Bio

When I was 11 years old I discovered a computer graphics program on a floppy disc that ran on my dad’s Commodore 64. On that day, though I didn’t know it, I became a graphic artist. It would be several more years before I would turn that calling into a career.

Thoughts on Graphic Design

Graphic design is art. It is not a “fine art” but it is art. The difference is that design is not about the designer. As a graphic designer, I aim to please a client, not a gallery owner, an art critic, or even myself.

Graphic design is communication. Good design evokes an emotional response, as does any good art. Nebulous emotions, however, are not enough for a graphic designer. We must tie the emotions we have stirred to a specific message.

Graphic design is problem solving. Creating a piece of art that conveys specific emotions and information to a specific audience requires a specific approach. Rules and guidelines are useful as a starting point, but a designer must understand design philosophy to know which approach will produce the best results.

Thoughts on Web Development

Web Development is also problem solving. For many graphic designers, web development is entirely foreign. All that code is just so much gibberish, mathematical anathema to their artistic sensibilities. But I enjoy web development for the same reason I enjoy graphic design: I like solving problems.

Good code is clean code. Good code is clean, minimal, and easy to read. Messy, confusing code may function, and the end user may not know the difference, but the next programmer who has to make changes will curse your name if you have written sloppy code. Bad code slows down productivity in ways that may not be readily apparent.