Archive for the ‘entries’ Category

Photos from our trip to San Diego

A couple of weeks ago we took a family vacation to San Diego, CA. Instead of flying out there, we decided to drive, which at first doesn’t seem like a very smart or efficient thing to do, but we made the road trip part of the vacation, so it actually turned out to be a blast.

In the slideshow below you’ll see sites we saw on the road to and from through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California as well as the fun stuff we did in San Diego. LaJolla Cove, Laguna Beach, The Zoo and Legoland highlighted our time in SoCal. Driving through Tonto National Forest in Arizona and seeing the Palo Duro Canyon in the panhandle of Texas on the trip back home was unforgettable.

San Diego is a beautiful place, but there’s no place like home.

Joining Ascendio

In just a few short days I’ll be writing the end of one chapter of my career and starting a new one. I’ve been looking forward to the next chapter for some time now. Over the past year or more while contemplating the next step in my career, I made a mental list of characteristics that might comprise the “ideal” place to work for me. I’ve never written those things down until now.

In addition to some basics that go without saying — good pay, location, nice people to work with, etc. — there were some more specific and harder to find aspects that I desired.
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Leaving Rosetta Stone

After 2 tours of duty over the past 4 years, I am leaving Rosetta Stone. Some of you may not be surprised, as I’ve been looking to make this move for some time now.

I started working at Rosetta Stone on the web team in 2006. Since then, I’ve learned a lot about web development and I’ve learned a great deal about myself. The company produces an absolutely top-notch product and I’m sure they will continue to be successful. But for me, it is time to move on. Read the rest of this entry →

Quotes from Rework

Last night I finished reading Rework, the new business book from the guys at 37signals. Every part of this book was excellent (great illustrations to go with great content). I’ve read quite a few business books – Good to Great, Primal Leadership, First, Break All the Rules, Built to Last, etc. Rework is easily the best business book I’ve ever read.
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User Experience Margin

How much is User Experience worth? Would you be willing to pay a bit more for a product if you also knew you’d get a better experience? I’ve had to answer these questions lately and based on personal experience, my answer is definitely yes.

A couple of weeks ago we had some new countertops and tile work installed in our kitchen. We worked with a local, family-owned remodeling company. Throughout the planning and selection phase, we had a great experience with them and were confident we chose the right company to do the job.

And then they started the work. Read the rest of this entry →

Becoming a Web Designer

Recently, someone emailed me asking for advice about how to start a career as a web designer. After taking some time to organize my thoughts on the subject, I thought I’d share them here.

What I love about the web design field is that it doesn’t require any special certifications, formal education or any other traditional qualifiers. Everyone who has ever decided to start a career as a web designer has probably taken a different path to get there. The route I followed to get where I am today is unique to my life choices and circumstances. So it would be ridiculous to say that there is a preferred path or that one way will work better than another.

The great thing about it all is this: you get to choose the path! However you get there, here are some tips that might help along the way. Read the rest of this entry →

Welcome to the Future

So, this is the future, huh? Admittedly, there’s a lot to be thankful for and amazed by these days, but …

Where’s my spaceship?

When I was a kid — maybe 10 or 11 years old back in the mid ’80s — I would fantasize about the future. I thought that the year 2010 was almost unseeable. Were we lucky enough to make it that far, there were two things I was sure I’d have: a flying car/spaceship and a jet-pack. Read the rest of this entry →

Thankful

Every night at the dinner table we all take turns saying what we are thankful for that day. Our hope is that it instills a thankful heart in our kids. Because like Madame Blueberry says, “A Thankful Heart is a Happy Heart!”

In our family, we’re thankful every day all year round. But when Thanksgiving comes along, it does allow for a bit of extra thankfulness, no? Without further ado, the following are things I’m particularly thankful for this year: Read the rest of this entry →

  • 25 Nov 2009  ·  
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See Me Speak @ DFWAUG

DFWAUG LogoAt this month’s DFW Adobe Users Group meeting, I’ll be presenting Designing With Fireworks. Slides? Yes, a few. Exciting live demonstration? Absolutely!

Are you interested in learning more about Fireworks? Maybe you’re a seasoned Fireworks designer looking for some new tips and tricks. You could be a Photoshop lifer and have been wondering what all the fuss is about Fireworks. Or perhaps you’re just starting out in the design world and want to learn more about this popular design tool.

Regardless of your background, experience, or design tool preference, chances are you’ll learn something new. Read the rest of this entry →

  • 3 Nov 2009  ·  
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Always Ask, "What Happens If…?"

This is the title of Chapter 1 in the new book by Dan Cederholm, Handcrafted CSS. I’ve been dealing with this a lot lately myself and have been doing much thinking regarding the idea of “designing in a vacuum”.

I love this book! Handcrafted CSS is full of Web design gold. Dan goes on to say:
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  • 15 Sep 2009  ·  
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