I really didn’t see it coming. — Don’t get me wrong. I knew full well the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic we’re all navigating right now. I tracked numbers. I read articles. Over the past couple of weeks my wife and I have taken every precaution we can (short of stockpiling hand sanitizer and toilet paper), to…

Recently I’ve been on the hunt for the next adventure in my career. A handful of times throughout my search I’ve received email responses to job applications, similar to the following: Dear Alexander, Thank you for your interest in [Unnamed Company] and congratulations on making it to the next step…

I’m over being catty — Recently I did some work on a friend’s portfolio site. Her coding skills are a little rusty, so I made some updates for her before she started a job search. No big deal. The work was easy and I was happy to help. But what happened next surprised me. She…

That might make you a better designer. — “What are your strengths/weaknesses?” This is a pretty common interview question. For a while now, my answer to the question of weaknesses has been that I have a hard time letting things go. And then to give it a positive spin, I would talk about how in the A/B testing…

Unsolicited advice from a college dropout — Congratulations. You did it. You got through high school or college or whatever. So, like, what now? More school? Enter the workforce? Backpacking through Europe? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ When I graduated from high school, college seemed to be the next step. I never really thought about other options. That’s what all my…

…and I say that’s a good thing. — I love design. There’s a reason why I chose to pursue it as a career. It’s more than just my livelihood, it’s also a passion and a hobby. But it’s not what I live for. My father used to say he took his work seriously, but he didn’t take himself…

A design system isn’t like a code of ethics. It’s more like a set of company values. — Design systems are so hot right now. With companies like Google, IBM, and Apple making their design systems public, companies big and small seem to be racing to publish theirs as well. There’s been a lot of talk about why you should incorporate these systems into your projects. Here’s why…

TLDR: My testing experience has taught me to be more holistic in my design thinking and process. Recently I’ve been doing a little self-assessment, taking a look at my career goals and trying to gauge if I’m on the right path. Part of that has included taking inventory of my…

Recently, I was shopping online for a new flat cap at one of my favorite brands, Goorin Bros. I’ve bought a couple of hats at their Austin store and I’ve loved the buying experience there. The hats, the vibe, the friendly and knowledgeable staff: all good things. So yeah, I’m…