At first glance, most folks smile at the promise of a free lunch. Today being the first of the Food Truck Fridays was every bit what you would expect. (I know… it is Thursday – the first one was an exception) However, what was more important then the choice between Curry wraps or Vietnamese noodles – was shared experience of all of 235 Second Street coming out to grab their grub and enjoy some sunshine.

Beyond the coolness factor of a free lunch – My take on the biggest wins, were in the conversations I had and overheard among the folks in our soon to be named front plaza. I have been here at CBS for 5.5 years, and I eat my lunch in the plaza nearly every day. (Rain or shine) – but today I met a number of folks for the first time, and sensed that many others also chatted it up with people they had not known prior.

Here in lies the greatest result from this afternoon. It has little to do with what you chose to eat… but in the choice to participate. We have some new leaders here in the building and with that will certainly include some level of change.

The interactive space is one of constant change. The technology and presentation that is used to bring value to the user does NOT (and never will) stand still. For me, this is honestly the most exciting aspect of working with new & interactive media. It is the wild west! We don’t have the benefit to look back in time to see what our predecessors did to be be successful – the coolest stuff has yet to be done.

The first and most noticeable change here at CBS, was in getting folks out of their cubes and offices so that they could wait in a line and talk it up about a free meal. This may seem a bit obvious… but at the end of the day we are a bigger collection of talented folks who spend our day’s trying to solve very similar challenges.

Our industry has an implied urgency to stay ahead of the pack, and to solve yet unknown challenges. This by itself can be a daunting, but is a super cool and awesomely fun challenge. So at the end of the day, many folks may have simply enjoyed a great free lunch (Thanks Mr. Lanzone & Mr. Moonves!) But the value of bringing the larger group together has a bigger pay off – A shared understanding of the challenges and possibilities for the road ahead. But more important, a deeper connection with the with a broader group of passionate folks who are likely just as hell bent on knocking one out of the park!

So you can imagine just how disappointed we were when we arrived at the museum only to find that it had been sold out and we would not be able to get in.  Pixar always includes an element of the Bay Area into every movie, so in this spirit we drove up to the Berkeley Hills to catch a glimpse of the area that has proved so special to our favorite animation house.

As you can see – our efforts did not disappoint! A short drive up to Grizzly Peak reveals just how special a place the San Francisco Bay Area truly is.  So while we were let down that we could not get into to see the history behind Pixar’s past 25 years, it is easy to see how they could produce such amazing work in place as inspiring as this.

About the gig~

This is a full time position – The successful candidate (s) will assist in the creation of design solutions for assigned web projects including: product redesigns, new page layouts, visual interface design systems and functional | interactive elements, e-newsletters, promotions, and other graphical needs. Looking to the not so distant future, it will move beyond the desktop web and explore possibilities with emerging platforms such as mobile & tablets.

We are a tight knit design group that works closely with the Tech Production team to insure quick delivery of cutting edge design solutions to our audience. You are an avid user of web tools, applications and shared content online. You have understanding and interest in emerging web technologies, concepts, and designs. You pay attention to what others are doing with current design, and THRIVE on adding “best of” skills and techniques to your bag of tricks. The perfect candidate will have a solid understanding of user experience, be preoccupied with usability and have a great eye for the small details that make design stand out from the crowd. You will help define new site sections, concepts, and user flow.

The Requirements

• Portfolio of work that indicates an understanding of current web design trends
• Must be a self-starter who can produce top-quality work on tight deadlines for multiple internal customers and product teams
• Approach design with user-centered design methodologies and practices
• Understand the role of design in creating usable and effective web / digital interfaces
• Able to conceptualize and design innovative user interfaces for consumer- facing websites and web-based applications.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills. Ability to present and support creative concepts in a professional and engaging manner
• Strong desire to learn, grow and be a part of a passionate group – whose desire is to do the best work of their career.
• Advanced knowledge of the full Adobe web Creative Web Suite.
• Experience with valid HTML & CSS
• Current and review-ready portfolio

All seems reasonable right? Most important – you have to have an online portfolio. I’m not interested in a resume of what you’ve done, and where you have been. Let your work knock my socks off. If you have the chops… you are that person, or know of that person… I want to hear from you!

Ten minutes well spent…

My instinct was to run up the road to go have a look, and I am so glad that I did. As I ran up the street that runs parallel to me, you can see the vista that greeted my last minute pre-dinner effort!

As I came to the top of the street – my hope was to get above the silhouette of the homes to get a higher horizon line on the fiery sky that was about to disappear behind the mountains to my south west. To do this, I quickly hiked to the top of an open space ridge just to the right of the sidewalk.

As you can see – my efforts were rewarded greatly. All together, this took me less then 10 minutes – However, the act of making the choice to actually see this beautiful sunset that was happening weather I noticed or not brought a new and fresh outlook to my mood and spirit.  Life is a collection of moments… and we do have more control then we give our selves credits to determine how we spend them, and what we are able to take from these opportunities.

The train operators for BART are among the highest paid in the country – and I as a consumer pay for this. I absolutely can not and will not lend any support to the union. I think their demands are unrealistic, and show just how out of touch they are to the plight of every day working folks trying to get by in the Bay Area. I also hold management accountable for years of poor planning while continuing to agree to unsustainable contracts. Over the years, I have been confused by your poor decisions with regards to system growth, train cleanliness and the general reliability of the service.

Imagine if successful companies like Google, Apple or even Microsoft ran the way that BART does – they would have gone out of business years ago – Well enough is enough – Many in the region are doing their best to avoid falling through the cracks of a VERY crummy economy – I personally know a number of folks who are out of work, some of whom have or will lose their homes & businesses. I am frankly insulted by the daily news indicating the threat of a strike – and am outraged by the attitude of entitlement displayed by your workforce at a time when most folks are trying to just make sure they get through the worst of our current situation.

While I am not thrilled with the management and or service provided by BART, and I WILL be burdened with the ramifications of this strike,  I would gladly spend the next few months dealing with a difficult drive, if it were to mean that all who do not want to work are allowed to WALK – and a new workforce can be brought on and up to speed to work an honest shift for an honest salary. I am not one who wants something for nothing and am compelled to offer a perspective that will hopefully be at the very least heard.

Sincerely – Soon to be Driving from the east bay

I just sent the above letter to the main contact form on the BART.gov website – Should you have an opinion on the situation that you would like to share with the good folks at BART – you can do so via this link~

However, yesterday’s visit turned out to be a really fantastic treat. The Oakland zoo is tucked along the hillside above 580 in the Oakland hills. It is over 525 acres spread along an expansive area well removed from the chaos in the city below. The grounds are covered with all sorts lush landscape. This part of the bay area is a Mediterranean climate zone which means that all sorts of seemingly tropical plants thrive among the more expected manzanita bush and oak tree forest.

Rather then small cages and dusty concrete boxes, groups of animals are given entire hillside atmospheres to roam and enjoy their local habitat. A group of lions had nearly 3 acres of to cruise around – either lounge in the sun or hang out in a shaded creek. A couple black bears have a similar home on an opposing side that is not only spacious, but really mimic a natural environment. Clearly, it is not the same as being in the wild – but the park like feeling is a far more enjoyable experience then other far more well renown zoos. (IE – San Diego) The grounds were not ultra manicured (more park like)  but felt very natural, and all the enclosures struck me as not only large, but also incredibly kept and clean.

I have to tip my hat to the folks at the Oakland zoo, who have done an awesome job to not only provide a cool day for a local family, but to also do their best to do right by all the animals there for us to enjoy. All said, we had an great time – and found a truley unexpected treasure in an equally unexpected location.