How to Write for Modus
By: Killian Piraro
Tags: Medium

Why write for Modus?

Medium launched Modus because we know that roughly 1 million readers come to Medium for stories about design, and we wanted to serve those readers better. We hope, in the process, to become one of the best sources for design writing on the web. To do that, we need your contributions.

Modus works a little differently from some of the other design publications you’ll find on Medium. Modus has a real human editor who combs the platform for the best design stories to curate into a solid collection. That editor also provides editorial support for your writing, editing each piece to make sure it’s as clear and polished as possible. When we publish a story in Modus, it claims a place in this curated collection, alongside the likes of Mike Monteiro and Jake Knapp. And because Modus is Medium’s own pub, our stories have the power of Medium’s social media presence and recommendation engine behind them.

What we’re looking for

This is our vision for Modus: We want to create a place where designers can read high-quality, practical, thought-provoking pieces that will help them be better at their craft. We want to go beyond the design-basics articles you can find anywhere on the internet and be a trustworthy source designers can rely on to help them level up their skills and knowledge, stay current on the state of the design and tech fields, and dig deeper into the areas that interest them.

That means deep dives into big topics like diversity, sexism, privacy, and design ethics; higher-level tutorials and tactical pieces on techniques and methodologies; advice on navigating a career in the ever-changing design and tech industries; and much more.

A note on word count: Designers tend to do this kind of reading at work, so try to keep your piece a manageable length for that setting. That translates to roughly 2000 words or a 10-minute read.

A few topics we’re interested in

Generally we like to let you, the designers in the field, let us know what’s interesting and relevant at the moment, but there are some topics that are safe bets if you’re looking for ideas.

As a general rule, we’re looking for a unique or “zoomed-in” view on a topic (like how body language can affect user research) or perhaps an unexpected mashup (like data visualization + history). We read a LOT of design articles, folks, so don’t be afraid to put your own spin on something.

Visual design: typography, variable fonts, processes and inspiration, colors, illustration, etc.

Inclusive design and accessibility

Diversity and sexism in the industry

The future of design

Data privacy

Navigating a career in design

UX writing

Voice interfaces and conversational design

Information architecture

Niche domains: government, healthcare, enterprise, specific age groups

AR and AI

What do we mean by “design”?

Design is a slippery thing to define, as it’s made up of a tangle of intertwined disciplines and areas. But the unifying factor for Modus is the concept of user-centeredness: Design is solving problems and creating experiences, products, and services with the user in mind. For the purposes of this publication, we’re talking about the broad categories of user experience design, user interface design, product design, and content strategy.

In addition, because the real-life experience of designers always involves combining skills and knowledge from lots of different areas, we’re also interested in topics in the realms of visual/graphic design, software development, and career management.

How to submit your work

It’s easiest for us to assess whether your piece will be a good fit for Modus if you already have a draft that’s pretty well fleshed out—and of course, a finished story is best (it’s fine if it’s already published on Medium). But if you only have a story idea or an outline, we can at least tell you whether we think the subject matter will be suitable. Drop us a line at modus@medium.com.