Dave Luetger
@dlootz.bsky.social
Designer in civic tech. Former 18F + NASA. Musician, video game enjoyer, and Chicagoland transplant. Mostly re-posts of people cooler than me. he/him.
Woodworking journey: @okay-woodworking.bsky.social
luetger.com // 18f.org
Woodworking journey: @okay-woodworking.bsky.social
luetger.com // 18f.org
Reposted by Dave Luetger
I am sorry to report that the only solution to poor government digital services is the hard work of improving them.
November 17, 2024 at 2:40 PM
I am sorry to report that the only solution to poor government digital services is the hard work of improving them.
“…not all human needs can be contorted into a profit-generating activity.”
I'll say again: we are oddly selective about the government services about which we will say, they operate at a loss.
We say Amtrak and the post office "lose money" but we never say highways, the court system, the Pentagon, etc lose money
We say Amtrak and the post office "lose money" but we never say highways, the court system, the Pentagon, etc lose money
The USPS posting a NINE BILLION DOLLAR LOSS!!! sounds terrible. Certainly worse than if you said "USPS costs thirty dollars per person per year" even though that means the same thing and more accurately describes a government service
December 7, 2025 at 7:18 PM
“…not all human needs can be contorted into a profit-generating activity.”
Reposted by Dave Luetger
After 15 years across local→state→federal, a simple truth keeps coming back: people don’t want innovation. They want things that work.
New essay on the blog: Stuff should work.
blog.ronbronson.com/stuff-should...
New essay on the blog: Stuff should work.
blog.ronbronson.com/stuff-should...
Stuff Should Work (On Doing Civic Tech…) - Ron Bronson
blog.ronbronson.com
December 6, 2025 at 3:42 PM
After 15 years across local→state→federal, a simple truth keeps coming back: people don’t want innovation. They want things that work.
New essay on the blog: Stuff should work.
blog.ronbronson.com/stuff-should...
New essay on the blog: Stuff should work.
blog.ronbronson.com/stuff-should...
I have struggled so much to tell “the story” of what the hell went down at the beginning of the year, even to my closest friends and family. John summarizes it well in this thread.
Being among the first interrogated and ultimately fired by DOGE, I certainly felt we were facing the business end of a right-wing conspiracy theory 🧵
DOGE was not a money-saving effort. It was an effort to chase down and prove right-wing conspiracy theories. They went after USAID to prove conspiracy theories about foreign aid. Then they went after SSA to, again, pursue conspiracy theories about Dems paying "illegals" to vote. 1/2
November 26, 2025 at 4:11 AM
I have struggled so much to tell “the story” of what the hell went down at the beginning of the year, even to my closest friends and family. John summarizes it well in this thread.
Reposted by Dave Luetger
Last week I hade the opportunity to speak at @dotgovdesign.bsky.social about accessibility in the civic tech space, why we should all start using assistive tech, and why improving our skills as practitioners is so critically important in this moment. jaredcunha.com/blog/dotgov-...
My talk for DotGov Design 2025
I had the opportunity to speak at the 2025 DotGov Design conference. My talk was titled “Design for Accessibility and Inclusiveness in Civic Space” which covered topics such as why it's so important t...
jaredcunha.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Last week I hade the opportunity to speak at @dotgovdesign.bsky.social about accessibility in the civic tech space, why we should all start using assistive tech, and why improving our skills as practitioners is so critically important in this moment. jaredcunha.com/blog/dotgov-...
Reposted by Dave Luetger
Come work for me! I'm hiring at @usdigitalresponse.org—somebody with experience as a government procurement FTE who wants to join me in providing pro bono support to governments in the U.S. who want to move to a user-centered, Agile software procurement approach. Remote, full-time, $145–165k.
Procurement Specialist at U.S. Digital Response
About U.S. Digital Response
U.S. Digital Response (USDR) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping governments and civic institutions respond quickly and efficiently to support the...
us-digital-response.breezy.hr
November 21, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Come work for me! I'm hiring at @usdigitalresponse.org—somebody with experience as a government procurement FTE who wants to join me in providing pro bono support to governments in the U.S. who want to move to a user-centered, Agile software procurement approach. Remote, full-time, $145–165k.
