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US consumers are likely to be the biggest victims with cost increases set to be passed on to customersView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’ve ever wanted to wear earbuds that don’t actually go in your ears, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds might be the oddball pick you’ve been looking for. These open-style earbuds clip on and hook around your ear instead of sitting inside it, letting ambient noise in by design. That makes them great for runs, walks, or commuting—basically, situations where you want to hear your music but also that car barreling around the corner. And for the next six days or until it sells out, Woot’s offering refurbished models of these earbuds, in black, moonstone blue, and white smoke for $179—much cheaper than Amazon’s current $261.99 price. Bose Ultra Open Earbuds $179.00 at Woot $299.00 Save $120.00 Get Deal Get Deal $179.00 at Woot $299.00 Save $120.00 Since these are refurbished, they might show a bit of wear, but they’ve been tested and cleared to function properly. You also get a 90-day Woot limited warranty, which is shorter than Bose’s standard, but fair for the price cut, and if you’re an Amazon Prime member, shipping is free (otherwise it’s $6). Just a heads-up: Woot ships only within the 48 contiguous states. Bose doesn’t skimp on audio quality here: Despite the open design, they deliver solid sound with real punch and clarity. The bass won’t rumble like in-ear buds, but you still get that signature Bose balance. They also have Immersive Audio support, which adds spatial depth—though it's a little inconsistent depending on what you’re listening to and can feel gimmicky, according to this PCMag review. They also support Snapdragon Sound with aptX Adaptive and work especially well with podcasts and mellow playlists. That said, the biggest downside is that they don’t have any noise cancellation, which, again, is kind of the point, but still worth noting if you’re used to ANC earbuds. Battery life clocks in around 7.5 hours on a single charge (with Immersive Audio off), and the charging case gives you almost two full charges, which is decent enough. If you’re someone who prioritizes awareness and comfort over total sound isolation—and doesn’t mind a pre-loved gadget—this deal makes a pretty compelling case. If you’re more of a noise-canceling, zone-out-on-the-plane kind of listener, these probably won't cut it for you. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. Especially early in your carer, it’s common to think that they way your workplace does things is normal — and then you move somewhere near and discover that having a goat shrine isn’t normal at all. This can also happen if you stay at one job for a long time, or if you move to a new field. We don’t always know that what we’re surrounded by isn’t normal — until something makes us realize that it’s not. Today’s “ask the readers” is a suggestion from a reader, who requests stories of “expressions, traditions, methods that you thought were universal but which you learned were actually just a weird thing your old workplace did. Bonus points if you learned this in a manner you are still embarrassed about to this day.” View the full article

The Freelancers Union and Freelancers Hub are proud to present our Self-Portrait Art Showcase, a curated collection of works by talented freelance artists who have turned their gaze inward to share personal and thought-provoking reflections through their art. Join us for the opening reception on April 8th at The Freelancers Hub to celebrate these incredible artists and their work: RSVP today. All events at the Freelancers Hub are made possible thanks to the support of NYC Mayors office of Media and Entertainment. Featured ArtistsJia Ying Lin – ReflectionsSee more of their art Bio: Jia Ying Lin is a contemporary artist based in New York City. With a multidisciplinary background in science, art, and business, her curiosity bridges logic and creativity, exploring the intersections of identity and emotion through visual storytelling. Her paintings have been exhibited at the Russell Janis Gallery, where she continues to push the boundaries of dynamic compositions, innovative techniques, and material exploration. Driven by curiosity and a passion for experimentation, Jia’s evolving work reflects her commitment to capturing the complexities of the human experience. Artist Statement: My work explores themes of memory, adaptation, and cultural duality, shaped by my curiosity and creative uncertainty. Using oil, acrylic, and mixed media on textured surfaces, I create surreal, symbolic narratives that reflect the tension between personal identity and collective experience. I invite viewers to navigate the space between reality and abstraction, encouraging reflection on their creative passions and inner selves. Adina Farinango – Nuka 2023See more of their art Bio: Adina Farinango is a Kichwa-Otavalo artist who uses art as an act of resistance,healing, and self-expression. Her art practice serves as a means to navigate and strengthen her own identity as an Indigenous woman within the Kichwa diaspora. Influenced heavily by the resilience and strength of matriarchs in her community—past, present, and future—she seeks to Indigenize spaces, centering the reclamation of space through a matriarchal lens. She is currently based in Lenapehoking (New York City). Artist Statement: As a Kichwa Otavalo woman, my work in digital illustration, photography, embroidery, and animation celebrates Indigenous identity as an act of reclamation. Rooted in personal, ancestral, and collective memory, it connects with ancestors across time, shaping my expression. Exploring diaspora and the idea of home, I honor the love and strength passed down through my mother, community, and ancestors. Through a matriarchal lens, my art embodies resistance, joy, and Kichwa Futurisms. Despite colonialism’s impact, our art endures as a source of resilience and vision, and my practice invites others to celebrate its enduring strength. Catherine Walsh – Dance While You CanSee more of their art Bio: My name is Catherine Walsh or CatsndBats. I am 32 years old. I was born in California but I grew up in rural Ireland. I studied to be a ballet dancer in London and worked with a ballet company there on graduating. I then moved to New York to continue my career as a professional ballet dancer. While in New York, I was given a point and shoot camera and I began photographing my daily life in the city that never sleeps. When the pandemic happened I decided to stop dancing professionally and focus on photography. I went to Pearse College in Dublin and did a photography course during the pandemic. Which gave me the opportunity to be a part of a photo exhibition. I created a body of work titled ‘Danced while I did’. The work overlaps snapshots from a visual diary of my professional working life as a ballet dancer with recent self-portraits. Artist Statement: Ballet is the only thing I have felt certain about in my life. My first love. I gave myself to it fully. There is an inevitability about this life, this career. I got to a point where the dedication started to fade and I wanted to explore other opportunities. Yet, I still needed it in my life and I can’t let go of calling myself a dancer. It was my identity. Since ceasing my professional dancing career I am realizing this. Once a dancer, always a dancer. The self portrait belongs to a body of work which overlaps snapshots from a visual diary of my professional working life as a ballet dancer and more recent self-portraits. With this work, I am trying to grapple with and resolve the inevitable nature of aging in my chosen profession of dance, transitions between careers, but also the natural transitions of life. Eesha Suntai – PhenominalSee more of their art Bio: Eesha Suntai is best known for her gazing portraits and still life paintings that demonstrate her ability to combine classical inanimate objects with modern or organic subject matter, and evoke strong emotions through the use of a vibrant color palette. With both oil and acrylic painting mediums, her contemporary interpretations offer a deeper narrative that focuses on identity, joy, and trauma. Within the confines of Eesha Suntai’s paintings there are nods to Black culture, which she believes, “Adds another invisible layer to story-telling that compels me to continue painting”. Eesha Suntai has participated in art exhibitions around the NY & NJ area since 2017. In 2021, she was selected for a solo exhibition at The Augusta Savage Gallery, located at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Last year, her painting “Can I Call You Jimmy?” was selected as the headliner piece for the 2024 Queens Rising exhibition “Say It Loud: Unsung Heroes” at Culture Lab LIC, and was on view for the duration of National Pride Month. Most recently Eesha Suntai has participated in Artist Exhibitions at Flushing Town Hall, Brooklyn Art Haus, and Kente Royal Gallery, respectively. Eesha is also an active member of the KAC Gallery of Fellow Artists. Artist Statement: I am a black female Artist from Queens that specializes in painting on medium and large scale surfaces, utilizing different styles and subject matter. My painting style is largely influenced by the Fauvism movement, where the Artist uses bright color to create a dramatic expressive reaction. With both oil and acrylics, I utilize color to promote calm and healing, while simultaneously interweaving complex issues of identity and self- awareness, specifically affecting Women and the African-American community. Shan Graf – In My OwnSee more of their art Bio: My name is Shan Graf and I was born and raised in Montana. I am about to graduate with a BFA focusing on painting and drawing. I am also receiving a minor in small business and entrepreneurship. Artist Statement: Born and raised in Montana, I reflect on my life through the art that I create as a form of escapism. I am currently in the undergraduate program for a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts as well as a minor in small business and entrepreneurship at Montana State University. My artwork is heavily influenced by personal struggle and escapism. My artistic practice focuses on experimenting with oil paint to create two-dimensional works that blend impressionism and realism. Color is a central theme, where I use vibrant colors to enhance emotional depth by emphasizing and modifying elements to evoke specific feelings. Influenced by personal experiences—such as growing up in Montana, political views, mental health, and childhood memories—these aspects inform my subject matter and color choices, adding depth and relatability. This integration allows me to create art that resonates emotionally with viewers, reflecting both personal perspectives and universal themes regarding queer experiences. Daniel Jackson – Indigo PulseSee more of their art Bio: Daniel Jackson is a Philadelphia-based visual storyteller and the owner of Embassy: Interactive, a photography and video production company. Through his work, he captures meaningful moments and uplifts diverse narratives. His creative journey began in music, leading to the launch of Embassy: Interactive in 2011 to spotlight talent online. By 2015, the company shifted its focus and evolved into visual storytelling, expanding its scope and projects. Dedicated to serving the community, Jackson collaborates with creatives, nonprofits, and small businesses, delivering tailored services. His work transcends documentation, emphasizing stories with impact. Offerings include promotional videos, headshots, music videos, event photography, and social media content, alongside addressing pressing social issues in Philadelphia. Collaboration and community empowerment remain at the core of Jackson’s mission. Artist Statement: “Indigo Pulse" captures a pivotal moment of reflection and renewal during the extended isolation of 2021. The deep blue tones in the portrait embody the emotional weight of navigating through depression, while also symbolizing the strength it takes to emerge from that shadowed state. Taken during a quiet pause in work, this self-portrait tells a story of resilience, vulnerability, and the transformative power of self-awareness. It stands as a testament to finding light and rediscovering creativity, even in the midst of life’s darker chapters. Dara Feller – HomebodySee more of their