Category: Uncategorized

So you wanna start a podcast?

Here’s the guide I wish I could have found before I started making a podcast. This is by no means comprehensive, but it does have all the basics you’ll need to get started.  It’s also my current understanding as of Fall 2023. I still feel like a complete baby at this, so please share any […]

AirPods are smartish

Next year is going to be interesting. I’m hoping to save up enough to buy a Vision Pro and experience a new world of audio and visual. Until then, I get the sense (and hear from those who have tried it) that AirPods are the first true dip into an augmented reality world; at least […]

Not so smart app defaults

I loved reading Michal’s take on tools, and how so much of it tends toward the defaults offered by Apple.  I’ve talked about this at length with my friend, Saadi recently, and again appreciate his desire to focus on default system apps first.  My take is a little different.  There’s a spectrum of following the […]

My Wanderlust

I look forward to Apple events.  It’s a fun time of year for me where I can imagine how new hardware and software will improve my life in small or large ways. In some ways this feels silly to talk about, unimportant in the grand scheme of things. But I find delight in it and […]

Podcast intro sounds

I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts over the years, and as an exercise I wanted to collect the intro sounds from some of my favorites. This is for my own purpose as I try to figure out what I want my podcasts to sound like in their intros (fractional.fm for now, and more […]

Thinking with an iPad

I use a MacBook Pro and iPad every single day for work. Both devices have become critical to what I do as a designer and creative person. Several years ago I tried to make the iPad my primary device for everything design related. It didn’t work. It forced me to make too many tradeoffs and […]

Freeform is the best iPad sketching app

Freeform was the most exciting to come out of WWDC. I saw its potential immediately, and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I’m a software product designer, and sketch out all of my work on the iPad as a starting point before moving into Figma. Here’s an example: I work with several founders […]

Getting my first Apple Watch

I’ve been intrigued by watches my whole life. While I wouldn’t consider myself anywhere close to an actual enthusiast – I know just enough to realize I know almost nothing about the industry – I’m quite interested in watches in relation to their impact on technology as a wearable. I’ve often been curious how they […]

Figma: Designers designing

Adobe announced an intent to acquire Figma for ~$20 billion today. I’ve had mixed feelings thinking about it throughout the day, while also trying to get work done with my projects. On the one hand I’ve grown to value the tool and all that it allows me to do as a designer. My career started […]

Just around the corner

The last two weeks have been intense since I started looking for new work. I’m used to pushing myself and working hard to get things done. But there’s a certain level of pressure when I am looking for new work to cover the bills for my family, while also wanting to make sure my own […]

Looking for work

TL;DR – I’m looking for a new product design opportunity. 😀 2022 has been a dream year for me in learning and growing in my career. For the past few years I’ve had the opportunity to work with a number of amazing teams on products within enterprise and the small business space. It’s given me […]

SwiftUI Curious

For the past year I’ve been listening to some awesome podcasts and hearing updates from developers as they describe their transition, or in Marco Arment’s case, dipping their into SwiftUI. I started my career as a web designer and frontend developer. Learning CSS and HTML was a challenge for me at the time, but I […]

Lovely MacBooks and changing contexts

Choosing my device I’ve been saving up for a new MacBook since February. Based on the rumors I suspected we’d see a new design for the MacBook Air in the Spring or Summer. So I saved, sold some stuff on Facebook Marketplace, and planned my purchase. Then Apple announced the Air, and it was everything […]

Writing to think

For years I failed at becoming a regular journaler. My longest stint was a couple months with Day One, years ago. It was fun, and I liked reviewing the pretty graphs over time. But it didn’t stick, it didn’t have any real value for me. Since December I’ve been journaling almost nonstop. Before that I […]

Back to writing

Yesterday I got a bug in me and sat down to write. I began the day like most other, with a journaling session. That normally takes me about 7-8 minutes to write a 1,000 words. Most of these sessions are just a brain dump of the day’s activities, where I like to process how things […]

Finding a great author

Over the past few years I’ve enjoyed jumping around between enjoyable works of fiction. I like finding a great book, then spending time reading other books from the same author. For a few years it was Stephen King. So far I’ve read about ten of his books. He’s such a talented author, and I hope […]

WWDC 2022 hot takes

I really enjoy watching Apple events. It’s been a joy of mine to tune in and catch up on what’s new. I don’t have all the Apple hardware, but I have integrated quite a few different devices into my daily life over the years. A change in software across their various platforms can have a […]