“…‘I live in this town and I am in favor of this new housing’ as a valid answer, and so the notion that ‘nobody wants this’ becomes circular. Anybody who wants it isn’t really part of the community.”
What I’m doing here is (hopefully!) articulating the worldview or the web of unspoken assumptions behind the things that NIMBY-sympathetic people say, because I suspect that a lot of them have never really thought through this stuff very much. thedeletedscenes.substack.com/p/hi-its-the...
Hi, It's "They," We're The Problem
Living in a place does not require that you gatekeep it
thedeletedscenes.substack.com
November 16, 2025 at 8:41 PM
“…‘I live in this town and I am in favor of this new housing’ as a valid answer, and so the notion that ‘nobody wants this’ becomes circular. Anybody who wants it isn’t really part of the community.”
Reposted by Dave Luetger
The IRS has published a second open source repository (Direct File was the first). Kudos to the team continuing the work. github.com/IRS-Public/f...
GitHub - IRS-Public/fact-graph: Fact Graph
Fact Graph . Contribute to IRS-Public/fact-graph development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
October 15, 2025 at 8:25 PM
The IRS has published a second open source repository (Direct File was the first). Kudos to the team continuing the work. github.com/IRS-Public/f...
Reposted by Dave Luetger
“I hope that [future administrations] pick the tax work back up where it was, which was a lot of momentum. And I hope they take that same energy across the rest of the government. I’m a firm believer, government can be a force for good in people’s lives."
Direct File died under Trump. Meet the creators planning for its second life
After building the IRS’s free electronic filing tool, the Economic Security Project’s Future of Tax Filing fellows are writing a playbook for it to “come back someday” — and pushing for more.
fedscoop.com
September 17, 2025 at 8:49 PM
“I hope that [future administrations] pick the tax work back up where it was, which was a lot of momentum. And I hope they take that same energy across the rest of the government. I’m a firm believer, government can be a force for good in people’s lives."
Reposted by Dave Luetger
It's happened! My newsletter has finally Gone Woke!
Trump appointed landlord app AirBnB's co-founder as the Chief Design Officer of the USA, right after DOGE blew up 18F (which did real work). And the UX commentariat cheers, because the vibes of a "seat at the table" play better than the reality.
Trump appointed landlord app AirBnB's co-founder as the Chief Design Officer of the USA, right after DOGE blew up 18F (which did real work). And the UX commentariat cheers, because the vibes of a "seat at the table" play better than the reality.
The aesthetics of success come at the cost of failure
It's easy to get a seat at the table. Just agree to become part of the problem.
productpicnic.beehiiv.com
August 31, 2025 at 9:21 PM
It's happened! My newsletter has finally Gone Woke!
Trump appointed landlord app AirBnB's co-founder as the Chief Design Officer of the USA, right after DOGE blew up 18F (which did real work). And the UX commentariat cheers, because the vibes of a "seat at the table" play better than the reality.
Trump appointed landlord app AirBnB's co-founder as the Chief Design Officer of the USA, right after DOGE blew up 18F (which did real work). And the UX commentariat cheers, because the vibes of a "seat at the table" play better than the reality.
Reposted by Dave Luetger
1. If you've scrolled social media lately, you've likely seem Democrats cheering for Gov. Gavin Newsom for trolling Trump relentlessly.
You've also likely seen trans people terrified of a Newsom 2028 run.
I explain why trans people are not feeling Newsom.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
You've also likely seen trans people terrified of a Newsom 2028 run.
I explain why trans people are not feeling Newsom.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
Why Transgender People Are Not Feeling Gavin Newsom
We have seen this song and dance before.
www.erininthemorning.com
August 25, 2025 at 3:10 PM
1. If you've scrolled social media lately, you've likely seem Democrats cheering for Gov. Gavin Newsom for trolling Trump relentlessly.
You've also likely seen trans people terrified of a Newsom 2028 run.
I explain why trans people are not feeling Newsom.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
You've also likely seen trans people terrified of a Newsom 2028 run.
I explain why trans people are not feeling Newsom.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
Reposted by Dave Luetger
New, from me:
America is no longer a functioning democracy. It is a competitive authoritarian system, hurtling rapidly toward authoritarianism.
This was a hard piece to write but we can't move forward if we don’t acknowledge where we are.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-author...