art Bio: Dara Feller is a photographer/multidisciplinary artist living in LA. Her practice focuses on portraiture, self-portraiture, and live music photography. After receiving a BFA in Studio Art from Chapman University, she utilized her experience in multimedia studio practice to creative direct, style and build her own photoshoot sets. Dara’s work can be seen in publications such as Polyester Zine, Galore Magazine, Business Insider, and Pass the Aux, as well as an artist feature in SD Voyager Magazine. Artist Statement: “Homebody” was born through a literal interpretation of the expression. The eyes being “windows to the soul”, the capacity of the mouth to be “open” or “shut” like a door. Through this exploration we come to evaluate the idea of the self— are we our body, or do we simply inhabit it? Tiffany Kehinde – Celebrated, Not ToleratedSee more of their art Bio: Tiffany Kehinde is a fashion and beauty photographer and videographer known for her bold use of color, texture, and light manipulation. Her journey into photography began at New York Fashion Week (NYFW), where she captured the energy of runway shows for brands and publications—an experience that jump-started her career and sharpened her eye for high-fashion imagery. Inspired by the beauty in everyday objects, Tiffany transforms common materials into dynamic visual elements, incorporating gems, rhinestones, colorful gels, prisms, and holographic props to create striking images. Her experimental approach to light—whether through projection, distortion, or reflection—adds a dreamlike quality to her work. Artist Statement: "Celebrated, Not Tolerated" is a declaration of self-worth, and an invitation to always choose spaces that celebrate you, and not tolerate you. This work speaks to the importance of belonging, of being welcomed wholeheartedly rather than reluctantly included. It challenges the viewer to reflect on their own environments, and the relationships they nurture—are you surrounded by those who are eager to share space, to uplift, to break bread with you? Or are you lingering in places where your presence is not even acknowledged. Mycha Bueche – Because of Your HairSee more of their art Bio: Mycha is a Texas-born, Brooklyn-based artist whose work is anchored in a distinct exploration of color. The novel vocabulary of her palettes ask viewers to reconsider the assumptions they bring to different hues—how memory, culture, and personal experience shape the way we interpret narrative. This tension between surface and meaning mirrors the way Mycha constructs a contemporary folklore through form and composition. Drawing from Art Deco graphic design, the folk art of her Latine heritage, and Catholic iconography, she creates visual altars that enshrine memory and myth as inseparable parts of our histories. Artist Statement: Influenced by Frida Kahlo’s Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair and the transformative hair slicing moment in Mulan, this self-portrait pays homage to queer transformation. It speaks to the ways we reshape ourselves—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—in the pursuit of identity, community and intimacy. John De La O – Year in ReviewSee more of their art Bio: I was born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I attended Fort Hamilton High School, Kingsborough Community College as a Fine Arts Undergraduate, and went on to receive my Bachelor’s degree in Illustration at the School of Visual Arts. My exhibition experience spans over twenty years, including ten plus years with the Con Artist Collective, and five years plus with Solas Studios, both located in Manhattan. Before, during, and after these tenures, I alternately showed my work at various galleries, fairs, and group shows, including the Armory Art Far, Art Basel Miami, Bushwick Artists and Fleas, and Art Revolution Taipei. Throughout this time, I also participated in several smaller exhibitions, in and around both Manhattan and Brooklyn. I have a dedicated client base who both frequently purchase and commission work. Publications include various independent magazines, as well as the alumni catalog for the School of Visual Arts. Artist Statement: My paintings reflect the outside world and pop culture, but also my inner world, as well as my cultural identity and personal experiences. I implement painterly and expressionist elements to highlight the human hand at play, and my love of painting and drawing. My goal is to draw the individual into my unique visual language, using a variety of inspiration. As an artist from Brooklyn, and while studying art in New York City, pop art, collage, traditional drawing and painting, and abstract expressionism all became a natural visual language for me to communicate through. Arthi Sundar – Mask OffSee more of their art Bio: Arthi Sundar is an Indian American artist, art historian, designer and engineer who goes by the alias @123arthi. Her artworks blend classical portraiture with surreal elements, using graphite and charcoal to explore emotion, distortion, and the human psyche. Artist Statement: Sundar’s work delves into the complexities of the human psyche through realistic portraiture in graphite and charcoal on bristol. Influenced by Renaissance, Rococo, and Surrealist art movements, she infuses her portraits with elements of romanticism, abstraction and distortion,evoking emotion beyond the literal. Her art bridges classical techniques with modern themes, often drawing inspiration from science fiction and video games to reimagine identity and expression. Mask Off, 2021: A post-pandemic self-portrait, Mask Off, captures a moment of emergence. The artist portrays herself as both fragmented and whole, shedding the remnants of isolation and stepping into a renewed sense of self. Svetlana Dubkova – I like me. My wife likes meSee more of their art Bio: Raised in NYC as a first-generation Belarusian-American immigrant, Svetlana Dubkova found escapism in fantasy and imagination growing up. This manifests in her dreamlike photographic portfolio, which fuses feminine surrealism, vivid color-play, organic formations, and repetitive form. Her work is futuristic yet nostalgic all at once. Artist Statement: You wanna hurt me? Go right ahead if it makes you feel any better. I'm an easy target. Yeah, you're right, I talk too much. I also listen too much. I could be a cold-hearted cynic like you... but I don't like to hurt people's feelings. Well, you think what you want about me; I'm not changing. I like... I like me. My wife likes me. My customers like me. 'Cause I'm the real article. What you see is what you get. Juan Reyes Jr. – “Untitled”See more of their art Bio: 33 year old easily-startled portrait artist. Artist Statement: I am following the unrelenting impulse to depict things through drawing, with no clue where it comes from and even less of an idea where it leads– but I certainly won’t stop chasing it. This relationship is one of the most prominent & unchanging facets of the way I see myself, so when depicting myself I chose the materials I feel most drawn to: canary yellow Canson paper, and a Nataraj Ruby HB pencil. The good thing about chasing this impulse is that whenever I’m able to capture something, it frees us both. See the Art in PersonThis showcase is an opportunity to witness the diversity of self-expression through the lens of talented freelance artists in our community. Don’t miss the chance to engage with the artists, explore their work, and reflect on your own sense of self! Join us at the opening reception: RSVP Here We can’t wait to see you there! View the full article

The Freelancers Union and Freelancers Hub are proud to present our Self-Portrait Art Showcase, a curated collection of works by talented freelance artists who have turned their gaze inward to share personal and thought-provoking reflections through their art. Join us for the opening reception on April 8th at The Freelancers Hub to celebrate these incredible artists and their work: RSVP today. All events at the Freelancers Hub are made possible thanks to the support of NYC Mayors office of Media and Entertainment. Featured ArtistsJia Ying Lin – ReflectionsSee more of their art Bio: Jia Ying Lin is a contemporary artist based in New York City. With a multidisciplinary background in science, art, and business, her curiosity bridges logic and creativity, exploring the intersections of identity and emotion through visual storytelling. Her paintings have been exhibited at the Russell Janis Gallery, where she continues to push the boundaries of dynamic compositions, innovative techniques, and material exploration. Driven by curiosity and a passion for experimentation, Jia’s evolving work reflects her commitment to capturing the complexities of the human experience. Artist Statement: My work explores themes of memory, adaptation, and cultural duality, shaped by my curiosity and creative uncertainty. Using oil, acrylic, and mixed media on textured surfaces, I create surreal, symbolic narratives that reflect the tension between personal identity and collective experience. I invite viewers to navigate the space between reality and abstraction, encouraging reflection on their creative passions and inner selves. Adina Farinango – Nuka 2023See more of their art Bio: Adina Farinango is a Kichwa-Otavalo artist who uses art as an act of resistance,healing, and self-expression. Her art practice serves as a means to navigate and strengthen her own identity as an Indigenous woman within the Kichwa diaspora. Influenced heavily by the resilience and strength of matriarchs in her community—past, present, and future—she seeks to Indigenize spaces, centering the reclamation of space through a matriarchal lens. She is currently based in Lenapehoking (New York City). Artist Statement: As a Kichwa Otavalo woman, my work in digital illustration, photography, embroidery, and animation celebrates Indigenous identity as an act of reclamation. Rooted in personal, ancestral, and collective memory, it connects with ancestors across time, shaping my expression. Exploring diaspora and the idea of home, I honor the love and strength passed down through my mother, community, and ancestors. Through a matriarchal lens, my art embodies resistance, joy, and Kichwa Futurisms. Despite colonialism’s impact, our art endures as a source of resilience and vision, and my practice invites others to celebrate its enduring strength. Catherine Walsh – Dance While You CanSee more of their art Bio: My name is Catherine Walsh or CatsndBats. I am 32 years old. I was born in California but I grew up in rural Ireland. I studied to be a ballet dancer in London and worked with a ballet company there on graduating. I then moved to New York to continue my career as a professional ballet dancer. While in New York, I was given a point and shoot camera and I began photographing my daily life in the city that never sleeps. When the pandemic happened I decided to stop dancing professionally and focus on photography. I went to Pearse College in Dublin and did a photography course during the pandemic. Which gave me the opportunity to be a part of a photo exhibition. I created a body of work titled ‘Danced while I did’. The work overlaps snapshots from a visual diary of my professional working life as a ballet dancer with recent self-portraits. Artist Statement: Ballet is the only thing I have felt certain about in my life. My first love. I gave myself to it fully. There is an inevitability about this life, this career. I got to a point where the dedication started to fade and I wanted to explore other opportunities. Yet, I still needed it in my life and I can’t let go of calling myself a dancer. It was my identity. Since ceasing my professional dancing career I am realizing this. Once a dancer, always a dancer. The self portrait belongs to a body of work which overlaps snapshots from a visual diary of my professional working life as a ballet dancer and more recent self-portraits. With this work, I am trying to grapple with and resolve the inevitable nature of aging in my chosen profession of dance, transitions between careers, but also the natural transitions of life. Eesha Suntai – PhenominalSee more of their art Bio: Eesha Suntai is best known for her gazing portraits and still life paintings that demonstrate her ability to combine classical inanimate objects with modern or organic subject matter, and evoke strong emotions through the use of a vibrant color palette. With both oil