Where I’ve Been

A high school math teacher introduced me to the golden ratio. The idea that there is a relationship between numbers and beauty fascinated me and still does to this day. Studying the golden ratio drew my attention to the renaissance artists. The intersection of math, geometry and art was intriguing but I ended up applying my interest to the art & science of user interface design. Around this time I was studying database administration. The dual strands of information management and interface design intertwined to set my career trajectory early on. I haven’t been able to shake my interest in either.

Soon after college I had my first job. It was 2003. That first year I hacked around in dreamweaver switching between the design and code views. I had a bit of experience with HTML, CSS & PHP from the previous year working on a small project with former college mates but I hadn’t paid much attention to what I was doing. Now I had a full time job and needed to know. That summer I read Jakob Nielson’s Designing Web Usability and shortly after Jeffrey Zeldman’s Designing with Web Standards. They had a lasting impact. Those books taught me that there are better and worse ways of doing things. While Nielson & Zeldman were early influences shortly after Dan Cederholm and Jeremy Keith played an important role in my development. I became fond of the web and the community that sustains it.

In the years between then and now I worked at different companies and tried my hand at different aspects of the craft. I didn’t always take seriously my new found passion. Spare time was often filled with activities not nourishing of my chosen field. Something changed recently. I want to be really good at what I do now.

Along with a newfound commitment to my practice comes a willingness to long form writing. Exercising the writing muscle improves thinking & process, and provides a space for self reflection. Side projects now dominate my spare time. A few friends and I have created JavasScript & typography study groups. These organised learning sessions have been an immense joy and I recommend them to anyone who wants to hone their skill. I look forward to contributing my thoughts to a community which has given me so much.