It is easy to get caught up in the deadlines and urgency within one’s day. However now that spring has arrived, I find it equally important to carve time out to enjoy the nice weather and attractions that a quick walk to the Embarcadero provides.
It is easy to get caught up in the deadlines and urgency within one’s day. However now that spring has arrived, I find it equally important to carve time out to enjoy the nice weather and attractions that a quick walk to the Embarcadero provides.
After spending the past 6 months in perpetual motion with work, it was great to split after thanksgiving to get some needed rest & relaxation with my family. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico is a short 3 hour flight from San Francisco.
With some early efforts to CNET in progress – this week was a great opportunity to visit with folks in the NYC office. I had not been to the big apple since I was a little boy, so it was both an immersive trip with my east coast design team, as well as an impressive insight into all things HUGE about NYC!
On Sunday, the family hoped to enjoy “25 years of Pixar Animation” – an exhibit at the Oakland museum which had been extended through the weekend due to popular demand. We had only learned it was there on Saturday, so we had felt fortunate to have found out in time to make it to the last day!
A perk to my new year’s quest to re wire my internal clock, is in being able to watch the sunrise. Historically, I have done much of my best work between 10pm – 2am. (I enjoy the silence) However, so far I feel pretty creative in the early morning hours and attribute a bit of this inspiration from the combined silence and changing light.
The past week has had it’s share of stresses for me. However, my mantra has always been that the most beautiful things in life are so - with or without us. That said, it is up to me to see and notice those things that are so easily overlooked or taken for granted. As my family headed out the door to go out and grab some dinner, I could not help but notice that the sky seemed to be on fire just over the hill from my front deck.
I spend 5 days a week in arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world – yet so infrequently do I actually see what so many folks travel thousands of miles each year to see. Lately I have been taking quick walks to the Embarcadero with co-worker @JFP as a way to get a little physical activity during my day. In addition to the health benefits, this also gives me the opportunity to actually enjoy a bit of what makes San Francisco a loved town. ( All be it, more from the vacationers then us working stiffs! )
Los Compadres is a source of both inspiration and food coma… While unpredictable as to which will be my outcome – it is the best Mexican food within a multiple block radius of CBS Interactive and a gamble I take weekly.
So often us designers look to various sources of inspiration to apply to our work. Like most, I do look at the many design and CSS showcase sites to see what my peers are up to. This of course, is plenty inspiring. However simply paying attention to the small details that can be found all around us are often my greatest source. This evenings walk provided a beautiful example of “Warm lights and Cool shadows”. Complimentary colors are those found on opposite sides of one another on the color wheel.
I am an avid student and evangelist of user-centered design principles - I have created or overhauled some of the world's largest online Business & Technology properties. My focus has always been on building functional design systems that creatively solve business problems. Solutions that convey brand & messaging, but more importantly, are intuitive to maximize the possibilities of an interactive medium. Any thoughts, opinions, or ideas expressed on this website are solely my own and not necessarily representative of those of my employer, CBS Interactive.
