What Have You Learned?
I consider each step in my life to be a new learning experience.
In getting my BFA in Graphic Design I learned the basics of design, typography, photography, critical (design) thinking, time management, the grid, color, print production, and how to defend my design decisions. It was the basis for the rest of my career.
I was a startup junkie in college. I sought out and joined Mplayit as their UI Designer. I learned what it took to design a product from scratch and work with a team of developers to execute your ideas. Managing a community through social media and networking were also major aspects of my education.
I joined the NJI Media team as a design, but quickly shifted my focus to development, as that’s where the need lie. I was dropped into the Drupal deep end, but quickly picked up PHP, Mysql while honing my html and css skill. I spent 2 years getting familiar with WordPress and Drupal from the back-end forward and learning what it means to be a developer.
Red Garrett
I struck out on my own to see if I was capable of running my own business. I started with a few choice clients and quickly found myself overwhelmed with work and new opportunities. I learned about managing client relations, the importance of separating work from home, and that you can’t do everything yourself. I quickly came to realize that I needed a larger team.
I approached Ab as he was transitioning to another line of business and offered to help spearhead the creation of a full service creative agency. This has been the largest step so far with the most I’ve had to learn in the shortest amount of time. It’s exciting.
Where did everything go?
KernMe.org was no longer an accurate depiction of the work I’ve done or the work I’m doing. There are too many avenues to keep current on the web. A portfolio site should be first, so I’m leveraging my presence on the web to represent who I am and what I do.
Why does your site look like crap?
I find myself in a position where I don’t need to vouch for myself as much as I need to keep pushing my own boundaries. What better way to do that than with the ever-present nagging sensation that the site that is supposed to represent my professional life is in a state of complete disarray? This site will constantly be in a state of incompleteness, but it will be consistently enhanced and updated. It’s a process.