and acrylic painting mediums, her contemporary interpretations offer a deeper narrative that focuses on identity, joy, and trauma. Within the confines of Eesha Suntai’s paintings there are nods to Black culture, which she believes, “Adds another invisible layer to story-telling that compels me to continue painting”. Eesha Suntai has participated in art exhibitions around the NY & NJ area since 2017. In 2021, she was selected for a solo exhibition at The Augusta Savage Gallery, located at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Last year, her painting “Can I Call You Jimmy?” was selected as the headliner piece for the 2024 Queens Rising exhibition “Say It Loud: Unsung Heroes” at Culture Lab LIC, and was on view for the duration of National Pride Month. Most recently Eesha Suntai has participated in Artist Exhibitions at Flushing Town Hall, Brooklyn Art Haus, and Kente Royal Gallery, respectively. Eesha is also an active member of the KAC Gallery of Fellow Artists. Artist Statement: I am a black female Artist from Queens that specializes in painting on medium and large scale surfaces, utilizing different styles and subject matter. My painting style is largely influenced by the Fauvism movement, where the Artist uses bright color to create a dramatic expressive reaction. With both oil and acrylics, I utilize color to promote calm and healing, while simultaneously interweaving complex issues of identity and self- awareness, specifically affecting Women and the African-American community. Shan Graf – In My OwnSee more of their art Bio: My name is Shan Graf and I was born and raised in Montana. I am about to graduate with a BFA focusing on painting and drawing. I am also receiving a minor in small business and entrepreneurship. Artist Statement: Born and raised in Montana, I reflect on my life through the art that I create as a form of escapism. I am currently in the undergraduate program for a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts as well as a minor in small business and entrepreneurship at Montana State University. My artwork is heavily influenced by personal struggle and escapism. My artistic practice focuses on experimenting with oil paint to create two-dimensional works that blend impressionism and realism. Color is a central theme, where I use vibrant colors to enhance emotional depth by emphasizing and modifying elements to evoke specific feelings. Influenced by personal experiences—such as growing up in Montana, political views, mental health, and childhood memories—these aspects inform my subject matter and color choices, adding depth and relatability. This integration allows me to create art that resonates emotionally with viewers, reflecting both personal perspectives and universal themes regarding queer experiences. Daniel Jackson – Indigo PulseSee more of their art Bio: Daniel Jackson is a Philadelphia-based visual storyteller and the owner of Embassy: Interactive, a photography and video production company. Through his work, he captures meaningful moments and uplifts diverse narratives. His creative journey began in music, leading to the launch of Embassy: Interactive in 2011 to spotlight talent online. By 2015, the company shifted its focus and evolved into visual storytelling, expanding its scope and projects. Dedicated to serving the community, Jackson collaborates with creatives, nonprofits, and small businesses, delivering tailored services. His work transcends documentation, emphasizing stories with impact. Offerings include promotional videos, headshots, music videos, event photography, and social media content, alongside addressing pressing social issues in Philadelphia. Collaboration and community empowerment remain at the core of Jackson’s mission. Artist Statement: “Indigo Pulse" captures a pivotal moment of reflection and renewal during the extended isolation of 2021. The deep blue tones in the portrait embody the emotional weight of navigating through depression, while also symbolizing the strength it takes to emerge from that shadowed state. Taken during a quiet pause in work, this self-portrait tells a story of resilience, vulnerability, and the transformative power of self-awareness. It stands as a testament to finding light and rediscovering creativity, even in the midst of life’s darker chapters. Dara Feller – HomebodySee more of their art Bio: Dara Feller is a photographer/multidisciplinary artist living in LA. Her practice focuses on portraiture, self-portraiture, and live music photography. After receiving a BFA in Studio Art from Chapman University, she utilized her experience in multimedia studio practice to creative direct, style and build her own photoshoot sets. Dara’s work can be seen in publications such as Polyester Zine, Galore Magazine, Business Insider, and Pass the Aux, as well as an artist feature in SD Voyager Magazine. Artist Statement: “Homebody” was born through a literal interpretation of the expression. The eyes being “windows to the soul”, the capacity of the mouth to be “open” or “shut” like a door. Through this exploration we come to evaluate the idea of the self— are we our body, or do we simply inhabit it? Tiffany Kehinde – Celebrated, Not ToleratedSee more of their art Bio: Tiffany Kehinde is a fashion and beauty photographer and videographer known for her bold use of color, texture, and light manipulation. Her journey into photography began at New York Fashion Week (NYFW), where she captured the energy of runway shows for brands and publications—an experience that jump-started her career and sharpened her eye for high-fashion imagery. Inspired by the beauty in everyday objects, Tiffany transforms common materials into dynamic visual elements, incorporating gems, rhinestones, colorful gels, prisms, and holographic props to create striking images. Her experimental approach to light—whether through projection, distortion, or reflection—adds a dreamlike quality to her work. Artist Statement: "Celebrated, Not Tolerated" is a declaration of self-worth, and an invitation to always choose spaces that celebrate you, and not tolerate you. This work speaks to the importance of belonging, of being welcomed wholeheartedly rather than reluctantly included. It challenges the viewer to reflect on their own environments, and the relationships they nurture—are you surrounded by those who are eager to share space, to uplift, to break bread with you? Or are you lingering in places where your presence is not even acknowledged. Mycha Bueche – Because of Your HairSee more of their art Bio: Mycha is a Texas-born, Brooklyn-based artist whose work is anchored in a distinct exploration of color. The novel vocabulary of her palettes ask viewers to reconsider the assumptions they bring to different hues—how memory, culture, and personal experience shape the way we interpret narrative. This tension between surface and meaning mirrors the way Mycha constructs a contemporary folklore through form and composition. Drawing from Art Deco graphic design, the folk art of her Latine heritage, and Catholic iconography, she creates visual altars that enshrine memory and myth as inseparable parts of our histories. Artist Statement: Influenced by Frida Kahlo’s Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair and the transformative hair slicing moment in Mulan, this self-portrait pays homage to queer transformation. It speaks to the ways we reshape ourselves—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—in the pursuit of identity, community and intimacy. John De La O – Year in ReviewSee more of their art Bio: I was born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I attended Fort Hamilton High School, Kingsborough Community College as a Fine Arts Undergraduate, and went on to receive my Bachelor’s degree in Illustration at the School of Visual Arts. My exhibition experience spans over twenty years, including ten plus years with the Con Artist Collective, and five years plus with Solas Studios, both located in Manhattan. Before, during, and after these tenures, I alternately showed my work at various galleries, fairs, and group shows, including the Armory Art Far, Art Basel Miami, Bushwick Artists and Fleas, and Art Revolution Taipei. Throughout this time, I also participated in several smaller exhibitions, in and around both Manhattan and Brooklyn. I have a dedicated client base who both frequently purchase and commission work. Publications include various independent magazines, as well as the alumni catalog for the School of Visual Arts. Artist Statement: My paintings reflect the outside world and pop culture, but also my inner world, as well as my cultural identity and personal experiences. I implement painterly and expressionist elements to highlight the human hand at play, and my love of painting and drawing. My goal is to draw the individual into my unique visual language, using a variety of inspiration. As an artist from Brooklyn, and while studying art in New York City, pop art, collage, traditional drawing and painting, and abstract expressionism all became a natural visual language for me to communicate through. Arthi Sundar – Mask OffSee more of their art Bio: Arthi Sundar is an Indian American artist, art historian, designer and engineer who goes by the alias @123arthi. Her artworks blend classical portraiture with surreal elements, using graphite and charcoal to explore emotion, distortion, and the human psyche. Artist Statement: Sundar’s work delves into the complexities of the human psyche through realistic portraiture in graphite and charcoal on bristol. Influenced by Renaissance, Rococo, and Surrealist art movements, she infuses her portraits with elements of romanticism, abstraction and distortion,evoking emotion beyond the literal. Her art bridges classical techniques with modern themes, often drawing inspiration from science fiction and video games to reimagine identity and expression. Mask Off, 2021: A post-pandemic self-portrait, Mask Off, captures a moment of emergence. The artist portrays herself as both fragmented and whole, shedding the remnants of isolation and stepping into a renewed sense of self. Svetlana Dubkova – I like me. My wife likes meSee more of their art Bio: Raised in NYC as a first-generation Belarusian-American immigrant, Svetlana Dubkova found escapism in fantasy and imagination growing up. This manifests in her dreamlike photographic portfolio, which fuses feminine surrealism, vivid color-play, organic formations, and repetitive form. Her work is futuristic yet nostalgic all at once. Artist Statement: You wanna hurt me? Go right ahead if it makes you feel any better. I'm an easy target. Yeah, you're right, I talk too much. I also listen too much. I could be a cold-hearted cynic like you... but I don't like to hurt people's feelings. Well, you think what you want about me; I'm not changing. I like... I like me. My wife likes me. My customers like me. 'Cause I'm the real article. What you see is what you get. Juan Reyes Jr. – “Untitled”See more of their art Bio: 33 year old easily-startled portrait artist. Artist Statement: I am following the unrelenting impulse to depict things through drawing, with no clue where it comes from and even less of an idea where it leads– but I certainly won’t stop chasing it. This relationship is one of the most prominent & unchanging facets of the way I see myself, so when depicting myself I chose the materials I feel most drawn to: canary yellow Canson paper, and a Nataraj Ruby HB pencil. The good thing about chasing this impulse is that whenever I’m able to capture something, it frees us both. See the Art in PersonThis showcase is an opportunity to witness the diversity of self-expression through the lens of talented freelance artists in our community. Don’t miss the chance to engage with the artists, explore their work, and reflect on your own sense of self! Join us at the opening reception: RSVP Here We can’t wait to see you there! View the full article

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Compliance concerns prevent some lenders from moving toward development of an AI plan or policy, but hesitancy may turn out to be a poor business strategy. View the full article

