This award winning, newsletter that started in 2002 is still going strong after publishing 1,000 issues. The newsletter serves approximately 2,700 people from the University of Minnesota, universities throughout the United States as well as many people throughout the world. Learn:
- What is the Web Design Update Newsletter
- How to Subscribe
- How to Unsubscribe
- What Are People Saying About It
- History of the Publication
What is the Web Design Update Newsletter?
Web Design Update is a weekly, plain text email digest dedicated to disseminating news and information about web design and development. Topics span the alphabet from "Accessibility" to "XML." References include recent articles by knowledgeable authors, as well as the expected links to events and resources.
The newsletter typically goes out once a week as an adjunct to the Web Design Reference site. It is a free service provided by the ITSS Web Team. Laura Carlson, researches relevant topics, writes, curates, and publishes the digest and related web site.
Goals
Few books, courses, or publications integrate accessibility or teach it from the onset. If it is considered at all, it usually ends up as an afterthought that many don't get around to reading or studying. The Web Design Update Newsletter takes a more inclusive approach. Accessibility is paramount rather than being relegated to an optional afterthought. It leads the way and is fused whenever possible into related topics.
The Web Design Update strives to:
- Impart news and information on making web sites accessible, obtainable, and functional to the largest possible audience.
- Provide topical news and information for designing web sites that are effective, efficient, engaging, error tolerant and easy to learn.
- Distribute pertinent news and information of web design and development theory and methods.
How to Subscribe
Web designers, developers, accessibility advocates, and anyone interested are invited to join the webdev list and receive the newsletter. To do so:
- Address an email message to: [email protected]
- Leave the "body" area blank.
- Delete any signature or anything else from the body of the message.
- Send!
How to Unsubscribe
If at any time you decide you no longer wish to receive the newsletter, you can unsubscribe. To do so:
- Address an email message to: [email protected]
- Leave the "body" area blank.
- Delete any signature or anything else from the body of the message.
- Send!
If you have problems subscribing or unsubscribing, please contact the ITSS Help Desk at 218-726-8847.
What Are People Saying About It?
The following are comments from web accessibility, design, and development leaders:
Another great edition of Laura's weekly roundup. If you're not on there yet, you're really missing out. And you've been missing for years. She comes in every week, like clockwork, with everything you need to stay up to date with valuable design & development information…
Thank YOU! Your dedication and discipline with this list have been nothing short of amazing over the years. We don't thank you often enough for curating it every week the way you do. So thanks!
— Denis Boudreau, Director of Training Services, Deque Systems; Founder & Chief Inclusion Officer at Inklusiv Communication, July 28, 2021.
It really is one of the best industry newsletters out there.
— Eric Bailey, Inclusive design and accessibility advocate; Senior Accessibility Designer at CVS Health, July 21, 2021.
…I love the variety of tips and learning opportunities present in each of @laura_carlson's Web Design Update…
— Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst, Minnesota IT Services, July 29, 2021.
A great resource for web design articles and links. Honored to be in this update today. Highly recommend people to subscribe.
— Todd Libby, Accessibility Analyst at Knowbility, W3C, Accessibility Advocate, July 28, 2021.
As always, your best, maybe oldest, and favorite weekly round-up to which you should already be subscribed…
— Adrian Roselli, Accessibility & UX Consultant, April 23, 2020.
@laura_carlson's quietly indispensable newsletter, which you should subscribe to!
— Ben Rearick, UX Researcher and Librarian, Washington State University, March 31, 2021.
Thanks @laura_carlson for another great issue of your newsletter. You always pull out such great resources for any web professional.
— Mike Gifford, Senior Specialist at CivicActions; Drupal 8 Accessibility Maintainer, OpenConcept CEO, September 1, 2021.
Laura has been collecting and sharing incredible web resources for many years via her "Web Design Update", and still going strong.
— Russ Weakly, Accessibility Principal at IAG. Passionate about HTML markup, CSS, accessibility and dogs, March 9, 2021.
Researchers often want to include people with access needs in their studies but don't know where to begin." via @laura_carlson's excellent weekly newsletter
— Bruce Lawson, Web Standards, HTML, CSS, Accessibility consultant, December 17, 2020.
Proud subscriber of @laura_carlson's amazing webdev mailing list since 2006. A must-subscribe for #webdesign #accessibility #ux and more…
— Meryl K. Evans, A11y Speaker, Author, Digital marketing, Content marketing, Email marketing, October 7, 2020.
I look forward to reading @laura_carlson 's Web Design Update every week, excellent reading and resources…
— Deborah Edwards-Oñoro, Web Designer, User Experience Professional, WordPress, Accessibility, Blogger, December 9, 2020.
Follow @Laura_Carlson for her awesome Web Design Updates …
— Jens Oliver Meiert, Engineering manager and author, July 28, 2021.
I really enjoy reading @laura_carlson's newsletter. If you haven't subscribed yet, you should! It has many interesting articles related to HTML, CSS, A11Y, and many more…
— Álvaro Montoro, UI Manager at Visa, September 1, 2021.
You do an amazing job with this newsletter, Laura. Curator par excellence.
— Ricky Onsman, Technical Content Writer, TPG Interactive, June 2, 2021.
Ik Ben al 15 jaar geabonneerd op deze fantastische email newsletter van @laura_carlson. De enige nieuwsbrief waar ik elke week naar uitkijk.
Translation from Dutch: I've been 15 years subscribed to this fantastic email newsletter of @laura_carlson. The only newsletter where I every week looking forward to.
— Roel Van Gils, Digital Accessibility Specialist & Partner at Eleven Ways, March 9, 2017.
History of the Publication
The archive of past issues are available:
- First 162 Issues: (Volume 1, Issue 01, July 2002, through Volume 4, Issue 05, July 2005) and subsequent issues are available as text files.
- Mailman archives: Volume 4, Issue 06, August 4, 2005 through Volume 14, Issue 08, August 20, 2015 (815 Issues)
- Volume 14, Issue 09 August 27, 2015 and onward. (Volume 19, Issue 12, September 15, 2021 marked issue 1,000.)