west & ease

There’s a particular kind of clarity that comes from being told “no.” Not the sting of it, though that’s real too, but what’s underneath once you’ve sat with it long enough. Specifically, the relief. Because I am human, and like most humans, I carry a deep wish to belong, to be accepted, to be seen as enough. And for a long time, I kept trying to be more of what was expected, hoping that would cha...

A quick reintroduction for anyone new here: Hi, I’m Leslie and I’m a product designer. I’ve spent the last decade-plus building with early-stage startups and larger tech teams. Now I run my own studio, & luo studio , as a fractional product design partner for teams building meaningful experiences. If you’ve followed along here for a while, you probably know me more for the creative side of my life...

Interviewed in April 2026. This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.  west & ease is a space for conversations with creatives, insights on design, and the moments that bring community to life. I’m Leslie Luo, and I’ve always been fascinated by how we interpret the world. And west & ease is where I explore that through conversations, design, and community. Today I’m talking with Er...

Hosting isn't about finding the perfect venue or filling a room. It's about creating the conditions for real connection. I'm sharing three things I've learned so far as a host and community builder: why intimacy can be designed at any scale, how a host's energy and intention shapes the room, and what "scale" actually means when it comes to meaningful gatherings. Subscribe to west & ease on Substac...

At the beginning of 2025, I began to ponder a simple question: “What does it mean to build community?” Living in New York, it’s easy to be surrounded by many people, but people alone do not create community. Because to me, community is defined, as Merriam-Webster would, as “ a state or feeling of caring about and wanting to interact with others in a group.” Specifically, the feeling of finding spa...

Interviewed in May 2025. This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity. west & ease is a space for conversations with creatives, insights on design, and the moments that bring community to life. I’m Leslie Luo and in this conversation, I’m catching up with Sam Ray Lee —a creative and part of the Brooklyn-based music collective Umami House . We first spoke in 2023 . Since then, a lot ha...

This was originally a Patreon-exclusive audio recording for patrons. While we’re no longer on Patreon, we’re bringing back all exclusive content for paid subscribers. So you might hear some mentions of Patreon, but switch that out with “Subscribe on Substack” and you’ll get the idea. west & ease is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free o...

Interviewed in May 2023 | This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity. Welcome to a west & ease subscriber exclusive. west & ease is a collection of stories, sounds, knowledge, visuals, and "creative" work. Specifically, you're listening to an exclusive clip from a recent Conversation with Jay Demetillo. You can find our original conversation here . Meet Jay Demetillo, a Filipino-Ame...