20240123 Lease signed, returning to NYC!
20240102 Started new role at Highlight, a startup focused on providing product research insights in the form of digital tests and IHUTs (In-Home User Testing)
202307201655 It’s still a bit messy, but I finally got my portfolio online again! 👋🤓
202307131633 I finally let my subscription run out on a well known cms website tool in order to force myself to finally rebuild my portfolio site using Github Pages to give me a minimal option which doesn’t cost exorbitant monthly subscription fees for some pretty basic stuff. Then I plan to explore some Portfolio build out using the latest Figma features released during the Config 2023 conference—variables, themes, advanced prototyping, and more fluid layout tools like autowrap! <3 I’ve been waiting on this since really getting into Figma in 2018…I mean, honestly, since cranking out websites using Photoshop in the early 2000’s if we’re gonna be honest.
202307121159 I finally caved and decided to give Instagram’s Threads a look, although I am looking forward to their connection to the “Fediverse”/Mastodon and ActivityPub. I’ve been trying to fight these machines, but figured since I’m still out of work I should try to be visible and keep my eyes open. I also just have one of those nihilistic online privacy moods these days, I guess. :p At least it isn’t Twitter!
202208191131 I sort of lost track with this after merging my Github Pages. Whoops! Anyway, I am starting to think about reworking my portfolio, maybe pull it off Figma even though I like the simplicity of designing it that way, it can feel a bit submerged and more like a Powerpoint than a flexible, modern website portfolio. With this website framework now in place, maybe I can pull that together more easily and built out some templates!
202208151134 I finally finished Station Eleven! Maybe I’ll finally check out the show. Next up, my wife just bought me Upgrade by Blake Crouch. After finishing Dark Matter and Recursion last year or so, I decided to just call myself a fan and keep a tab on his books. Never knew I was a “Sci-Fi Thriller” person, but I welcome it.
202208032329 I’m launching my Github Pages account to my domain. I’ve been shipping people off to my Figma portfolio but know it’s a bit rough having people redirect as soon as they arrive on my domain. This at least will give people some context and I’ll just keep pushing refinements as I decide what I want to do with this site.
202208032327 In exciting consumer news, I bought a 30oz mug for drinking water and I’m very happy with my purchase for staying hydrated all day. That’s it. That’s the tweet.
202208032323 I got my landing page running locally on my computer now, so I can modify the CSS more easily. The process of trying to make it work showed me I still have a lot to figure out with Ruby/RVM/installation. I never paid attention to Github Pages beyond the markdown factor, but I’m excited to use it as a way to learn more about Jekyll. I also realized I can easily control my URLs, so I’m merging my “microblog”/Notes pages into this same repo which will reduce my toggling back and forth.
202208022109 Yesterday, I finally cracked the code last night. Lots of wild hacks that I barely understood, but it works! For now. If it breaks, I probably need to move to a newer generator than I am using, but for now it is working well enough for me to customize the UI and edit the templates. While I’m not a hardcore developer, it is really satisfying manipulating code and seeing it actually work. I missed it. Bring back the 2000s! Social media took away the fun of the internet and I want it back. 🏄♂️
202208011150 I was making a lot of progress, started to dive into some Jekyll-based static site generators (didn’t know it was such a thing!). And then I hit a huge wall with localhost setup so I can stop having to repetively do git push to test things. Love when that happens. It’s been fun though, figuring out little puzzles and customizing pages to work with a few ideas I have. Good for the soul to create. Side note: I had a dream last night where someone used mayonaisse to create a sculpture of the Queen of England (it turned out surprisingly realistic) to distract a crowd of reporters by driving off in a 1920s convertible with ‘her’ in the back. I would be willing to sell this brilliant idea to Hollywood’s next blockbuster for 1 million dollars.
202207281831 Today, I came across a cool, minimalistic inspiration app called SAVEE. I’ve been using Dropmark for a bit now and am getting into the idea of building out a new version of my site with lots of resources spaces with similar apps plugged into subdomains.
202207281826 I started a Design-oriented Zettelkasten (this is a methodology of notetaking I’m looking into) via Obsidian last night to sort out my thoughts and things I’m learning lately. Now that I’m getting the hang of what Github Pages can do, I may start to dive more into Jekyll and figure out if I can get a linked notes system together. Maybe I need another kind of plugin/tool for that. Basically thinking it’d be fun to build out a collection of interlinking ideas, help to see possibilities and concepts better. Obsidian is great as it is, especially pulled aside into a focused space, but having it as a website would be more fun to just share. Just not sure I want to put in the monthly fee for it. As I’m diving into UX Strategy and UX Process materials lately, it helps to use my simple, interlinking Obsidian as flash cards, to keep sharpening my understanding and approach to my work and remind myself of the things I’m taking in and how I’m processing them.
202207270600 Thinking about how to leave social, but still, like, exist. Flickr Pro could be a way to dodge ads and still post and all that sort of fun. I miss the old internet. Great. I’m that old now, I guess. Hard to break free. I’ve been with Instagram since very early into its creation before it became such a thing. I’ve been reducing my usage, have had it off of my homescreen for quite some time now. Still not totally sure, but maybe setting up camp outside of these apps will help me to begin to make a new space to belong and think and write and share. We’ll see.