be speaking on a panel about digital marketing during Fiverr’s “The Shift” summit on July 9. It’s free and you can register here.)