The vernal equinox, marking the first day of spring, occurs in late March every year. Sometime around then, most planting zones encounter what is known as the last frost date, which is the experts' best guess, based on averages, of when your last hard freeze will be. The cherry, plum, and peach blossoms are exploding on trees all around us and tulips are popping up from the ground. There are all kinds of markers that gardening season has arrived, but the most prominent one is the return of people to working on their front yards on sunny days, which should be happening now with some regularity. It is finally full steam ahead for this year, and there are tons of things you can be doing outside. Cherry blossoms Credit: Amanda Blum Document the spring bloomThere's an order to the way plants bloom in early spring: the crocus, the daffodils, then the tulips, the irises, and the peonies. Each year I try to take pictures every few days from the same angles in the yard so I can document where I might need more bulbs. You'll forget by the time fall rolls around and it's time to plant more. This pictorial documentation can help you visualize any bulb losses you have year to year, as well. Tulips in bloom Credit: Amanda Blum Get your trellises clean and readyBased on the plans I made for the garden over the winter, I now know where I'll need plant supports for my tomatoes, peppers, beans, and cucumbers. I begin getting those trellises I have out of storage and sterilizing them, and I make plans to build or order any new trellises I'll need. Weed and dress with compost With the nighttime temperatures starting to remain over 40 degrees, it’s time to clean out your beds and get them ready for planting. This means doing a thorough weeding, as best you can, and then top with compost. Clean away debris in the paths and beds, because that is slug food and an invitation for disease and pests. Check in on your own compost bins; they could probably use a good turn. Check in on your flower perennials Irises that need dividing Credit: Amanda Blum First, take an inventory of the perennials you have, and see if any need dividing. Plants grow into the space around them, but if they’ve run out of space, you can break them up, and either relocate these new plants or trade them for others. Irises and daylilies are an excellent example; hostas are another. This is also how you’ll take inventory of what did not survive this year. With the weather becoming more extreme year to year, even perennials can succumb to weather events. Perennials have started to come out of hibernation in the greenhouses at your local nursery, so you can begin to replace any that will need it. Buying now, when plants are still small, will help save money. Grab some early flowering annualsIt’s still early for most varieties of flowers, but pansies love the cold. At this point, begin checking the nurseries for snapdragons, sweet peas, petunias, and other early flowering plants. It’s a good time to get your hanging baskets and window boxes filled, too, so they’ll be in full bloom come May. In fact, many groceries and nurseries will help you fill your planters if you bring them in; some even plan events around doing so. Don't forget edibles Peas coming up from seed Credit: Amanda Blum If you've not yet planted peas, it's go time. They can be direct sown outside and need to be grown against some support. This time of year, I grow shelling pea and sugar snaps on tall vines that climb arches in my yard. I also take stock of my strawberry plants, thinning them so they're spaced at least six inches apart. Give away extras, or ask your neighbors for their extras if you need them. I look for my perennial edibles to make sure they've survived the winter. The horseradish has been staking it's claim, poking up leaves from its usual plot. I've already replaced a few artichokes that didn't make it through the last ice storm. The first tiny stalks of asparagus made an appearance this week, which means in a few weeks we'll be drowning in spears. Now is the time to plant more asparagus crowns, too. I try to add a few crowns each year—they're usually a dollar or two at the nursery, and in this way, you can establish them in more places. I've been waiting with bated breath to see if all the rhubarb I planted last year will return, since last year I lost my fifteen-year-old specimen, but I saw the first leaves begin to poke out of the ground this week. If you need to replace yours, you'll find rhubarb at your nursery. Fiddleheads and ramps (which, as a reminder, you can grow at home) should be emerging. It's also the time to plant your summer potatoes: Your nursery has potato starts, but if you've got grocery store potatoes that have sprouted at home, those can go right into the ground. carrots, radishes, beets and lettuce planted two weeks ago Credit: Amanda Blum I've already planted a few rounds of radishes, beets, carrots, and lettuce in the garden, and will continue doing so every few weeks through summer. The spring rain is excellent for helping these seeds I direct sow to germinate. You can continue to plant spring edibles like spinach, kale, chard, and mustard greens, but if you don’t get broccoli and cauliflower early in the month, you’ll miss your window. These are short crops, but you want them to finish and harvest before you need the room for summer crops like tomatoes. You also want to get three long crops in now, starting with parsnips, which need 180 days to grow. Plant them from seed now, and you'll have enough of this root vegetable to cook all fall. Brussels sprouts also need that long summer to grow if they're going to be ready for Thanksgiving. Finally, your nursery will have all your onion sets to get into the ground. Keeper onions and leeks need the season to be ready for harvest in late summer or early fall. Inspect your systems Check your water systems Credit: Amanda Blum It’s also time to turn the irrigation and sprinkler systems back on for the year, so schedule any inspections like backflow testing. Once the water is on, test your controller and look for signs of any leaks in the lines. You can safely reconnect hoses, and put out manual timers if you use them. Be sure to give all your tools a good spray down with vinegar or bleach to sterilize them, and remember to keep a spray bottle with the same on hand for your pruning shears as you move about the garden. Spray them between plants so you are not transferring disease. View the full article

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If visions of the new administration come to fruition, the IRS could also be on the chopping block. Accounting ARC With Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny Shimamoto Center for Accounting Transformation Go PRO for members-only access to more Center for Accounting Transformation. View the full article

If visions of the new administration come to fruition, the IRS could also be on the chopping block. Accounting ARC With Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny Shimamoto Center for Accounting Transformation Go PRO for members-only access to more Center for Accounting Transformation. View the full article

Like the first few months of the year, April is a relatively quiet month for sky watching, but it does bring one of the oldest meteor showers and a micromoon. April 13: Pink MoonApril's full moon is known as the Pink Moon, so named for the color of ground phlox, a wildflower that blooms during the month—though the moon itself doesn't actually appear pink in the sky. The Pink Moon is also a micromoon, meaning it occurs at that furthest point from Earth. The opposite of a supermoon, it will look about 5% smaller in diameter than usual. April 21: Lyrid meteor shower peakThe main event in April is the Lyrid meteor shower. It starts mid-month (around April 17) and will peak late on the evening of April 21 and into the early morning hours of April 22. The Lyrids are the result of debris from the Comet Thatcher, which was first observed in 1861. Typically, viewers can expect to see around 18 meteors per hour, though the shower can bring up to 100, according to NASA. This year, the moon will be about 40% full, which may interfere with visibility. The Lyrids are best seen in the Northern Hemisphere after the moon sets but before dawn—and as always, areas with minimal light pollution are best for viewing. Planetary events in AprilMars, Jupiter, and Uranus will be visible in the evening sky in April; Saturn, Mercury, Venus, and Neptune will appear in the morning. The timing and placement varies slightly between the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The best Mercury viewing of the year will be possible on April 21, according to Starwalk, especially for those in the Southern hemisphere. And on April 25, the crescent moon will align with Venus and Saturn just before sunrise to create a triangle that looks like a smile. View the full article

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Project managers know the importance of project documentation. Project documents must be accurate and constantly updated to keep current with the project. Creating and managing project documentation throughout the project life cycle is critical for project success, but where to start? This guide defines what project documentation is and why it’s important in addition to outlining the top 15 project documents that you should always create to plan and execute your projects. What Is Project Documentation? The term project documentation refers to the project management documents that are created throughout the project life cycle. These documents, such as the project plan, project schedule or project budget, define activities, procedures and guidelines that the project team should follow. Project documentation has several purposes such as project planning, cost management or risk management. In addition, there are certain project documents that must be created at a specific project phase as they set the stage for the next step. For example, the project management plan must be created before the project execution phase can begin. Project management software can help you organize and share information that is crucial to the success of your project. ProjectManager is project management software with advanced planning, tracking and reporting that has unlimited file storage and makes it easy to share product documentation with your team and stakeholders. All of its multiple project views share one source of information to keep everyone on the same page. Get started for free. /wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Light-mode-portfolio-dashboard-CTA.pngLearn more Let’s take a look at which project documents should be created at each project management phase. Project Documentation by Project Phase Projects vary in size and complexity and some require more comprehensive project documentation than others. Here’s an overview of some of the project documents that are usually created throughout the project life cycle. Project Initiation: Project charter, project summary, business case, project kickoff meeting agenda Project Planning: Project management plan, work breakdown structure, project budget, project schedule, change management plan, scope management plan, risk management plan Project Execution: Project status report, project execution plan lessons learned template, timesheets, change requests, change orders Project Monitoring and Control: Project status report, lessons learned template, timesheets Project Closure: Project closure template, punch list Now that you have an idea of the right project documentation for each phase of your project life cycle, let’s dive into some critical project management documents. Top 20 Project Documents to Include in Your Project Documentation Here’s a brief description of the important project documents and a corresponding project management template for each of them. Don’t forget to check our library of free project management templates where you’ll find dozens of templates to build your project documentation. 