I've been thinking a lot about change lately, the kind that arrives faster than we feel ready for.
AI is reshaping how we design, write, and work, and most of us are somewhere between curious and uneasy about it. I keep coming back to the same questions our community keeps asking: What does this mean for my work? Which tools are actually worth learning? Where does my judgment still matter?
If this year has felt quieter from us, that's part of why. We made the decision to pause the apprentice program. The industry is shifting so quickly, and we were seeing less engagement across the community. Honestly, I'm still not sure how much of that is fatigue, and how much is all of us just being a little tired of change. So instead of pushing forward as usual, we stepped back to watch, listen, and understand what our community actually needs right now.
And rather than constantly adding more, doing more, meeting more people, we want to pay attention to the people who are still here. That means you: reading this newsletter, visiting our website, learning about who we are. The world keeps telling us to grow! and expand! But it's just as important to slow down and figure things out. Because when you step back, you can leap further.
None of us should have to navigate this moment alone, and learning by doing, together, has always been the heart of DIA.
What you told us
Back in December we asked how you were doing and what you needed. Your answers shaped this month's update. You told us the mentorship and community matter most, that you'd like more hands-on learning workshops, and that many of you are navigating a tough job market right now. Some of you also encouraged us to take the time to regroup thoughtfully. So that's what we're doing, with you.
Some announcements and updates:
#1: Help shape our first AI workshop 🤖
We're starting a hands-on workshop series to experiment with AI and work out what responsible use looks like in our real, everyday work (not in the abstract, but in the messy middle of actual projects).
Before we plan the first session, we want to hear from you. One question, completely anonymous, about two minutes. Wherever you are with AI, whether eager, skeptical, or unsure, your answer shapes where we start.
#2: A refreshed home for DIA Design Guild 🏡
We've given the DIA website a fresh update, and this one's been a long time coming.
First, credit where it's due: thank you to Demi Minjarez, whose original website design and logo gave DIA its visual identity and a look that still feels like us. This refresh builds on that foundation.
It also brings to life the research Beula and Linh did last year on findability, digging into how people actually look for information about DIA, our apprentice program, and the people behind it. Their work shaped how the new site is organized, so it's easier to understand who we are, what the apprenticeship offers, and how to get involved.
And, of course, the final development credit goes to board member, Kao-wei. We were muddling through with an official Ghost theme for the longest time. With Kao’s quick skills and aptitude for front-end development, he knew what to do to make a custom Ghost theme that’ll work for us.
#3: A project we're still proud of: May First 🌐
A few years ago, we had the chance to redesign the website for May First Movement Technology, a member-run cooperative that helps movements and grassroots groups use technology in service of liberation and social change. The project came to us thanks to Elizabeth M., who made the introduction that started it all.
It was DIA at its best: apprentices and mentors building something real, together, for an organization doing work that matters. There was a quiet kinship in how we worked, too. May First describes themselves as prioritizing "slow times, careful decisions, the people who put them into practice," which might be the most DIA thing we've ever heard.
Their new site is now live, and here's part of what they shared with their community:
"This process not only sought to make the website 'look prettier' (although, it must be said, it was beautiful!) but to rethink how we communicate who we are, what we do and why our work matters... Thanks to DIA Design for the careful and expansive work.
— From May First's website launch announcement
With gratitude to the apprentices and mentors who brought it to life: Beula, Elizabeth M., Jenny, Linh, and Nehar and our mentors, Jorge, Julia, and Grace. With special appearances by Amanda, Miguel, Freddy, and Katia.
We also thank Jes, Jaime, Jamie, and the board at May First who indulged in our interviews, workshops, and persistent questions.
#4: Grace & Julia are co-teaching an IA certificate course 📚
Some exciting news on the teaching front: Grace and Julia are co-teaching one of three courses in the pilot launch of the Information Architecture Certificate Program from the World Information Architecture Association.
Here's the part worth acting on: the pilot is free. It's free because we're testing the logistics this first time around. Once the pilot wraps, each course will be $500 USD. So if you've been wanting to deepen your IA skills, this is genuinely the moment.
Enrollment dates aren't out yet, but you can sign up now to be notified the moment they are:
As always, thank you for being part of this small community we build and nurture together: not perfect, not without its challenges, but ours to tend to with care and purpose.
See you in the workshop, on the new site, or in class.
— Grace & the DIA Design Guild
Have thoughts, questions, or something you'd like to see from us? Just reply, we read every note. And if DIA has meant something to you, I hope you can support our work.