America is no longer a functioning democracy. It is a competitive authoritarian system, hurtling rapidly toward authoritarianism.
This was a hard piece to write but we can't move forward if we don’t acknowledge where we are.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-author...
The authoritarian checklist
It is time to admit that America is no longer a functioning democracy
donmoynihan.substack.com
August 28, 2025 at 1:19 PM
New, from me:
America is no longer a functioning democracy. It is a competitive authoritarian system, hurtling rapidly toward authoritarianism.
This was a hard piece to write but we can't move forward if we don’t acknowledge where we are.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-author...
America is no longer a functioning democracy. It is a competitive authoritarian system, hurtling rapidly toward authoritarianism.
This was a hard piece to write but we can't move forward if we don’t acknowledge where we are.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-author...
Reposted by Dave Luetger
Great summary by Rachael Dietkus. America by Design, Harm by Default. www.linkedin.com/pulse/americ...
America by Design, Harm by Default
TL;DR: There are a lot of hot takes and poignant analyses since the announcement of the Executive Order for America by Design last week. The quiet rollout of the AmericaByDesign.
www.linkedin.com
August 27, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Great summary by Rachael Dietkus. America by Design, Harm by Default. www.linkedin.com/pulse/americ...
“…when the administration suggests nobody has tried this before, I don’t think it’s just arrogance. It’s an extension of this administration’s fascist relationship with history.”
🦊
I wrote about the administration’s “national design studio,” and how its shoddy construction isn’t a mistake. It’s a clear signal of priorities, and ones we need to actively, urgently rebuke. ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/a-noti...
I wrote about the administration’s “national design studio,” and how its shoddy construction isn’t a mistake. It’s a clear signal of priorities, and ones we need to actively, urgently rebuke. ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/a-noti...
A notional design studio. — ethanmarcotte.com
A design language, if you can keep it.
ethanmarcotte.com
August 27, 2025 at 5:01 PM
“…when the administration suggests nobody has tried this before, I don’t think it’s just arrogance. It’s an extension of this administration’s fascist relationship with history.”
It isn't the most important part at all, but this whole thing has also reminded me about my "strong opinions, weakly held" about the NASA Worm Standards Manual as a cultural object. Folks should ask me about them.
Anyone who wants slightly more coherent thoughts on the appointment of America's Chief Design Officer, congratulations: you can now read them in the latest episode of my newsletter:
s20e06: Not About How it Looks
newsletter.danhon.com/archive/s20e...
s20e06: Not About How it Looks
newsletter.danhon.com/archive/s20e...
August 26, 2025 at 11:04 PM
It isn't the most important part at all, but this whole thing has also reminded me about my "strong opinions, weakly held" about the NASA Worm Standards Manual as a cultural object. Folks should ask me about them.
Reposted by Dave Luetger
Surprising no one, Musk's man within GSA still works for Tesla at the same time as he works for the government.
@autost.bsky.social did you think no one would find out?
@autost.bsky.social did you think no one would find out?
Meet the Trump appointee apparently maintaining 'unheard of' ties to Tesla
Thomas Shedd, who heads the Technology Transformation Services at the General Services Administration, reported on his public financial disclosures that he is “on a leave of absence” from Tesla in a r...
www.nextgov.com
August 26, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Surprising no one, Musk's man within GSA still works for Tesla at the same time as he works for the government.
@autost.bsky.social did you think no one would find out?
@autost.bsky.social did you think no one would find out?
Reposted by Dave Luetger
Our democracy is not a brand. Our country is not a retail store. At 18F, our inspiration was (and is) the American people.
August 26, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Our democracy is not a brand. Our country is not a retail store. At 18F, our inspiration was (and is) the American people.
Reposted by Dave Luetger
Normally when I share accessibility bugs I do it for two reasons:
1. Good faith that the company will fix the issue
2. The company won't fix the issue and the public should pay attention.
This time, I will look at America by Design for a new reason: rage.
Automated test: 288 accessibility bugs
1. Good faith that the company will fix the issue
2. The company won't fix the issue and the public should pay attention.
This time, I will look at America by Design for a new reason: rage.
Automated test: 288 accessibility bugs
August 26, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Normally when I share accessibility bugs I do it for two reasons:
1. Good faith that the company will fix the issue
2. The company won't fix the issue and the public should pay attention.
This time, I will look at America by Design for a new reason: rage.
