In March 2025, as I watched the Trump administration dismantle our democracy, I grew more and more alarmed. I used to work as a UX/UI designer in civic tech for a federal government contractor, and I was watching countless friends and former colleagues — some of the most talented people I'd ever worked with — lose their jobs through no fault of their own.
What made everything worse was that it was under the guise of DOGE's supposed mission to increase efficiency. In reality, DOGE was doing the opposite. Good parts of government, like 18F and USDS, were being dismantled. Government services were becoming more difficult to use by the people who need them. DOGE is a sham that isn't about fraud, waste, and efficiency. It's really about destroying what the Republicans in charge don't like.
It's easy to feel helpless, like things are out of our control. But applying pressure can make a difference. DOGE has had to walk back countless mistakes and bad decisions that they have made.
And the right to peaceful protest in still enshrined in our Constitution.
That brings me to protests, and protest signs. Over the years, I've been asked to help make protest signs for different reasons.
- People feel like they don't have the talent or handwriting to make a decent sign
- People are unable to make their own signs for health reasons like arthritis
- It's too hard to figure out how to make a big sign when all you have is Microsoft Word and a letter-sized printer at home.
As someone who has spent over 30 years in visual communications, using my graphic design skills to make signs for friends and family seemed reasonable and helpful. I made a few signs for folks to use at local protests. Why not make them available to more people?
I decided to create a series of protest signs and open an Etsy shop. I had left my corporate UX design job a few months earlier, and was exploring a few ideas of what my next thing would or should be. Nearly five months later, I'm still making signs. As long as the Trump administration continues its marching towards fascism and dictatorship, I plan to keep making signs.
And I thank each and every person who's purchased one of my signs, because it means I can keep making more.
Thanks for being part of the resistance. I appreciate you ♡