✏ Issue #492: Best New Fonts, What to Expect from Windows 11, Brave Search, 6 Levels of UX Maturity, and more…

Welcome to the first in a new series of posts in which we take a look at the best new fonts released in the previous four weeks. In June’s inaugural edition, you’ll find some reliable workhorses, some exciting new display faces, a classic from a sadly deceased design legend, a variable version of a must-own typeface, and tons more. Enjoy!

Microsoft’s “next-generation” Windows event takes place this week, and the big news is an update to Windows that leaks suggest is distinctly Mac-inspired. Following on from the news that Windows 10 has just four years left, Tom Warren reports on the rumors surrounding the next Windows user interface, including some enticing screenshots.

User-centered design has become the default approach to interactive projects over the past ten years. But the UX principle of user-first can have unintended consequences for communities and the environment. In light of this, Martin Gittins asks if UX is still a viable approach in design.

For users concerned with privacy, search has historically been a challenging area; every major search engine algorithm is validated by user tracking. Challenging that status quo is Brave Search, an offshoot of the privacy-focussed Brave web browser. Now in beta, you can use Brave Search in the Brave browser or online at search.brave.com.

Your creative voice is how you choose to reflect the world; it’s what makes your work distinctly, recognizably yours. In this uplifting and encouraging article, Ward Andrews offers advice on how to know yourself and, through that knowledge, discover your creative voice. With a few insightful observations and practical tips thrown in, it’s a must-read.

Apostrophe CMS 3.0 has just been released with a collection of new features, including RESTful Headless APIs, an editing experience powered by Vue.js, and promise-based code. Best of all, the front-end is now unopinionated, so you can build sites using only the dependencies you choose. The core of Apostrophe is free forever.

In this fascinating post, self-appointed guardians of UX, the Nielsen Norman Group redefines its 2006 model for user experience maturity by cutting the levels by 25%. The new model ranges from Absent, meaning ignored or undiscovered, to User-Driven, meaning reproducible and habitual. It’s an essential read for anyone working in UX.

Rocketlane is an onboarding service that makes it easy to kick-off client relationships on the right foot. It allows you to monitor progress on all of your projects, follow a proven process for bringing new projects on board, and deliver the best service so that clients become repeat clients. You can try Rocketlane for free now.