Automated test: 288 accessibility bugs
1. Good faith that the company will fix the issue
2. The company won't fix the issue and the public should pay attention.
This time, I will look at America by Design for a new reason: rage.
Automated test: 288 accessibility bugs
Reposted by Dave Luetger
"Website design is my passion." americabydesign.gov
August 25, 2025 at 1:01 AM
"Website design is my passion." americabydesign.gov
Reposted by Dave Luetger
The easiest job in the world: supervisor who asks the shop floor "how many widgets did you make?" and then goes back up to corporate to report the number.
Unfortunately, that's the level of management competence in tech.
And now they are asking, can't AI make the widgets?
Quality? Don't know her.
Unfortunately, that's the level of management competence in tech.
And now they are asking, can't AI make the widgets?
Quality? Don't know her.
Only outputs can be automated
By emphasizing design's role as a producer of visual outputs, our leaders have eroded the entire justification for UX as a practice.
productpicnic.beehiiv.com
July 20, 2025 at 10:07 PM
The easiest job in the world: supervisor who asks the shop floor "how many widgets did you make?" and then goes back up to corporate to report the number.
Unfortunately, that's the level of management competence in tech.
And now they are asking, can't AI make the widgets?
Quality? Don't know her.
Unfortunately, that's the level of management competence in tech.
And now they are asking, can't AI make the widgets?
Quality? Don't know her.
Reposted by Dave Luetger
Today I wrote about a general tendency to accept atrocious premises, and the need to reject fascism's false choices in order to find expansive and imaginative paths forward.
Breaking the premise, embracing the obstacles, pursing everything.
www.the-reframe.com/there-is-no-...
Breaking the premise, embracing the obstacles, pursing everything.
www.the-reframe.com/there-is-no-...
There Is No Trolley Problem
We actually aren't constrained into atrocious premises by thought exercises. Obstacles are a reason to fight, not an excuse to quit. Our friends and neighbors aren't distractions..
www.the-reframe.com
August 24, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Today I wrote about a general tendency to accept atrocious premises, and the need to reject fascism's false choices in order to find expansive and imaginative paths forward.
Breaking the premise, embracing the obstacles, pursing everything.
www.the-reframe.com/there-is-no-...
Breaking the premise, embracing the obstacles, pursing everything.
www.the-reframe.com/there-is-no-...
Reposted by Dave Luetger
"Great design in government isn’t about fonts and colors. It’s about whether a small business owner can get help without waiting months; whether a senior can see their doctor without wondering who will be peering through her files ... ." —@erie.bsky.social
Design without privacy is just a cover-up: USDS co-founder's take on Trump's EO
A former government technologist lays out a blueprint for how the White House’s federal web design order could actually work.
fedscoop.com
August 24, 2025 at 12:11 AM
"Great design in government isn’t about fonts and colors. It’s about whether a small business owner can get help without waiting months; whether a senior can see their doctor without wondering who will be peering through her files ... ." —@erie.bsky.social
Reposted by Dave Luetger
It would be very cool if people who a) like the idea of free online tax filing that is not a bait-and-switch from a private vendor and b) support an innovative tool that users loved, would respond to these surveys.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-death-...
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-death-...
August 22, 2025 at 3:22 PM
It would be very cool if people who a) like the idea of free online tax filing that is not a bait-and-switch from a private vendor and b) support an innovative tool that users loved, would respond to these surveys.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-death-...
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-death-...
I made an account where you can watch me learn how to turn trees into things.
Finally got around to finishing my first project, a poplar end table finished in walnut gel stain. Lots of lessons learned in sanding, taping, and applying a finish. There are a few errors to even out but I think it turned out well enough for a first go.
August 23, 2025 at 8:27 PM
I made an account where you can watch me learn how to turn trees into things.
Reposted by Dave Luetger
“Improving our nation through better design” is certainly important work: we know this, because it’s exactly what we were doing when DOGE eliminated 18F entirely.
Improving Our Nation Through Better Design
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1. Purpose and
www.whitehouse.gov
August 23, 2025 at 1:25 AM
“Improving our nation through better design” is certainly important work: we know this, because it’s exactly what we were doing when DOGE eliminated 18F entirely.