As a recovering software engineer, I spend a lot of time analyzing the experiences I have as I move through daily life. And let’s face it—much of daily life is connected to technology.
Scheduling a doctor appointment? I’m doing it online and analyzing the experience as I go.
Trying online dating? I’m paying almost as much attention to how the app works as I am to my potential matches.
Setting up a website with a new hosting company? I’m mentally cataloging every frustration and imagining how the experience could be improved.
One of my engineering superpowers, according to many of my former colleagues, was finding simple ways to solve difficult problems. Often, the solutions weren’t even entirely my own ideas. I remember leaving brainstorming sessions disappointed that we hadn’t solved a problem, only to have an “aha” moment hours later. If we took part of Jeff’s idea, combined it with part of Mark’s idea, and added a little secret sauce that somehow made the combination possible, suddenly the solution appeared.
The best part was that these solutions were usually simple enough to get the whole team excited. They weren’t elegant because they were complicated. They were elegant because they were simple.
That’s why, when I’m using other people’s software, I can’t help imagining what’s possible.
Two days ago, I decided to act on an idea I’ve been considering for a while: creating a blog and email newsletter for my writing.
I’ve done this before. I knew WordPress would be a good fit. I’ve built WordPress websites in the past, and I felt reasonably confident that I knew what I was doing.
Likewise, I’ve managed email newsletters before. Penny Forward has been sending one in various forms since 2022.
I didn’t want to use the hosting company or email marketing platform we use at Penny Forward. They’re great for an organization, but they’re more expensive than I wanted for a personal project. I’ve also never been completely satisfied with either experience, so I’ve been actively searching for something better.
What I needed was simple: a website where I could publish essays and allow readers to subscribe for email notifications.
That search led me to WordPress.com.
WordPress itself is open-source software. Its source code is publicly available, and developers from around the world can contribute improvements, bug fixes, and new features.
Large open-source projects are often supported by companies that build businesses around them. WordPress.com is one example. It takes the open-source WordPress software and turns it into a managed service where you can create a website in minutes, choose additional features such as newsletters or online stores, and get started with very little technical knowledge.
There’s even a free tier that’s surprisingly useful.
Even so, I felt a little anxious.
Would I invest time setting everything up only to discover that some critical feature didn’t work with my screen reader?
Had I overlooked a better solution?
This kind of overthinking can make it difficult for me to start new projects. Sometimes I spend so much time evaluating possibilities that I never actually begin.
Fortunately, this wasn’t one of those times.
I decided to stop analyzing and just do it.
I’ve written before about the feeling of not belonging that comes from a poorly designed experience. Sometimes that’s because of accessibility barriers. Other times it’s because the designers built something that simply doesn’t match how you think or work.
The opposite is also true.
When something just works, there’s a feeling of belonging.
That’s what I experienced with WordPress.com.
The setup process was simple, but lots of companies have figured out how to make onboarding easy. What impressed me was what happened after setup was complete.
For the first time in a long while, I felt like a platform had anticipated my needs.
I write all of my own content. These are my ideas, my experiences, and my perspectives. What I’m not always good at is organizing those thoughts.
I jump around.
I revise endlessly.
I read and reread what I’ve written, making smaller and smaller edits until it finally feels right.
Artificial intelligence has dramatically improved that process.
My workflow today is simple: I write a rough draft, use AI to help organize it, and then edit the result by hand until it sounds like me again.
It’s a process that seems to be working, because you’re reading this.
More importantly, it feels ethical to me because the ideas remain mine. AI isn’t replacing my voice. It’s helping me communicate my voice more clearly.
Images have always been a different challenge.
As a blind person, visual content doesn’t provide much value to me directly. However, it provides value to many of my readers, and it certainly matters to search engines and social media algorithms.
Posts with images tend to reach more people than posts without them.
Over the years, I’ve experimented with different ways of creating visual content.
I’ve taken photos with my phone. Sometimes they turn out well. Other times, not so much.
The Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses have been particularly useful because I can simply point my face toward something and capture it.
I’ve even become interested in newer drones that can automatically follow and film you. You may see me experiment with that someday.
Often, though, I don’t need a photograph. I just need an illustration.
AI image generation has made that easier than ever.
This is where WordPress.com truly gave me a sense of belonging.
They’ve integrated AI into the content creation process in a way that feels natural rather than forced.
Before publishing this essay, I can click a button and generate an image to accompany it.
If I know what I want, I can describe it.
If I don’t, WordPress suggests ideas.
That’s convenient, but it wasn’t what impressed me most.
In the past, generating images involved a long chain of steps.
First, create the image.
Then generate alternative text.
Then download the image.
Then upload it to WordPress.
Then add the alternative text.
Then resize and position the image correctly.
None of those steps are particularly difficult. I’ve gotten pretty good at them.
But I’ve always thought there had to be a better way.
WordPress.com proved that there is.
Now I click “Generate Image,” enter a prompt, and WordPress creates the image, inserts it into the post, generates alternative text, and appears to size it correctly.
One workflow.
One tool.
A fraction of the effort.
As an engineer, I always knew this was possible.
I could imagine how to build it.
I even felt tempted to build it myself.
What delighted me wasn’t the technology. It was seeing someone actually connect all the pieces into an experience that worked.
When I write about accessibility and inclusion, someone inevitably reminds me that businesses exist to make money.
They’re right.
I’ve worked for large companies. I understand that reality.
What I don’t think enough people realize is that inclusion is often good business.
Inclusive products attract more customers.
Accessible products reduce support costs.
Better experiences create happier customers.
Happier customers become loyal customers.
Loyal customers tell other people.
All of those things increase revenue.
Inclusion isn’t merely the right thing to do. It’s frequently the smart thing to do.
That’s why I pay attention to these experiences.
I want people to understand that accessibility and inclusion don’t always require massive investments. Sometimes they require listening to customers, understanding their needs, and removing unnecessary friction.
Sometimes they require connecting ideas that already exist.
And sometimes they create something powerful: a feeling of belonging.
For me, WordPress.com did exactly that.
WordPress.com has also made it easier for me to make things easy for you.
One of the things I want most from this newsletter isn’t just for you to read my writing. I want you to respond to it. I want to discuss ideas with you. I want you to discuss ideas with each other. Some of the most interesting insights I’ve gained over the years haven’t come from writing something. They’ve come from the conversations that happened afterward.
Commenting on a WordPress website isn’t particularly difficult, but WordPress.com and the Jetpack Newsletter plugin have made it even easier.
If you’re subscribed to my newsletter by email, you can comment on a post simply by replying to the email.
That might seem like a small detail, but I don’t think it is.
I know some of you are very comfortable using websites. Others aren’t. Some don’t want to learn yet another website, and some have tried and found the experience frustrating. Email, however, has been around for decades. If you’re online, there’s a good chance you already know how to use it.
By allowing people to participate in the conversation using tools they already know, WordPress.com removes another barrier. It doesn’t ask readers to learn something new before they can belong. It meets them where they are.
That’s exactly the kind of design decision I appreciate. It’s simple. It’s inclusive. And it makes me excited about building a community around this writing because it makes participating in that community easier for everyone.
It reminded me that good design isn’t just about features.
It’s about making people feel welcome.
It’s about helping them accomplish what they came to do.
It’s about building products that say, “Yes, you belong here too.”
That’s the kind of world I want to help create through my writing.
So I’ll leave you with a question:
What could I do to include more of you in that journey?
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