Design Team Blogroll

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about writing and how beneficial it is (especially for designers) to connect and share with our broader communities of practice through storytelling. It can be scary to put content out into the world, even more so when you’re representing a team. Sharing our processes, experiments, failures, and aha moments though is the best way for all of us to learn. Blogging regularly as a team has the added benefit of creating a window into the culture of our organizations, providing a glimpse of what working there is like.

Choosing and Migrating Between Servers on Mastodon

In less than a month, I’ve progressed from being a Mastodon skeptic, to a reluctant tester, to an enthusiastic advocate. I’ve engaged more on Mastodon over the last few weeks than I have with Twitter in recent years, and this moment really does feel like a crucial tipping point for federated social.

Into the Fediverse: Getting Started with Mastodon

Like a large porcelain sink dropped on a concrete floor, Twitter’s user base has been fragmented. No, this isn’t another opinion piece about Lord Musk and whatever clout chasing headline he’s fabricating this week. It’s a summary of what I’ve learned so far about the federated social network where a sizable chunk of Twitter’s vast community has found refuge, Mastodon.

Running Farther

When I started getting into OneWheel riding in 2021, I was a little worried that it might take away from my already infrequent running routine. Instead, I’ve found that it actually inspired me to get outside even more. For several years now, I’ve had a personal goal of going for a 5k run once a week. In practice, that ended up being about every other week. This year, I pushed a little harder on that goal…

Mid-Century Masonry Faux Shutter Accents

Of all the historic residential styles that can be found around Central Florida, the modest mid-century ranch homes are some of my favorites. There are many gems in the 1950s Orlando neighborhood where I live and one of the details I notice most often is the diversity of shutter designs. Some houses have them, some don’t. Some are your run-of-the-mill fake wood shutters, and some are absolute “Shudder Sunday” train wrecks…

TWANG! Building an Arduino-Based LED Strip Game

My kids and I have spent many a weekend afternoon playing, learning, and exploring at Orlando Science Center. There is so much to see there that it’s easy to miss a little permanent exhibit in the hallway outside “The Hive” Makerspace on the 3rd floor. There you’ll find a pedestal against the wall with a spring on top and a little red button. People walk past it all the time, but tap the spring and the dark hallway comes to life with 8-bit sounds and light from an LED strip on the opposite wall.

Meta Sketch & The Legend of Jambear

When I applied to join the product design team at Sprout Social early last year, I didn’t know a single person at the company. I was just looking for an interesting product to work on and a passionate team to continue growing with. Starting a free trial checked the first box, but exploring Sprout’s design system was what really sold me.

Would you sign your website?

It’s been 15 years now since the first edition of The Principles of Beautiful Web Design was published. To celebrate that milestone, I thought I’d share a part of the story that I haven’t written about before—how I awkwardly collected signatures during my first trip to SXSW Interactive in 2007.

Standing Desk Balance Board

I sit at a desk all day. It’s a standing desk, so I’d like to spend more time on my feet but sitting is just more convenient. I’ve tried setting reminders to stand, but have a hard time making it a habit, and rarely stay off my chair for more than an hour at a time. Sound familiar?

Harbor Freight 6×8 Greenhouse

If you’ve ever looked into getting an inexpensive residential greenhouse, then you have almost certainly come across the One Stop Gardens 6 Ft. X 8 Ft. Greenhouse. Available exclusively though Harbor Freight, they are loved by many for their simple, sturdy, long-lasting design.