1. Project Plan The project plan is the most comprehensive of all project management documents because it compiles the project documents that are created during the project planning phase. For example, your project plan should include your project budget and your project schedule. /wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Project-Plan-Screenshot.jpgDownload now 2. Project Charter The project charter is written during the project initiation phase and it sets the stage for the project plan. Project managers use project charters to provide a quick overview of the project to stakeholders, sponsors and clients. /wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Project-Charter-Screenshot.jpgDownload now 3. Business Case Just like the project charter, a business case is a document that’s created during the initiation phase to convince project stakeholders of the project’s value by explaining the potential benefits it could have for their organization. /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Business-case-template-word-projectmanager.jpgDownload now 4. Project Schedule At a basic level, the project schedule defines the timeline for the execution of all project tasks. It can also include more details such as the resources needed for each task, who’s responsible for it, the float or slack your project has and the critical path. ProjectManager’s Gantt chart is the perfect tool for creating a detailed project schedule. ProjectManager offers four kinds of dependencies, baseline tracking and real-time resource availability when assigning work. You can break down you project into subtasks and track costs for each phase to ensure you stay on track. Get started with ProjectManager for free and build a better project schedule. /wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Gantt-chart-in-project-management-construction-project.pngTry it now 5. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a fundamental example of project documentation. It breaks down the project’s scope into smaller, more manageable components. At the top is the overall project goal that is progressively broken down into smaller pieces. This tool helps organize complex projects and ensures they stay on track. /wp-content/uploads/2020/09/WES-Screenshot.jpgDownload now 6. RACI Chart RACI stands for responsible, accountable, consulted and informed. A RACI chart, also known as a RACI matrix, helps define roles and responsibilities for different tasks and deliverables within a project or process. It aims to eliminate confusion about who is responsible for what and improve communication. This is a valuable tool for projects of all sizes, especially those with multiple stakeholders and complex workflows. /wp-content/uploads/2020/05/RACI-Matrix-Screenshot.jpgDownload now 7. Risk Register This document allows you to register all potential project risks and includes a brief description of their potential impact and likelihood. A risk register is an important project document as it provides important information for your risk management plan that contains all risk management documents, strategies and guidelines. /wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Risk-Tracking-Screenshot.jpgDownload now 8. Scope Statement A scope statement defines the activities that will be executed to complete a project. It’s used by project managers to let stakeholders know what will be done and what won’t be done so that expectations are clear from the beginning. It’s part of the scope management plan, a comprehensive document that explains the procedures and guidelines related to the project scope. /wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Project-Scope-Screenshot.jpgDownload now 9. Project Budget The project budget is a critical project management document. To create one, you’ll need to estimate your project costs, which include labor, materials, equipment and anything that’s needed to execute the project. /wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Project-Budget-Screenshot.jpgDownload now 10. Project Communication Plan A communication plan sets all the guidelines for communication among team members and project stakeholders. It defines the communication channels to be used, the communication schedule and roles and responsibilities among other details to streamline the communication process throughout the project life cycle. /wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Communication-Plan-Screenshot.jpgDownload now 11. Project Status Report Project status reports are a must-have project management tool because they allow you to check the health of your project at any point in time and share data with stakeholders to keep them updated. Status reports are brief and include the most relevant information only. /wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screen-Shot-2022-08-05-at-2.17.22-PM.pngDownload now 12. Project Closure Template It’s always necessary to create project documentation at the end of the project closure phase. That’s because project managers need to close contracts, create a “lessons learned” document and get formal approval from stakeholders among other important tasks. All of this must be documented so that nothing falls through the cracks. /wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Project-Closure-Screenshot.jpgDownload now 13. Project Proposal Template A project proposal is a project management document that provides a quick overview of the key areas of a project. Its main purpose is to convince potential stakeholders of the value of the project during the initiation phase. It should be a persuasive document that highlights the main benefits, goals and requirements. /wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Project-Proposal-Screenshot.jpgDownload now 14. Issue Log Document An issue log is an example of project documentation that helps manage problems or obstacles that come up during a project. It’s a list or spreadsheet that’s used to document, monitor and resolve issues that could potentially impact the project’s schedule, budget, scope or quality. An issue log helps establish responsibility for resolving issues and creates a historical record for future reference. /wp-content/uploads/2016/06/issue-tracking-template-zoomed-in.jpgDownload now 15. Change Request Form A change request form is a standardized project document that formally proposes, evaluates and approves alterations to a project’s original plan. It helps manage modifications to scope, budget, schedule or other project aspects in a controlled manner. This form helps mitigate the negative impact of uncontrolled changes and keeps the project on track with its overall goals. /wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Change-Request-Screenshot-600x514.jpgDownload now 16. Project Brief Template A project brief is a summarized version of your project plan, geared towards an audience such as cross-functional teams or stakeholders who don’t need to dive into all the details of a project management plan but still need to have an understanding of the project goals, budget, roles & responsibilities among other key aspects. /wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Project-Brief-Screenshot.jpgDownload now 17. Requirements Gathering Template Project requirements are the goals and specifications that are expected from a project to make sure all stakeholders are satisfied. Our free requirements gathering template will help you document all your project requirements. /wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Requirements-Gathering-Screenshot.jpgDownload now 18. Project Overview Template A project overview is a 1-page document that outlines the most critical aspects of a project such as its timeline, milestones, budget, status and the team members’ roles & responsibilities. /wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Project-Overview-Screenshot.jpgDownload now 19. Team Charter Template A team charter is a project management document that shows the roles, responsibilities, deliverables and resources of a project team. It helps project managers understand the workload and objectives of each team member for better resource planning. /wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Team-Charter-Screenshot.jpgDownload now 20. Stakeholder Analysis Template Stakeholder analysis helps identify individuals with a vested interest in a project. A stakeholder analysis template is the ideal type of project documentation to use before the project’s execution phase. It analyzes the stakeholders who can be impacted by a project, decision or initiative. Use this template to better understand stakeholder needs, expectations and influence to develop effective communication and engagement strategies. /wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Stakeholder-Analysis-Screenshot.jpgDownload now What’s Worth Documenting for a Project No matter your organization’s structure, the ability to record and document all aspects of a project is vital to being a successful project manager. Multiple reports, charts, graphs, documents, change requests and status updates need to be maintained throughout the project life cycle, and documentation works to stitch the disparate pieces of a project together and bring it to a successful finish. However, your time is limited, and so is patience in most organizations for tedious paperwork. How can you maintain efficiency and effectively document the project? Consider the following to determine what’s worth documenting: Client-Related Everything – Imagine that a client suddenly questions a decision that was made months ago. The client says that they chose one direction but your company decided to go down another path during implementation. Clear documentation on client meetings, including notes with dates, times and attendees helps resolve misunderstandings. Legal Dictates – For certain projects, legal teams are required to review documentation during the project. For public projects, there might be oversight and review processes that analyze a project after its completion. Know the documentation requirements your legal team needs before your project begins. Playing catch-up is risky in this kind of environment. The Right Amount of Process – While you don’t want to get lost in documenting so much of the plan and process that you’re not actually processing, you do want some definition around the project plan and goals. Let your organizational structure guide how many processes to document. For example, trying to operate process-free on a project that requires legal documentation will only get your project in trouble. When in doubt, the best approach is to document. Changes to the Project – Ongoing project reports are essential to document, especially as project goals shift. Ideally, you’ll have a real-time online project management tool so your resources and task changes are scheduled live and issues are captured as they occur. However, larger impacts to the project plan should be added to project documentation in a version-controlled manner. /wp-content/uploads/2025/02/PM-101-eBook-banner-ad.jpg Project Documentation Best Practices So what are the best strategies you should use to keep your documentation effective, efficient and timely? To align your documentation according to best practices you should: Take the Time – Use your calendar! Many people think that calendars are only for scheduling meetings. It’s not. Use it to schedule 2-3 hour blocks of uninterrupted time to assemble an essential document. Instead of taking calls or conversing with a coworker, take the time to get in the zone of writing. With focused time and attention, you’ll be able to make significant progress. Likewise, schedule 10-15 minute blocks in your calendar each week to review and update documentation. Have the Right Level of Detail – Putting documentation together for engineers is different from documents you present to executives. Engineers need details you can provide while executives don’t have time to be bogged down with details. They just want bullet points, the bottom line and the next steps. It’s up to you to determine the right level of documentation for the right audience. Use Smart Storage – Your documentation needs to be easy to locate. Documentation is useless if it’s buried under a rock where nobody can find it. This includes making sure that the infrastructure is in place to access the documentation online and that the folder structure and hierarchy are easy and intuitive to understand. Share with Others – Most people hate putting documentation together but love it when it’s packaged up for them. You’ll be pleasantly surprised that people actually read the documentation! Use your online project management software to store your documents online with the project, ideally in a collaborative, secure environment. Version Control and Up-to-Date – Keeping project documentation current and updated is challenging. It’s easy to get to the point of the initial version, but it’s painful to go back and update documentation and maintain version control. The biggest help is the document repository infrastructure you have in place. Automatic version control allows you to manage this process and the consumers of your documentation always trust that they have the latest version. How ProjectManager Helps With Project Documentation ProjectManager is work and project software that connects hybrid teams and fosters collaboration. All project documents can be stored on the tool and everyone who needs access to documents will have it. You can create project plans and so much more, making ProjectManager the only software you need for project success. Make Project Plans on Interactive Gantt Charts One of the most important project documents is your project plan. You can make and share this with our Gantt chart, which organizes all your tasks, links dependencies and plots milestones to help you stay on schedule. It even filters for the critical path. Our online Gantt charts deliver real-time data and are easy to share so everyone is always working from the most current data. