How the strongest design strategy starts with clear communication. — Being a freelance designer has its perks. You set your own schedule, advocate for yourself and your inherent value, and my personal favorite, being able to work on several very different projects at once. This alone justifies not ending up with a full-time role at a large company where you…

How data prioritizes what’s important and helps suppress the loudest voice in the room. — Ah, 2020. What a year. I think we’ve learned, if nothing else, that creating a narrative by bullying and being the loudest voice in the room doesn’t allow you to control the conversation forever. …

How Mercedes MBUX reminds me that my Toyota RAV 4 makes me think too much. — I have always been interested in cars. Growing up in western Pennsylvania, driving was a rite of passage. We went to great lengths to make cars our own, tinted the windows, adding colored lights inside and out, subs and 1000’s of watts to bump in the trunk, replace the factory…

How the guise of personally curating our digital experience has created a monster. — I only watch a handful of types of videos on Youtube. Stuff with Synthesizers, How to make Ramen Noodles, UI Tutorials, Carl Sagan and Alan Watts interviews, Trevor Noah and other liberal political comedy clips, NYT’s - The Daily, and other investigative journalism podcasts. …

Using your research skills to create other opportunities outside of design — Whether it's buying a new car or investing in stocks, learning about the subject is necessary to maximize your returns. It may be in the form of formal research where you’re generating spreadsheets or informal research where you’re scribbling in a notebook or on a napkin. Either way, the seeds…

And other sexy design decisions — it just works, right? — Imagine a beautiful Azure coastline. Now imagine yourself in town — you’re summoned by a friendly server outside a sea-facing restaurant. They offer you a seat on the veranda for what turns out to be the meal of your life. There’s a breeze. It’s warm, gentle, and perfect. This moment…

I want to love Anchor, but they need a Usability Heuristics overhaul first. — I am fascinated with a decentralized currency. I haven’t been in a bank in years and I plan on continuing to pull further away from institutional finance by embracing our future in digital currencies. Though living in New York doesn’t make it easy. It has some of the strictest regulations…

As reported by Binance 2021 Global Crypto User Index — January 2021 has been a crazy start to the year. We’ve had a “coup d’état attempted by Trump” here in the states, Russians are standing up to Putin in protest, COVID still rages on, and the latest event, Reddit Retail Investors vs Wall Street. This latest push back against the…

Derailment can happen to the best of us — and not every train wreck can or should be fixed, but you should know where the project went off track. — Every client is different. Obviously, I know. The nuance needed for successful communication isn’t lost on me, but figuring out each client’s unique needs for transparency can be a full-time job. Even if you’re hyper-aware and make the necessary adjustments, but you lack the necessary ancillary support needed, you’ll get…