Publication edited by Julie Zhuo
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The Year of the Looking Glass

A collection of essays by Julie Zhuo on design, building products, and observing life.

All the Things that Don’t Matter

And the one thing that does, when you build a product
Julie ZhuoFeb 173 min read

The Imposter Syndrome

I kicked ass at Mario games, made my first website in seventh grade, and got a 5 on my computer science AP test. I thought I was set.
Julie ZhuoJan 277 min read

How to Be That Designer

You know, the one that everyone *loves* to work with
Julie ZhuoJan 66 min read

The Most Influential Things I Read This Year

Each of these changed my thinking or behavior in some manner.
Julie ZhuoDec 18, 20145 min read

Things Learned in the First Month of Having a Baby

I always wondered how I’d occupy the time during parental leave, since it seems like you have so much of it.
Julie ZhuoNov 18, 20145 min read

The 5 Most Common Mistakes in Design

There’s no learning without mistakes. And I’ve done the following too many times to count.
Julie ZhuoDec 2, 20147 min read

Owning it

Or, how to tell whether or not you’re leading
Julie ZhuoNov 5, 20147 min read

Design’s North Star

Towards an inspiring future
Julie ZhuoOct 7, 20147 min read

Start-ups versus Big Companies

And how they compare in what’s awesome versus sucky
Julie ZhuoSep 23, 201412 min read

Junior Designers vs. Senior Designers

I like words a lot. But sometimes a few sketches communicate a point more simply and memorably.
Julie ZhuoSep 9, 20142 min read

Constraints are Hard

But please don’t confuse that with “uninspiring”
Julie ZhuoAug 27, 20146 min read

Why I design at Facebook

The most classic story of Facebook, in my opinion, has nothing to do with its humble beginnings in a dorm room. It has nothing to do with…
Julie ZhuoAug 13, 20145 min read

My Dream Design Curriculum

If I had to do college over again, this is what I’d take
Julie ZhuoJul 29, 20147 min read

The Meaning of a Vacation

Impressions while being away
Julie ZhuoJul 15, 20146 min read

The Death of “Users” and “Product Design”

On examining what we say and mean
Julie ZhuoJul 2, 20144 min read

How to do a Product Critique

Watch and learn
Julie ZhuoJun 17, 20146 min read

Being 30 means…

How things change in the decade of your 20s
Julie ZhuoJun 3, 20143 min read

Managing with Martians

Or, why frameworks are better than answers
Julie ZhuoMay 20, 20145 min read

Perplexing Design Intentions

Some observations on the design of everyday things 
Julie ZhuoMay 6, 20145 min read

Metrics, A Story

A metric goes to a bar. “What’ll you be having?” asks the bartender.
Julie ZhuoApr 22, 20144 min read

So You Think You Want to Manage?

A perspective on what management is and isn’t.
Julie ZhuoApr 8, 20144 min read

Whatever’s Best For The People, That’s What We Do

Earlier today, Dustin Curtis wrote a post about the recent Facebook desktop redesign.
Julie ZhuoMar 28, 20143 min read

How to get a Designer 

Why Designers Join
Julie ZhuoMar 18, 20147 min read

The Two Ways of Building

The micro and the macro approach
Julie ZhuoMar 4, 20144 min read

The Pit of Discomfiture

Or, where creatives fall into despair
Julie ZhuoFeb 18, 20147 min read