Sep. 06 2010

In a world where labor does exactly what it’s told to do, it will be devalued. Obedience is easily replaced, and thus one worker is as good as another. And devalued labor will be replaced by machines or cheaper alternatives. We say we want insightful and brilliant teachers, but then we insist they do their labor precisely according to a manual invented by a committee… Companies that race to the bottom in terms of the skill or cost of their labor end up with nothing but low margins. The few companies that are able to race to the top, that can challenge workers to bring their whole selves—their human selves—to work, on the other hand, can earn stability and growth and margins. Improvisation still matters if you set out to solve interesting problems. The future of labor isn’t in less education, less OSHA and more power to the boss. The future of labor belongs to enlightened, passionate people on both sides of the plant, people who want to do work that matters.
Seth Godin (via azspot)

Aug. 11 2010

SXSW 2011 PanelPicker - No Excuse: Web Designers Who Can't Code

In a recent interview, Jonathan Ive said “It’s very hard to learn about materials academically, by reading about them or watching videos about them; the only way you truly understand a material is by making things with it.” He’s talking about product design, but the principle is just as relevant to the Web (if not more so). “The best design explicitly acknowledges that you cannot disconnect the form from the material—the material informs the form…. Because when an object’s materials, the materials’ processes and the form are all perfectly aligned…. People recognize that object as authentic and real in a very particular way.” As our industry grows and roles get more specialized, it’s possible to become a “web designer” without more than a cursory understanding of the fundamental building materials of the Web: the code. Is this just the price of progress? Are the days of the web craftsman soon to be in the past? Or is a hybrid approach to web design and development something worth preserve?

my perspective on “south by” and if i’ll ever actually go aside, this panel rings true to me. not because i design for the web or code for the web. sure, i’ve done both and both together but it’s not my formal profession. it’d take many more years of practice and application to get to that point.

however, the road that’s taken me to where i am now started with both coding & designing for the web. learning absolute building blocks of something, today, that’s so much more to so many people. part of my job is understanding attention and helping people find what they’re looking for. on the surface, “academically,” it seems relatively simple. you tweet? you’re on facebook? you can read a web page? SIGN HERE. but that’s half the story, i think. you’re attacking a problem from the outside - in, instead of of the inside - out. does this mean i’m smarter than someone who doesn’t have a history of code & design for the web? no. does it mean i can do my job better? no. does it mean i have unique insight and perspective? yes.

that’s a huge point of difference. your final product, no matter what it is, will always reflect from where it came from.

what’s your starting point?

Oct. 20 2009

turning the page.

it all started as a simple internship.

tracy put in a good word and there i was cursing out NetObjects for the next 6 months.  little did i know 6 months would turn into 4+ years, but it did.  today marks the close of a big chapter in my life (pardon the bum link to science machine).

tomorrow, i’ll be joining the team at ms&l worldwide to continue my journey in the world of communications, marketing & pr.

i could write a lot but i’ll follow form and, like any good farewell “see you later,” keep this short.  although, i have to tip my hat to the following people:

  • brian & saurabh - you guys did a pretty good sell job on me that fateful weekend.  if it wasn’t for you, i might’ve been coding e-mails for 10% off your next order on gap.com (seriously).  not only that, you taught me the ways of the ‘kon and i’ve had the pleasure of working alongside a great team ever since.

there are no hard feelings, big secrets or juicy drama.  i’m just continuing the journey.  looking forward to everything each new day will teach me.

May. 24 2009

The Case for Working With Your Hands

When we praise people who do work that is straightforwardly useful, the praise often betrays an assumption that they had no other options. We idealize them as the salt of the earth and emphasize the sacrifice for others their work may entail. Such sacrifice does indeed occur — the hazards faced by a lineman restoring power during a storm come to mind. But what if such work answers as well to a basic human need of the one who does it? I take this to be the suggestion of Marge Piercy’s poem “To Be of Use,” which concludes with the lines “the pitcher longs for water to carry/and a person for work that is real.” Beneath our gratitude for the lineman may rest envy.