The Best of Postlight in 2021

Earlier this year, an artist in my family asked me what all the buzz was around NFTs. He was considering dedicating some time to making and selling NFT art, but didn’t know where to start. I struggled to articulate what I knew about the space, and both of us left the conversation feeling more confused. A few days later, Paul and Rich touched on NFTs on the Postlight Podcast, and I felt that finally I could share something with my family member that would demystify the subject. I did, and it worked. 

I subscribed to the Insights blog and the Postlight Podcast years before joining Postlight because I found both genuinely useful. Now I’m behind the scenes, and I see precisely how much thought and craftsmanship goes into publishing content that actually helps people. Our blog is entirely employee-authored, and we enjoy sharing our knowledge, experience, and even our sense of humor. We hope that talking about technology, and the work we do with it, is a way to help people make sense of the often complicated forces that shape the world of tech. 

As we near the end of 2021’s trip around the sun and get ready for another lap, here are some of the best articles, episodes, and case studies we produced this year. 

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Best of 2021: Insights articles

Leveling Frameworks

Our Leveling Framework articles are among the most successful content we published in 2021 because they are generous. In these articles, we share tools we developed internally because we think other organizations and teams will find them valuable.

Pleasant Internet Things

Was the internet a mistake? Maybe. But if I was arguing for the defense, the “pleasant, fun, and delightful places to spend time” featured in this roundup would pose a formidable challenge to the prosecution’s case.

Designing for the Breakup

Postlight Product Design alum Liz Tan advocates persuasively for an expanded concept of human-centered design to include the experience of leaving a product. Liz points to several forward-thinking products that embrace breaks and breakups, including Hinge and Ritual. 

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Best of 2021: Podcast episodes

Managing Product Managers: With Postlight’s Vicky Volvovski

Paul and Rich are joined by Director of Product Management Vicky Volvovski. Vicky talks all things product management and breaks down the differences between agency work and product org work. She also shares the six things she looks for when hiring product managers, and gives Paul and Rich some solicited feedback. 

Emblematic Emoji: With Google’s Jennifer Daniel

Ever wonder how (or why) certain emoji get made? Look no further than Jennifer Daniel, Google’s Chair of the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee — the team that brings new emoji to life. Jennifer gives a brief emoji history lesson and explains how her work creating emoji is surprisingly akin to journalism. She also breaks down the emoji creation and selection process and gives a sneak peek into next year’s releases.

New Leadership: Paul and Rich Pass the Torch

Paul and Rich introduce the new President and the new CEO of Postlight, then explain why they are stepping back into their roles as Co-Founders and share what they’ll be doing next. Also, Gina Trapani and Chris LoSacco talk about their new roles and what they envision for the future of the firm.

Breaking Down the Metaverse: With Choire Sicha

Does anyone actually know what the metaverse is? In this episode, Paul and Rich chat with journalist Choire Sicha to figure it out. Will it be a radical new way to live in the future, or did Facebook only need a new story to tell? Together, they predict what digital platforms will look like in 20 years and what such changes could mean for all of us.

Be the Thing You Wish You Had: With Bloom Work’s Lauren Lockwood & Emily Wright-Moore

When Lauren Lockwood and Emily Wright-Moore worked for the government, a digital services agency to serve their industry didn’t exist — so, they created one! In this episode, Paul and Gina sit down with Lauren and Emily of Bloom Works to discuss the unique challenges of providing digital services within the government. Then, they share how Bloom Works aims to help people working on software in government navigate through the dense bureaucratic fog.

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Best of 2021: Case studies

Air Mail: Recapturing the charm of print media

The new Air Mail combines the timelessness of print media with an unabashed attitude and a renovated facade for unparalleled results. Postlight delivered a set of building blocks to refurbish a classic, luxury jetliner, ensuring that Air Mail has a modern fuselage that will keep them flying for years to come.

Probable Futures: Bringing climate science to culture

Postlight delivered a beautiful, scalable platform for Probable Futures. With an intuitive editor experience and powerful geospatial APIs, the core platform is ready to grow into an ecosystem of connected tools for understanding the physical world and coming changes, and what they mean for all of us.

Lowercarbon Capital: A digital home for a community of climate entrepreneurs

The result is unlike other climate change websites. It isn’t shy. It doesn’t get lost in the details. What it does do: contextualize, explain, and educate. Today, Lowercarbon is empowered to tell stories in its voice. The company is set up to grow with its efforts and impact, and it welcomes others to join.

To stay on top of everything we have to offer: Join our newsletter, subscribe to our podcast, and follow Postlight on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram. Happy holidays, and see you in 2022!

Ian Greenleigh (he/him) is Director of Growth and Brand at Postlight. Get in touch at hello@postlight.com, or find him on Twitter @be3d.