It’s like any species on the planet does: you have to cover your ass for survival. And sometimes you have reserves built up, and sometimes you have to burn yourself out to build reserves. Amateur philosophy right?

I am in California right now and working on my computer as I have been all day. I’ve only taken 2 breaks to go eat lunch and dinner. Meanwhile, there has not been much interaction with people. On these 2 outings to eat, I drove down to the local markets and picked up some food. While driving, I realized it was kind of lonely. That I have been interacting only with a keyboard all day. And not to forget the mouse.

I just jumped back on the machine to continue working and had a bit of dread that I was trying to shake off, feeling simply that I was on my own working here. But then a little blue guy on my system tray popped a message: “Steven Nason has just signed in”, and made me remember that there are other people online.

Though we are not directly interacting, it gives a strange sense of being right next to one another. I was talking to Kat earlier today, and she is in London. Hell, it isn’t physical, but the concept of having someone else there is rather comforting. It’s like having a pet. It may not be a person, but for those who like interaction, it is damn comforting.

A few weeks ago, I was sitting down preparing to do another site, as I have done many times before. As I was awaiting some sort of inspiration on how to get started, and what direction I should take. My mind was overflowed with other thoughts of discomfort with my current skills. The difficulty was simply that I was not pleased with much of the previous work that I have done, though my clients have been…

Typically I will get started on a project, then at some point into it, I will look back and realize how I could have better done many aspects of the project. I am somewhat of a perfectionist, but more unfortunately, I am one that does not have the patience for doing, then re-doing. Prototyping / creating rough drafts. I typically will delve in, and mold what I have done along the way. But, and to keep the analogy, much of what I do drys to a rough and undesirable shape before the end of the project.

Solutions: planning to create drafts before actually implementing the project, for a useful amount of time. As well, knowing that I will throw out most of what I am doing and start over.

More time spent researching types of design. Note taking. Testing and trying. Reading.

By not following this more thoughtful approach, it has taken me longer to realize design aspects that are more useful, and desirable by end-users.

But now I am putting my effort toward these different and better ways of designing. And not surprisingly, but reassuringly, people have immediately noticed and appreciated these ways of designing.

I am doing my best to be proactive.

So I am doing my best to do good for the people that come to me for work. Obviously this has always been my intent, but now more then ever, I am making stronger efforts to move the quality of my design forward through learning, trying, experimenting, and playing.

Where much of the inspiration / information has come from:
  37 Signals – Web Usability Experts (self proclaimed)
  Jeffrey Zeldman
  Ze Frank
  A List Apart

I have ordered books on CSS and web usability today too in my quest for information. Please pass the Courvoisier.

So a little cheesy to get started…. I know, but one must start somewhere. My effort is simply to use this blog in order to post ideas and thoughts. Random ones. In time, I, or someone more psycho-analytical, may be able to see some sort of coherence among these ideas and thoughts.

Hopefully the psycho-ward won’t be a subsequent final destination. Please, read and enjoy. Though if you are reading this, and there are already many other posts on my blog, you have reached the end. Turn around my friend.