Joshua Platt shares his own thoughts on owning [https://chrisbowler.com/journal/blogging] your own content. He agrees with my sentiments, but adds that this type of thing can also lead to more tinkering than actual writing. That's an excellent point. I've tended to stick to a cycle of a refresh of my site every 2 years. I deviate occasionally, but the desire to tinker with the design occurs far more frequently than that. But I force myself to leave things as they are when that happens. I admi…
Scott Young talks about the cult of the early risers and the romanticism around a morning routine. But he finishes with a slight twist on the usual take on this subject. Rather than preach about the early bird or similar sentiments, he talks about the importance of the routine to start your day. Regardless of the time, he makes the case that your first actions set the tone for the day. > I think this grouping effect, of having one virtuous habit priming you to make the next easier to execute,…
Similar to the post I wrote for the InVision blog, Thomas Byttebier covers the essential traits of typefaces suited for use in a UI. His main points are well put and similar to those I made. But he takes it a step further and covers a list of good typefaces for potential use. And the verdict: > All these typefaces definitely don’t burst with personality or creativity, yet they’re crammed with clarity. And in user interface design, that’s only a good thing. Well put. Source [http://thomasbytte…
The folks at Buffer posted an in-depth guide on how to use Medium to your advantage. If your goal is to get focus on your product or service, there are some great tips included in this resource. As I mentioned [https://chrisbowler.com/journal/blogging] recently, owning your content is the best step for a writer (I'd include designers and developers as well). After all, your personal website is your résumé [https://medium.com/who-what-why/why-i-didn-t-look-at-your-resume-2a8ed1f4a5bb] in 2015.…
I had the pleasure of getting down some thoughts on how type plays a vital role in UI design. It was one of my last tasks with the InVision team. And one dear to my heart! Of course, on a subject like this, I'm merely standing on the shoulders of those who laid such a solid foundation. Thanks to the likes of Robert Bringhurst [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bringhurst], Cameron Moll [https://twitter.com/cameronmoll], and Oliver Reichenstein [https://twitter.com/reichenstein] for sharing th…
Josh Pigford shares his thoughts and experiences with having a 1-on-1 with each of his team members. The takeaway? They're vital, especially with remote teams. From my own experience, I can echo the sentiment. I've been on amazing teams where the 1-on-1's were hit and miss. Sometimes we'd have them, other times not. My manager would often let the employee choose to skip the meeting if they felt there was nothing to discuss. That's a huge mistake as it shows that, as a leader, you have plenty of…
Jason Tselentis makes the case for designing “type first”, then outlines a process for doing just that. His premise is good: > Today, mobile first has become second nature, but in order to ensure the design works well on small to medium to large screens, you have to think “type first.” My own habits have changed slightly over the years, but as I don't tend to design large scale sites or applications, a robust process has not been necessary. But if I were to create one, I can't see myself using…
My family travelled out of town for 2 weeks in February. I had the pleasure of working for the entire time from the great cowork space at the Kamloops Innovation Center [http://kamloopsinnovation.ca]. A small incubator space, the KIC is filled with small startups and agencies. The director asked if I was open for giving a presentation, a short talk telling my story. I was happy to oblige. My talk focused mostly on how we all have a story tell, whether you're selling a product or a service. But…