BeMore Festival 2024
Im scheduled to be a speaker at the upcoming BeMore Festival. The festival is put on my ADPList. It’s a free service for designers to get mentorship. I have been an active mentor on that platform since Feb 2022. My…
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Ningami’s Big Adventure
Exactly 10 years ago, we got a red foot tortoise as a pet. Ningami was a friendly creature who liked to have his shell rubbed and would do a little dance when he was happy. He roamed around my floor…
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The speech Biden could have given
Joe Biden gave a speech the other night at the DNC convention in Chicago. I can not exaggerate how much I think this speech was a lost opportunity for him to cement his legacy as one of the best presidents…
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Software Designers
I made a presentation recently of the evolution of software. From desktop applications (from way back like VisiCalc and XTreeGold) to modern web applications. The thing I find interesting was the split in designers who make applications look like “websites”…
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The job of product design
I recently heard someone say that using a design system took all of the creativity away from the designer. I found this point of view troubling and ultimately think it leads to unhappy designers and poor software. Many designers get…
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Biden and Democrats 2024
I have been a political observer since 1980. I remember watching Reagan beat Carter and Anderson on TV. My political leanings have always been towards empathy, logic, helping the most people, and progress. Between Republican and Democrat, democrats have more…
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Bravia 9 2024 with Quad sound system
I don’t smoke or drink or go on fancy vacations. I do have one expensive vice though. Once every 8 years or so I will purchase the latest greatest television experience. I bought a 250 lbs 55” HDTV monster in…
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Predictions and Consequences
Whenever I see people disagree about anything, I look for the differing predictions baked into their points of view. I blogged previously about why people disagree. Last Thursday, Biden and Trump had a debate. Objectively, it was a bad night…
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Every generation is the same
We have all these names of people born at different times. We make generalizations about every generation from their preferences, their work ethic, their morality, fashion, and more. Personally, I think every generation is exactly the same as the previous…
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Review: Brats 2024
I just watched the documentary Brats on Hulu produced by Andrew McCarthy. I really, really wanted to like this because these movies really meant alot to me growing up. Unfortunately, I hated the whole thing, nearly every second of it.…
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Servant Leadership
There is a philosophy of management I believe in called Servant Leadership. The easiest way to think about it is that the goal of a leader is to help those around them succeed rather than focus on themselves and their…
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Don’t Optimize for Happiness
It’s weird advice, I know. This comes from a person who has (mostly) been working for 35 years straight. There were several moments in my career when I optimized for happiness, and I regret almost all of those decisions. Ill…
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Ode to Jim Henson
I just watched Jim Henson, Idea Man on Disney+. I feel like he needs no introduction, but if don’t know who he is, you can certainly read about him or watch the documentary. To me, Jim Henson has been my…
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The Art of Asking Questions
Curiosity is the hallmark of a great teammate. When I am recruiting people, I will often look for signs of an inquisitive mind. Do they ask questions? More importantly, How do they ask questions? A person who is truly interested…