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Gantt_Marketing_Wide_Zoom-175_WBS.jpg Monitor Your Project With Real-Time Dashboards Your project documentation only sets the stage for the execution of your project. To keep to those plans, you need to have a way to monitor progress and performance in real time. Our live dashboard automatically collects, calculates and delivers real-time metrics for time, workload and more. Unlike other tools, there’s no setup necessary. You see what’s happening as the project unfolds. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Dashboard_Construction_Wide_Zoom-150.jpg Go Deeper Into the Data With One-Click Reporting When a high-level view isn’t enough, you can generate project reports with a keystroke. Get more information on your costs, progress and more. All reports can be filtered to show only the data you want to see. You can attach reports to stakeholder emails or print them out for presentations. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Reporting-PROJECT-STATUS.jpg ProjectManager is a flexible tool that allows you to update your project documentation as needed as projects change. Everyone is updated with email notifications or in-app alerts so there’s never any confusion about what’s expected. Use a tool that manages your project plan, resources, cost and team while storing all the project documentation you have to deliver success. Related Content How to Write a Project Summary (Free Template Included) How to Write a Project Description: A Quick Guide How to Write an Executive Summary: A Quick Guide Ultimate Guide to Gantt Charts Ultimate Guide to Project Tracking How to Use a Project Decision Log for Optimal Results Sure, documentation can be the bane of your project, but you need it. There are tools that can help you do it easier, better and faster. The online software suite from ProjectManager is a great collaborative tool to create and store your project documentation for easier access and document sharing with your team. Get started for free. The post Project Documentation: 20 Essential Project Documents appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Welcome to “Cookbook of the Week.” This is a series where I highlight cookbooks that are unique, easy to use, or just special to me. While finding a particular recipe online serves a quick purpose, flipping through a truly excellent cookbook has a magic all its own. Every time I see a newly budding tree or a daffodil leaping out of a scruffy patch of grass, it brings me a fresh moment of cheer. Spring is coming to New York. That means sun and spring fashion, but mostly I’m excited for the variety of veggies that’ll be available. I’m choosing to celebrate Spring’s approach with an appropriately veggie-forward Cookbook of the Week: Yassou. About the bookYassou is a Mediterranean cookbook, specifically focusing on Greek dishes, written by Shaily Lipa. This cookbook is brand new; just published in March. Lipa gives the reader a teeny history lesson on how Greek cuisine developed and other cultures that influenced it, and then quickly jumps into recipes. Woven with beautiful photography, you’ll get lost flipping through sections like Mezes and Starters, Stuffed Vegetables, and (my favorite section) Patties and Savory Pastries. This cookbook has classic recipes you’ve probably tried at restaurants, like moussaka or stuffed grape leaves, and new ones you’ve never heard of but are incredibly tempting, like kolokithokeftedes (fried zucchini and feta balls). I don’t usually enjoy historical interludes in cookbooks (I’m very recipe focused) but Lipa includes brief informational sections that focus on specific ingredients that are indispensable to Greek cooking, like The Cheeses of Greece, and The Path of the Olive. These sections give welcome insight into the culture, and whets your palate for the recipes to come. A great cookbook for veggie enthusiasts who don't mind branching outYou like vegetables. You’re interested in eating them often. However, you still like to have fun. (You know what I mean—raw kale salad isn’t fun. I’ll eat it, but “fun” is not an emotion I experience when eating it.) Melitzanosalata, aka Eggplant Spread, drizzled with olive oil and served with pita bread is fun! If you want a cookbook with lots of delicious, vegetable-centric options but you don’t want to feel like you live off of salad alone, Yassou is for you. Sure, it’s a Mediterranean diet, but there is no fear of bread, sugar, oil, or pastry. There are fresh salads for sure, but they’re not the only venue for vegetables. There are numerous styles of cooking with produce, putting them in the background, foreground, and slightly off-stage. Zucchinis are shredded and shaped into fritters; crushed tomatoes create a simmering blanket for shrimp; onion and peppers chargrill on a skewer with juicy hunks of lamb. Many of the recipes rely on plants, but you don’t have to commit. Some days you just want bread and cheese and there are recipes for those moments in Yassou too. There are pasta dishes, fish dishes, bread recipes, and oh, the cheese. I have truly enjoyed a free pass this week to eat all the feta I want. The dishes I made this weekOne thing I appreciate about Yassou is that you can jump into these recipes with whatever cooking skill level you exist at. It’s written simply, and the instructions are clear and easy to follow. There is no preamble about specialty cookware or how to replace ingredients you can’t find. Most of the ingredients are things that are common to the Western grocery store. I didn’t have to sift for very long to find recipes I was able to do because I didn’t have to consider making any special trips or ordering unusual ingredients. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann I decided to make Kassiopita (Greek flatbread) and Horiatiki Salata (Greek Salad). Yes, I essentially made Greek Olive Garden unlimited salad and breadsticks, but I don’t care what you think. It’s always been a great deal. Plus, these recipes made for a fabulous lunch. On the surface, Horiatiki Salata looks like any Greek salad you might have had before—kalamata olives, cucumbers, and feta among other ingredients with a simple dressing. But there are good and bad versions of this salad being made, often in New Jersey diners and pizzerias. This version is perfectly crunchy, briny, and herbaceous with as much creamy, salty feta as you please. I knew I could count on this salad recipe as soon as I saw that the first move was thinly slicing the red onion and pickling it in the oil and vinegar dressing. This should be the treatment of all freshly sliced onions in salad. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann The Kassiopita, entitled Greek Flatbread in the cookbook, might become something I make quite often. It’s easy to make, loaded with feta, and cooks up quite dramatically in the oven. The batter is made with a blend of yogurt, egg, and flour, so it has the texture of a giant popover, or Dutch Baby. It’s seasoned lightly and then you mix crumbled creamy feta into the batter. The mixture cooks in a casserole dish with a quarter-cup of olive oil in it. I watched the bread bubble and fry as it puffed up in the oven, and broiled it for the last minute and a half to lightly brown the surface. I ate a piece while it was still warm (too hot actually, but I can’t be stopped), and the crumbled feta made decadent melty, tart pockets of cheese dispersed in the eggy bread. Eat it with salad or eat it solo—I can vouch for both. I made the bread in the instructed size dish, but if you wanted the bread to be thinner then you could easily use a larger pan and reduce the cooking time. How to buy itYassou is available as a hardcover, or as an e-book for a reasonable price. I highly suggest taking a jaunt to your nearest big box book shops or local independent bookstores to see if they have it on their new or featured cookbook displays. And if it’s not on their shelves, ask if they can order it to their location (sometimes for no shipping fee). Yassou: The Simple, Seasonal Mediterranean Cooking of Greece $16.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $16.99 at Amazon View the full article

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Yesterday, Nintendo finally announced its successor to the Nintendo Switch, fittingly named the Switch 2. I already wrote about my general experiences with the console, where I talked about how it’s mostly boring, but probably the right move on Nintendo’s part. Still, I wanted to take a moment to call out one part of the console that definitely isn’t boring: the mouse controls. When you take one of the Switch 2’s controllers, the Joy-Con 2, off the console and put it on its side, it becomes a mouse—simple as that. If you’re playing a compatible game, you’ll instantly see a cursor pop up on screen, and right away, you’ll be playing as if you were on PC. Rotate the controller to be upright again, and you’ll be back to a more traditional setup. This is akin to a magic trick. Despite consoles generally being easier to set up than PCs, and more often played from more comfortable positions like the living room, certain genres have eluded them for a while. These include shooters, strategy games, and other titles that benefit from quick and precise pointer movement. There have been attempts to fix that before, like with motion controls, but having gone hands-on with the Switch 2’s mouse mode, it’s easily my favorite so far. Suddenly, the comfort of consoles and precision control of PCs don’t need to be at odds anymore. There are a few drawbacks, which I’ll get into in a moment, but I was surprised how well it worked overall. Take Metroid Prime 4. This series started off on the GameCube, with shooting almost entirely relegated to an archaic lock-on system. Then, it re-released on the Wii and later the original Switch with improved motion controls, but those could get tiring after a bit. Now, with Metroid Prime 4, it plays just like any other shooter (OK, the lock-on is still there if you want it, but you get my point). That’s huge. Granted, an exploration-based series like Metroid doesn’t necessarily need to cross that threshold, but it worked nearly perfectly in my time with it, and represents so many possibilities for the Switch 2. Now, the Nintendo port of Call of Duty or similar titles might not be some compromised alternative when you don’t have any other systems; it could be the best way to play, barring the PC. And this goes double for genres like strategy games, which often skip consoles altogether. Civilization VIII on the Switch 2 felt exactly like controlling it at my desk. But even if those more traditional use cases elude you, the mouse controls are the one place in the Switch 2’s design where you can see Nintendo’s classic playfulness at work. About a month after the console’s launch, the company is set to re-release its latest Mario Party game with an enhanced port for the Switch 2, and as I saw first-hand, it took the opportunity to go all-in on the mouse. In a pre-release hands-on with the Switch 2 version of the game, I got to use mouse controls to play a convincing substitute for air hockey, a classic mouse avoider game, plus two mini-games that actually do things you can’t do on a normal mouse. The first had me spray painting objects with the Joy-Con, then quickly shaking it to refill my paint canister. It wasn’t the most robust experience, but it did show off one benefit to just tossing mouse functionality on an existing controller—you can use the controller’s other functions, like motion controls, in tandem with it. This was more noticeable in a stacking mini-game I played, where I had to use the mouse pointer in combination with the Joy-Con’s gyro to make a taller block tower than my competitors without knocking it over. Throw in some oddball shapes, like a Yoshi stuffed animal, and it was great fun. