Boxes and Arrows
Boxes and Arrows is a Seattle-based online publication founded in 2001 that publishes practitioner-authored content on UX design, information architecture, and content strategy for design professionals. It has been on indefinite hiatus since July 2022 and now operates as a free archive.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Boxes and Arrows does
Boxes and Arrows is a privately held online publication (Boxes and Arrows LLC) founded in 2001 in Seattle, Washington, devoted to the practice, innovation, and discussion of design — specifically user experience (UX) design, information architecture, content strategy, and design methodology. The publication operated for over two decades as a community-driven editorial platform where industry practitioners and recognized thought leaders contributed articles, case studies, and professional development content targeting UX designers, information architects, content strategists, and design leaders. The platform was founded by Christina Wodtke and later led by publisher Amy Jiménez Márquez.
The underlying technology stack is straightforward: a WordPress publishing platform hosted on WPEngine, with content distributed through the company website, RSS feed, and organic social channels (X, LinkedIn, Facebook). There is no proprietary platform architecture, no productized modules, no public API, and no software-as-a-service offering — the entity is a single online publication rather than a product-plus-platform business. Distribution is entirely self-serve, with all content freely accessible and no paywall or registration gating.
The publication's business model was never explicitly disclosed, and available sources reference only a vague "subscription_recurring" stream without supporting pricing or customer detail. In July 2022, publisher Amy Jiménez Márquez announced the publication would be placed on indefinite hiatus; the site now continues as a freely accessible archive of the 124+ pages of editorial content produced between 2002 and 2022. As of the most recent update in January 2023, no return-to-publishing plan, monetization initiative, or strategic revival has been announced. The entity has no disclosed funding, no institutional investors, no parent company, and operates with a small team of publishers and editors.
Boxes and Arrows firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Boxes and Arrows
- Legal name
- Boxes and Arrows LLC
- Website
- https://boxesandarrows.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Boxes and Arrows is a Seattle-based online publication founded in 2001 that publishes practitioner-authored content on UX design, information architecture, and content strategy for design professionals. It has been on indefinite hiatus since July 2022 and now operates as a free archive.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Boxes and Arrows industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Design Publication
- NAICS
- All Other Publishers (513199)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Long-Form Writing & Article Platforms (MPACAIAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Education & Instructional Practice Professional Development (EDAGANAL)
Keywords
Where Boxes and Arrows is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Boxes and Arrows business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Publication Operations: The publication previously operated as a professional knowledge-sharing platform for the design community. Revenue generation mechanisms are not explicitly disclosed in available sources. Following the indefinite hiatus in 2022, the site continues as a free archive.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Boxes and Arrows product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Boxes and Arrows operates an online editorial publication featuring articles, blog posts, and resources focused on the design community — including UX design, information architecture, content strategy, process and methods, and foundational design thinking. Content is contributed by industry practitioners and authors, with a small publisher/editor team curating and hosting the site. The publication was actively maintained from 2002 through July 2022, when it was placed on indefinite hiatus; the site now exists as a freely accessible archive.
Product overview
Boxes and Arrows is a single online publication (not a platform-plus-modules architecture). It operates as a WordPress-based editorial platform featuring articles, blog posts, and resources focused on the design community, including UX design, information architecture, content strategy, process and methods, and foundational thinking topics. The publication ceased active publishing in July 2022 and now continues as a freely accessible archive.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Boxes and Arrows Online Publication An online publication delivering articles on UX design, information architecture, content strategy, design methodology, ontology, dark patterns, remote design practices, and design leadership to a global audience of design practitioners. Operated from 2001 through July 2022 and continues as a free archive.
Companies that use Boxes and Arrows
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Boxes and Arrows technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Boxes and Arrows partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Boxes and Arrows competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Smashing Magazine: Active digital publication serving web designers and UX practitioners with long-form articles, books, and conferences. Closely comparable in audience and editorial format, but with a much larger active team and diversified revenue model.
- UX Matters: Long-running online publication featuring articles on UX design, information architecture, and content strategy by industry practitioners. Closely aligned in subject matter, audience, and editorial approach.
- UX Collective: Medium-based publication and community for UX designers featuring practitioner-authored articles on UX, IA, and design practice. Comparable in audience and community-contributed editorial model; competes for the same reader attention.
- CSS-Tricks: Long-running web design publication covering front-end development and design with practitioner-authored articles. Comparable as a community-driven design publication, though with a stronger technical-development focus.
- A List Apart: A long-running online publication covering web design, UX, and content strategy with practitioner-authored articles. Highly comparable to Boxes and Arrows in audience (web/design professionals), format (long-form articles), and community-contributed editorial model.
- UX Magazine: Online publication focused on UX design, interaction design, and usability with practitioner-authored articles. Comparable in target audience and editorial format, though publishing cadence and brand prominence differ.
Regional players
- Communication Arts: Trade publication covering design, advertising, and visual communication. Comparable as a design-practitioner editorial resource, though with a print heritage and broader design-discipline scope than Boxes and Arrows.
Emerging players
- A Pattern Library: Community resource for design patterns and information architecture references serving UX and IA practitioners. Comparable subject matter niche and audience, but more focused on pattern curation than editorial articles.
Broad incumbents
- Interaction Design Foundation: Educational organization offering courses, articles, and resources on interaction design and UX. Overlaps in audience (design practitioners) and subject matter but is primarily an education business rather than an editorial publication.
- Nielsen Norman Group: Leading UX research and consulting firm that publishes extensive articles, reports, and training on UX and information architecture. Comparable subject matter and practitioner audience, but operates a much broader portfolio including paid research and training.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Boxes and Arrows social profiles
Digital presenceBoxes and Arrows financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Boxes and Arrows leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Boxes and Arrows funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Boxes and Arrows M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Boxes and Arrows
What does Boxes and Arrows do?
Boxes and Arrows operates an online editorial publication featuring articles, blog posts, and resources focused on the design community — including UX design, information architecture, content strategy, process and methods, and foundational design thinking. Content is contributed by industry practitioners and authors, with a small publisher/editor team curating and hosting the site. The publication was actively maintained from 2002 through July 2022, when it was placed on indefinite hiatus; the site now exists as a freely accessible archive.
Is Boxes and Arrows a public or private company?
Boxes and Arrows is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Boxes and Arrows founded?
Boxes and Arrows was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Boxes and Arrows based?
Boxes and Arrows is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Boxes and Arrows make money?
One revenue line is on record: publication Operations.
Who are Boxes and Arrows's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Smashing Magazine, UX Matters, UX Collective, CSS-Tricks, A List Apart and UX Magazine. Communication Arts is listed as a regional player. A Pattern Library is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Interaction Design Foundation and Nielsen Norman Group.
Does Boxes and Arrows have an API?
No public API is recorded for Boxes and Arrows.
What industry is Boxes and Arrows in?
Boxes and Arrows's product category is Online Design Publication. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAIAC, Long-Form Writing & Article Platforms, with a secondary code of EDAGANAL, Education & Instructional Practice Professional Development. Its NAICS code is 513199 and its SIC code is 2741.