Designer Spotlight: Rick Takes

Redshift Digital
Aug 24, 2017 · 3 min read

Meet Rick, our Director of Engineering

How did you become a developer?

I became a developer by way of film school. I just sort of stumbled into engineering out of necessity while working as a motion graphic designer and editor. In the days before YouTube (yes, that was a thing), the agency I worked for wanted a way to host videos and sort them for marketing purposes, so I picked up a book and thus began my coding journey. I fell in love with engineering and am still passionate about it some 12+ years later.

Who is your design hero?

Ray Harryhausen inspired me from a young age and continues to do so every time I see a modern manifestation of movie magic, for which he helped define and lay the groundwork. The devotion to his craft, his process of prototyping and experimentation and his willingness to mentor and share his trade has been something that I respect and aspire to.

What role should engineers play in the design process?

I think the key in any design process is to bring a diversity of thinking to the table. This includes a diversity of domain knowledge.

Engineers are designers, almost by definition. We design systems and architecture, databases and APIs, interfaces and interactions et cetera. Design is an integral part of everything we do. The steps of the engineering design process mirror the steps of most design disciplines: define a problem, research it, specify requirements, brainstorm solutions, choose a direction, build a prototype, test and redesign. Though people often jump to a very visual mental model when hearing the word “design” (i.e. Interior Design, Web Design) there are many facets of design that are less visual such as UX and Engineering. Likewise the lines between these disciplines are becoming increasingly blurred. Visual designers are delivering front-end code and engineers are trusted to make good design decisions where there may be gaps in the direction.

Engineers don’t make design better, as much as participate in a process of close collaboration — adding a diversity of ideas and a cross-disciplinary set of skills. All are needed for great design.

What do you like to do outside of the studio?

Outside of the studio I’m often tinkering on some project, whether it be in code, experimenting with animation or rebuilding a motorcycle. I’m almost always accompanied by my dog, Olive.

Redshift Design

Ideas and insights from designers at Redshift

)

Redshift Digital

Written by

Redshift creates simple, meaningful digital products.

Redshift Design

Ideas and insights from designers at Redshift

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade