Welcome to First & Fifteenth
First and Fifteenth is a fortnightly newsletter by Michael Kibedi, a design researcher and critical technologist.
First and Fifteenth was launched 1 November 2023 on Substack, publishing book reviews and essays on human-computer interaction, ontology, and ecology told through the interpretative lens of Black studies and conceptual art.
After a brief hiatus in late 2025, First and Fifteenth is now back at its new forever home: first-and-fifteenth.co!
The name of this newsletter has a simple explanation – these are the dates each newsletter is published.
First
On the first of each month from March through to July, expect a new book review to be published. I tend to select titles to draw that address pressing concerns for anyone interesting in critical technology practice and design research.
Fifteenth
On the fifteenth of each month from March through to July, a new essay will be published that explores themes emerging from the month's earlier book review. You can expect to read about conceptual art, Black studies, design histories, data justice, ontology – to name a few.
And for the rest of the year?
Expect the occasional surprise essay. I might draw in a guest writer. Whatever I publish will be united around my common interest of engaging with the social, political and economic contexts of the people, infrastructures and societies in which their digital products and services are used.
All that I promise is that my essays will publish no more than twice a month: First and Fifteenth!
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First and Fifteenth is an independent publication. If you subscribe today, you will get full access to the website. I promise that you will only receive 2 emails per month on the first and fifteenth. Nothing more, nothing less.
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🗄️ Editions #1-15 of First & Fifteenth (note the ampersand) was published on Substack at uxmichaelco.substack.com from November 2023 until the end of 2025.