In this article, I want to share the reasons that motivate me to invest more in my newsletter.

My old rule for the newsletter

Until a few weeks ago, my newsletter format followed some straightforward rules: send as few emails as possible and make them as short as possible.

What made me change my opinion

The problem with that approach is that it isn't really something that helps to build a long-lasting relationship. It's as if you got a text with just an emoji and a link from your best friend every few months. Doesn't feel very friendly.

Another reason that pushed me to change my newsletter format is that I discovered a few very well-written newsletters that I read with pleasure. For example, the newsletter from Billy Broas, the creator of The Five Lightbulbs messaging framework, showed me that you can create relationships with people over emails.

My new rule for the newsletter

So now I've decided to slowly transition towards a weekly newsletter where I do two things:

1. Share a changelog of the service design content I'm working on

2. Share a story that highlights one of the mindsets I have about Service Design

I haven't yet nailed the routine to keep it a weekly thing with a fixed day, but I'm confident that I'll find a way to make it work over the next weeks. 

What motivates me about this new newsletter format

As I've been testing this new format for writing my newsletter, I've seen a few interesting benefits for me, and I also hope for the community:

1. It reveals the backstage: I do a lot of tiny work, especially on the "service design questions and answers library" and "service design principles series" that weren't visible before. Now I have a place where I can let people know that I've created a new element or updated one.

2. It motivates me: when I end the week and I see that my changelog is empty, it motivates me to write a principle, an answer or a backstage blog article like this one.

3. It creates a continuous relationship: the weekly format helps me to have a sort of "Rendez-Vous" or "date night" where I know I'll offer quality time to the people who are interested in service design 

4. It helps to explore my beliefs: In the newsletter, I try to have a story that explains a mindset that I think is fundamental in approaching service design. By explaining these ideas, I feel it's easier for people to get value from the service design principles I share as they understand from where they come.

Try it out and share your feedback.

As always, this is still a continuous prototype. So your feedback is very valuable in shaping the next iteration of this newsletter. And if you aren't yet a member of the weekly service design newsletter, you can join now to try it out.

Written on December 17th, 2022 by Daniele Catalanotto