The Kinect is a certified bad ass when it comes to hacking. My program at Pratt is heavily focused on experimenting with cool new tech in experimental ways. Everyone has been hyped up since the department picked up a Kinect to play with. Here’s some of my favorite odd-ball applications with the Kinect.
Kinect & Cinder
Kinect & Processing
Role: Developer
An awesome ongoing project where I worked to develop a new platform for Sears fashion.
Role: Developer
I developed a killer Facebook tab for non-profit Women's Sports Foundation.
Role: Designer & Developer
Pepcid wanted an awesome way to promote their new sleep aiding product.
There once was a time when I was an iPad hater. After all, I already had an awesome laptop which travelled with me from room to room – how could I possibly benefit from a tablet computer which does less? That question was the first flaw in my logic; the iPad is not less of a computer, just different!
Reason #1: Apps
Like it or not, designers have to face the facts that we are moving from a fragmented web based society to a more unified, connected app based one. The only way to learn about what makes a good app is to play with as many as possible. Where the web was more or less limited to Javascript’s limits in terms of UX features, apps afford so much more creative possibilities for UX designers. Since having my iPad, I don’t know how I ever read NPR or Wired in their web formats.
Reason #2: Separation from your work machine
I will be the first to admit that I love my laptop like a child. I bring it with me almost everywhere, and I’m still unsure just where my iPad can serve as a substitute. What I have particularly enjoyed however is being able to take a breather from the weight attached to that machine (and I don’t mean physical). When I open my work machine I am greeted by work files, buzzing calendar alarms, and unread mail messages. Being able to kick back, relax, and simply catch up on my RSS feeds or find a recipe for dinner without being faced with all these distractions has been invaluable.
Reason #3: Content Absorption
This was one I never could of expected. Perhaps it is the lack of a dock and extra menu items, but for some reason watching & reading content on the iPad is just much more enjoyable. I find myself really reading articles and absorbing the content twice as much as on my laptop. There’s something just sexy about reading on this thing.
In the end I still disdain the Apple fan boys, but I do have to give it up to Apple for doing it once again. The iPad isn’t for everyone, but as a designer and developer this gadget has already found a home in my already crowded gadget repertoire.
Role: Developer
An awesome ongoing project where I worked to develop a new platform for Sears fashion.
Role: Developer
I developed a killer Facebook tab for non-profit Women's Sports Foundation.
Role: Designer & Developer
Pepcid wanted an awesome way to promote their new sleep aiding product.
1. Sun Hotel – Coast
While they call themselves “post-gospel indie-rock”, I prefer to just call them awesome. A refreshing return to my punk / rock roots, this album reminded me of why I fell in love with the electric guitar in the first place.
Track recommendation: Suburb
2. Girl Talk – All Day
Greg Gillis comes back with a vengeance in his new release “All Day”. Far less ADD than his previous albums, Gillis stuck to much longer samples which made savoring your favorite moments so much easier.
Track recommendation: Oh No
3. Darwin Deez – Darwin Deez
As “hip” as Darwin Deez may be, I still can’t seem to get his songs out of my head. Catchy as hell with wonderful spacing, Darwin’s album is one that will be playing in my iTunes well into 2011.
Track recommendation: DNA
4. Bibio – Ambivilence Avenue
This album apparently came out in 2009, but I was oblivious until well into 2010. Bibio is one of my favorite “work mode” albums where I can just turn it on and crank out some great code.
Track recommendation: Lover’s Carvings
5. Toro Y Moi – Still Sound
Okay, okay. So this isn’t technically out yet. Hell, it isn’t even a full album. But I thought it was appropriate to post one of the many albums I’m pumped to come out in 2011. Toro Y Moi’s awesome combination of funk and modern electronic rock makes me want to put my dancing moon boots on.
Track recommendation: Still Sound
Role: Developer
An awesome ongoing project where I worked to develop a new platform for Sears fashion.
Role: Developer
I developed a killer Facebook tab for non-profit Women's Sports Foundation.
Role: Designer & Developer
Pepcid wanted an awesome way to promote their new sleep aiding product.
Another year, another redesign.
As 2010 began to come to a close, I started to become restless with my previous portfolio design. With so much great design inspiration online these days (I religiously read ffffound and occasionally dribbble), it’s hard not to get inspired. I began designing the site after Thanksgiving, and built the site over the week of Christmas. While previously I used SweetCron to power my site, this time I decided to make the switch to WordPress.
WordPress is far more than just a blogging platform, and with a little know-how one can turn it into a fully functional CMS. Now on my site I can easily add new projects, update details on pages, and of course add blog posts such as this one. But as we all know, building a site is much more than choosing a CMS. You’ve got to think out the information architecture and give it a pretty face too!
My home page was designed to be both a face for new clients to get a picture of my design sensibility as well as a hub for recent projects & navigation. Users can easily see who I am, what I do, and what I have been up to. Navigation is simply and elegantly divided into four distinct categories – about (home), work, blogs, and contact. Character illustrations were employed to both give some extra spice and empathy to potential users, as well as to give a quick idea of the different types of clients I take on.
The work page needed to be simple, and give the user a quick & visual way to navigate all of my work. While I don’t put every project I do on my portfolio, I still had quite a few projects to organize and display. The 9 project grid I settled on (future projects will become paginated) maintains a nice balance of visual interest without becoming overwhelming. Individual projects get the spacing and attention they deserve with their own special pages. By implementing a template into the CMS, what used to take me upwards of an hour to create a new project page, I can complete in minutes. The contact page is short and sweet. Reaching out is simple and easy, and users can feel a more personal connection knowing that I am a real person with a tangible location. No designer I’ve talked to has gotten much milage out of their contact forms, so I decided to forgo one.
Here’s to a new year of great design & code.
Role: Developer
An awesome ongoing project where I worked to develop a new platform for Sears fashion.
Role: Developer
I developed a killer Facebook tab for non-profit Women's Sports Foundation.
Role: Designer & Developer
Pepcid wanted an awesome way to promote their new sleep aiding product.
- HTML5 & CSS
- Javascript
- Wordpress & Blog Design
- Ruby on Rails Development
- PHP Development
- Mobile & Cross-Browser Optimization
- Web Design
- Print Design
- Logo & Icon Design
- Wireframing
- Flash & Actionscript 3
- Android Development
- Installation Design
- Physical Computing
- Electronics & Robotics