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt But perhaps the most noticeable example of Nintendo doing something new with the mouse was in Drag X Drive, a basketball game that sees you controlling a player in a wheelchair. With its crude graphics and mocap-feeling animation, it definitely had tech-demo vibes, and I’ll leave it to others more versed in the topic than me to talk to the representation of disabled athletes. But I will say that it might be the only game I’ve seen played with two mice at once. In the game, you place both Joy-Con 2 controllers in mouse mode, then use your left hand to control your left wheel, and your right hand to control your right wheel. Honestly, it got tiring pretty fast, but it did feel shockingly accurate to the few experiences where I’ve been in a wheelchair (although, again, I’ll leave the real judgment there to experts). It’s also another good example of the mouse controls combining with another Joy-Con feature, in this case vibration. The controllers did a great job of simulating my wheels’ drag on the ground as I turned them, which helped me know what needed moving where, and made controlling my character fluid enough that, yes, I was able to dunk. All this said, this playfulness has me equal parts excited and worried. As much as I’m excited to see that new play experiences aren’t entirely dead on the Switch 2, mouse controls will only thrive as long as developers use them. Given Nintendo’s past history with accessories like the Wii MotionPlus, I worry that they’ll quickly fall by the wayside following a few of its own first party releases. There’s also some physical discomfort to acknowledge here. The Joy-Con 2 technically have capabilities normal mice don’t, yes, but they also lose out on ergonomics. They’re much thinner, so I have to grip them with a very tight claw style that’s not natural to me, and pressing the face buttons on them while using them as mice can be a bit of a challenge at first. I’d love to see the ability to map the right stick to face buttons instead, but we shall see. Still, this is one feature I can’t be mad about—if only because I’m still holding out hope that it may eventually lead to Nintendo DS and Wii U emulation in Switch Online. Playing games made for these consoles on other devices has always been a bit difficult because of their unique touch controls, even on mobile. But with a big screen TV and a mouse pointer taking the place of a stylus, we may finally have the perfect answer to this longstanding problem. I’m beaming, as I’m sure the dozen other The World Ends With You fans are. View the full article

Healthcare professionals tend to have many pairs of scrubs, and those scrubs can get worn out, especially with frequent washing. Or maybe some scrubs just aren’t the right fit, style, or comfort level anymore. Instead of tossing those in the trash, scrubs company Figs is launching a new recycling program to give old scrubs a second life. It’s the latest take-back program in partnership with SuperCircle, a recycling management company that has worked with J. Crew, Reformation, Parachute, and other brands to help keep textiles out of landfills. Called “Scrubs That Don’t Suck,” the circularity initiative will collect old, used, worn out, or simply uncomfortable scrubs from any brand (just launder them first, please). Figs says the idea came from their community members, who said they often have “old, boxy, itchy” scrubs in the back of their closet, “and they’re just not sure what to do with them,” says Figs’ Chief Marketing Officer Bené Eaton. Some workplaces give out scrubs, and nursing schools can require students to wear scrubs from specific brands, so healthcare workers can amass a collection. People who want to send in their old scrubs can get a prepaid shipping label from Figs, or they can drop them off in person at Figs’ community hub locations in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Through April, for the launch of the program, customers who recycle their scrubs will get a $50 credit toward a Figs purchase; after that, they’ll get a $25 credit. (Figs scrub tops start at $38, and bottoms at $44; the apparel company did more than $555 million in net revenue over 2024.) Those sent-in scrubs will either be fiber-to-fiber recycled, meaning the fibers will be turned into new fabrics, or open-loop recycled, meaning they’ll be shredded and processed for housing insulation, carpet matting, and other uses. While all textiles are still somewhat difficult to recycle, certain fibers, like 100% cotton, have “more robust” recycling outcomes, says SuperCircle cofounder and CEO Chloe Songer. Assuming scrubs follow broad apparel recycling trends, she estimates 40% will go to fiber-to-fiber recycling, and 60% to open loop. “We only work with projects that extend the life of the fiber at least five years,” she adds. That way, those textiles aren’t being turned into items like rags that may just end up in landfills within a year or two. Textile waste is a massive environmental issue. In the U.S. alone, people throw out an estimated 11.3 million tons of textiles annually. The majority of clothing ends up in landfills after only one owner. It’s difficult to nail down specific statistics on scrubs; people do donate them to secondhand stores or set up groups to trade scrubs. But scrubs are a “high frequency wear” item, Songer notes, meaning they get washed frequently and generally get dirty and worn. Scrubs that may be especially shabby, poor quality, or stained may not be a good fit for donation. “The biggest point of feedback we’ve had is that our community has collected, for years, these really poor, ill-fitting pieces of apparel, and so they end up sort of being stuck with them,” Eaton says. In April 2024, Figs did a one-month pilot of a scrubs take-back program to test out a solution. That pilot collected 45,000 pounds of scrubs. “It’s a great indicator in terms of what the long-term impact can be,” she adds. With this launch, Figs’ take-back program is now permanent. The focus on circularity also fits into Figs’s broader sustainability goals; the brand aims to have at least 75% of its scrub fabric be made of recycled and upcycled materials by 2030. Currently, its “Indestructible” scrubwear line, launched in 2024, uses 54% recycled polyester. Scrubs can be made up of different materials; some may be cotton, others polyester, and many are a blend. SuperCircle uses near-infrared spectroscopy, or NIR, technology, which uses infrared light to identify a textile’s makeup. Then it can catalogue and sort those different textiles, and send them off to the right recycling facilities. Scrubs are good candidates for apparel recycling because many don’t have zippers or buttons that can complicate the recycling process. For textile recycling to work, Songer says, it needs scale; SuperCircle ships its material to recyclers 40,000 pounds at a time. Collecting scrubs will help SuperCircle scale and ramp up its overall textile recycling volume. “This will be the first time that we’re getting post-consumer scrubs into textile recycling outcomes,” she says. This partnership, though, is just “scratching the surface” of medical apparel waste, she adds; SuperCircle hopes to continue working with the medical industry more widely to help divert items like hospital gowns and linens from landfills. View the full article

It’s summer again. A decade may have passed in real time since stepbrothers Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher had their last summertime adventure on TV, but it’s just one unremarkable school year later for the characters in the beloved animated TV series Phineas and Ferb. The longest-running show in Disney Channel history, Phineas and Ferb aired from February 2008 to June 2015, winning five Emmys and becoming the most successful animated series for kids (ages 6 to 11) and tweens (ages 9 to 14) in Disney Television Animation history. It became the No. 1 animated TV series among tweens in 2009, supplanting Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants. Tina Fey, Ben Stiller, Seth MacFarlane, and Chaka Khan guest-starred, among many others, attracting a wide audience—roughly 25% of whom were older than 18. A live show featuring costumed actors doing musical numbers toured North America from 2011 to 2013. Then, after a seven-year run of 126 two-part episodes, co-creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh ended the show. They were exhausted. But viewers were not—Phineas and Ferb has since racked up more than 13 billion viewing hours across linear and streaming platforms. It remains Disney’s top-ranked title among boys 6 to 11, and has achieved cult status among many of its original fans. Dan PovenmireJeff “Swampy” MarshPhineas and Ferb During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Povenmire got on TikTok “because I was bored,” he says. “Almost immediately I got millions and millions of followers.” (He has 6.8 million today.) “I realized that all the twentysomethings who grew up with the show had all moved to TikTok.” Posts in which he’d evoke the voice of Phineas and Ferb archvillain Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz would get millions of views overnight. In January 2023, Disney announced it was bringing the show back. Forty new episodes are set to run, starting with two episodes on Thursday, June 5, at 8 p.m. ET and PT on Disney Channel and Disney XD. (The first episode will be available that same day on Disney Channel YouTube). The first 10 episodes of the season will then premiere the next day on Disney+ and also be available to stream on Disney Channel On Demand. The action picks up the summer after the show’s original run, with the kids a year older but not visibly changed—except for an extra orange stripe on Phineas’s trademark T-shirt. (You can see the new trailer here.) “If you were bingeing the whole series and got to the end of the fourth season and went right into the fifth season, it shouldn’t feel like a different show,” says Povenmire, who returns to the helm with longtime collaborator Marsh (they also voice the characters of Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Major Monogram, respectively). Most of the original voice cast is also returning, and the new series will have the same format: two stories contained in a 30-minute time slot. But since the show’s original run, the world has changed, the way audiences consume media has evolved, and the Disney universe has expanded. So with the reboot of Phineas and Ferb, Disney is using every trick in its marketing playbook, hoping to optimize new platform synergies and maximize engagement with fans well beyond the typical Disney Channel demographic of 6- to 14-year-olds. “With Phineas and Ferb, we have a rare opportunity to tap into both nostalgia and discovery,” says Shannon Ryan, president of marketing at Disney Entertainment Television. “Many original fans are now young adults or parents, and our campaign is designed to celebrate that cross-generational appeal.” “Hey, Ferb! I know what we’re going to do today!” Phineas and Ferb is known for its rapid-fire puns, visual gags, and zany pop-culture references, all of which came easily to creators Povenmire and Marsh, veterans of The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and Family Guy. The show’s plot is essentially always the same: Phineas and Ferb dream up an over-the-top, large-scale invention—an other-dimensionator, a giant robot shark, a tower to the moon, an animal translator, a time machine, a backyard beach with an ocean—and get their pals to help them build it. Their teenage sister, Candace, tries to “bust” them. Meanwhile, the boys’ pet platypus, Perry, in his alter ego as super-spy Agent P., battles the gleefully evil supervillain Dr. Doofenshmirtz and his latest “-inator” device (De-Love-Inator, Hot-Dog-Vendor-Revenge-Inator, Double-Negative-Inator, to name a few). Almost always, the story ends with the evidence of the boys’ invention being wiped away, leaving Candace fuming. “Early on, we decided to make the show a nicer show,” Povenmire says. “We decided to get rid of a lot of the attitudinal humor that is the easiest to write and say, ‘Let’s see if we can make a good, edgy show without making the characters into jerks and idiots.’ And I think that’s what you get—a show that’s wholesome but not cringey.” Integral to the show’s appeal are its catchy songs, written by Povenmire, Marsh, and collaborator Martin Olson. Every episode of Phineas and Ferb features at least one musical number, and these songs have continued to inspire viral content on TikTok and Instagram many years later. “I’d see Jason Derulo [dancing to] ‘Platypus Controlling Me,’” Povennmire says, “Lizzo doing ‘Squirrels in my Pants’ in front of a sold-out crowd at a concert, Jimmy Fallon and Reese Witherspoon doing ‘Squirrels’ on TV. It was really bizarre, but it gave us this feeling like there’s still a very rabid fan base out there.” It’s an unusually broad one. The first generation of Phineas and Ferb fans are college age. Their parents, who were often won over as well, are now (gulp) in their fifties. And an entire new generation of youngsters has discovered the show through streaming on Disney+. Each of these audiences has different viewing habits—and presents unique marketing challenges—and Disney has made a calculated plan to appeal to them all. “Seize the day!” Even during the show’s original run, “it was clear that fan appetite extended beyond traditional TV,” Ryan says. “That’s why we launched early original short-form series like Take Two With Phineas and Ferb and Doof’s Daily Dirt to keep the world alive between seasons.” This summer, Disney will debut two new original shorts, Cartoonified With Phineas and Ferb, a Take Two update featuring interviews with real-life celebrities drawn in the style of the series, and Agent P, Under C, featuring Perry as Agent P. battling rivals from A.N.A.T.H.E.M.A. (the Alliance of Nefarious Animals That Has an Exceptionally Memorable Acronym). The shorts will play on Disney Channel, Disney+, and Disney YouTube channels. The new episodes themselves will initially run at 8 p.m. ET and PT on Disney Channel—a prime family viewing hour. They will then stream on Disney+ the next day, with more episodes released over subsequent weeks. The linear and streaming platforms “don’t seem to be cannibalizing each other,” says Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded TV. “Kids are title loyal, platform agnostic, and they watch anything, any and everywhere.” Meanwhile, thanks to Disney+’s extended constellation of properties including Marvel and Star Wars, there are new brand synergies to capitalize on. There were a couple of crossover episodes in the original run of the series, including “Mission Marvel” and “Star Wars.” This time around, Marvel will publish new comics featuring Phineas and Ferb and other show characters reimagined as superheroes. New show-related merch will include the first Phineas and Ferb FunkoPop! collectible figures and, on May 9, an album from Disney Music Group called Lofi: Phineas and Ferb, featuring chilled-out renditions of 10 songs from the original series. The “summer celebratory takeover,” in Disney’s marketing speak, will also include trailer placement with in-theater screenings of the Warner Bros. Minecraft movie; promotion at this year’s Vans Warped Tour music festival; branded ice-cream trucks at beaches; and a sponsorship at the San Diego Zoo, home to the only two platypuses in the U.S. Near the start of the new series pilot, Phineas, Ferb, and their gang frantically throw out dozens of ideas for their next invention. Rather than deciding on one, they build them all. Disney seems to be doing much the same thing. “Our campaign is about more than launching a new season of a hit show,” Ryan says. “It’s about making Phineas and Ferb the must-experience event of the summer.” It’s going to be hard to miss. View the full article

Are you ready for another 140 days of summer vacation? Disney announced today that the long-awaited reboot of its animated hit Phineas and Ferb will be back on June 5 for the start of a 40-episode run across Disney’s linear and streaming platforms. The action picks up the summer after the show’s original run left off, with the kids a year older but not visibly changed—except for an extra orange stripe on Phineas’s trademark T-shirt. Co-creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh are back at the helm. Originally launched on Disney XD in 2008 (after a 2007 “sneak peek”), the animated show—about two inventive stepbrothers on summer vacation, their pet platypus, and a bumbling supervillain named Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz—aired for 126 episodes, the longest-running show in Disney TV history. It beat out rival Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants to become the No. 1 animated TV series among tweens (ages 9 to 14) in 2009, and became the most successful animated series for kids and tweens in Disney Television Animation history. The show spawned six one-hour specials, two movies, a soundtrack album, a touring live show, and a really dedicated cult following both IRL and online (Povenmire has 6.8 million followers on TikTok). Its multilevel humor, catchy songs, and lively visuals appealed not only to its tween target audience but also to their parents. Now those kids are in college, their parents are in their forties and fifties, and there’s a whole new generation of younger viewers who have discovered the show on Disney+. (Across linear and streaming platforms, more than 13 billion hours of Phineas and Ferb content has been viewed since the show’s launch.) Disney has extensive plans to reach all of those viewers where they are. The new episodes will air first on Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney Channel YouTube—and the next day on Disney+. View the full article

In the early days of SEO, owning an exact match domain (EMD) was like holding a cheat code. If someone searched for “siamese kittens,” you could bet that siamesekittens.com would be sitting pretty at or near the top of the search results. The algorithm heavily weighted the presence of keywords in the domain, and for a while, that simple trick delivered serious ROI. But it’s 2025 now. AI has reshaped search, large language models (LLMs) are rewriting how answers are generated and delivered, and the rules of the game have changed. So, what role – if any – do exact match domains still play? The EMD of yesteryear: Keyword first, brand second In the early 2010s, EMDs were so powerful that entrepreneurs snapped up keyword domains like real estate. It didn’t matter if the domain was awkward or forgettable – cheapcarinsurancequotes.com was printing traffic, and that’s what mattered. But that short-term success came at a long-term cost: most EMDs weren’t built as brands. They were designed to match a keyword string, not to build trust or recognition. Then came the backlash. Google’s 2012 EMD update specifically targeted low-quality sites using EMDs to rank without offering real value. It didn’t kill EMDs outright but ended the gravy train for those relying on the domain name alone. And since then, the emphasis on quality, content, and brand authority has only grown stronger. The 2025 lens: Exact match still matters – but not like it used to Fast forward to now, and it’s clear: exact match domains can still carry value, but that value has shifted. If you’re launching a site today and manage to get a clean, keyword-rich domain that also feels brandable and trustworthy – great. You’ve got a leg up in memorability and signaling relevance. But if you’re chasing keyword matches for their own sake, the return may not justify the effort. Here’s the shift: EMDs used to work because they matched the query. Today, they work if they support a strong brand identity. Dig deeper: How to choose an SEO-friendly domain name Brand recognition is the new exact match Search engines, especially those powered by LLMs, increasingly prioritize brand recognition and authority over simple keyword matches. LLMs don’t just look for words – they synthesize intent, context, and known entities. That means the domain mentioned across high-authority content, link profiles, and user conversations is more likely to surface – not because it matches a keyword but because it matches a recognized brand. Brandable domains have a huge advantage here. They’re easier to build equity into, easier to remember, and easier to grow. If your domain sounds like a real brand, people will treat it like one – and so will search engines. In other words, the domain you’ve been building up as a brand is what ranks now, not just because of the words in the URL but also because of the reputation behind them. Dig deeper: The new SEO imperative: Building your brand Brandable beats literal In today’s ecosystem, what’s often more valuable than a literal match is a domain that’s: Memorable. Spellable (especially over voice or radio). Brandable (flexible enough to evolve). Unique (so you can dominate search results for it). Just a tip from someone who’s seen a few things. If your domain doesn’t pass the radio test – if people can’t easily spell it or remember it after hearing it – you’ll lose traffic. You know how nothing ruins a good joke like the need to explain it? The same applies to domain name spellings. And that’s not something even great SEO can fix. Voice search, AI assistants, and podcast shoutouts all require clarity and ease of recognition. We’re not just building for search engines anymore but for humans who engage with content across audio, video, and conversational interfaces. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. When exact match still has an edge Let’s not throw the EMD baby out with the bathwater. There are still scenarios where an exact match or partial match domain can be a smart move. Affiliate and review sites Especially in highly specific niches, a well-chosen EMD can signal relevance and drive clicks – if paired with quality content. Local SEO A domain like napervilleplumber.com still carries weight, especially for small businesses with limited branding budgets. Michael Dorausch of Chiropractic Domains said: “In my experience, exact match domains haven’t lost value – especially geo-based ones. Domains like [city][keyword].com or [keyword][city].com are still popular and continue to sell for a premium. Just this week, pawnbroker.com was expected to go for over $20K at auction.” Early-stage validation If you’re spinning up a quick MVP and want to test a niche, grabbing an EMD can help you validate demand before committing to a full brand buildout. That said, Google’s understanding of domains has matured. It’s less about the characters in the domain and more about the signals the domain has accumulated over time. Bill Hartzer, SEO and domain name consultant, shared: “If you build a brand around your exact match domain – using it as your business name – you’ll naturally start earning links where the anchor text matches the domain. That can absolutely boost rankings, especially once Google starts to recognize it as a brand query, not just a keyword.” “Bobbleheads.com is a great example – it’s both a generic term and a brand, and it took time (plus news mentions and authoritative links) before Google consistently treated it as a branded entity.” What this means for SEO strategy So, should you still buy an exact match domain in 2025? Maybe – but only if it fits into a broader, brand-led strategy. The domain alone won’t save you. You need content, authority, consistency, and recognition across channels. A great domain might open the door but won’t carry the conversation. That’s where your brand comes in. Dig deeper: How to establish your brand entity for SEO: A 5-step guide The domain gold rush is over – but it’s not dead We’re past the era where people flipped keyword domains like real estate. But domains still matter. We’re entering a more nuanced era in which the right domain – one that aligns with your brand and helps humans and AI find and trust you – has more long-term value than ever. There’s freedom in that. You’re no longer boxed into chasing the last available .com for your keyword. You can get creative. Find something that evokes the right emotion. Build something people remember. Make it yours. And make sure people can spell it. Exact match domains might open doors, but brandable domains build relationships. View the full article

Misplaced nostalgia is not a good enough reason for something that will only hurt votersView the full article