What follows are some bits of wisdom gained over my 10+ years creating for the web.

Don’t focus on the symptomsPermalink

Focus on the problem.

Not every corner needs to be roundedPermalink

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Money as the meansPermalink

“We don’t make movies to make money, we make money to make more movies.” — Walt Disney

Finding the right solutionPermalink

“When I am working on a problem I never think about beauty. I only think about how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.” — R. Buckminster Fuller

Send shorter emailsPermalink

Shorter emails actually get read and acted upon.

Don’t be dogmaticPermalink

“Design is a process of experimentation and elimination. You should be excited to have your mind changed and throw things away.” — Jason Fried

Clear > CleverPermalink

If you have to choose between clear and clever/cute in your message, choose clear. Always.

Design as problem solvingPermalink

Better work comes when presented with a problem and asked for a solution. Not when presented with a solution and asked for an execution.

Where innovation comes fromPermalink

“[Your] employees are at the core of every game-changing idea. They have built yesterday and today, and undoubtedly, they are going to fashion tomorrow.” — Vineet Nayar

Be responsivePermalink

The web is variable, and good designs are, too. Horizontal scroll bars feel wrong, at any width.

Copy is part of the interfacePermalink

Direct language makes life easier and users will thank you for it.

No one has JavaScript disabledPermalink

No. Not even them.

Everyone is a criticPermalink

But not everyone is an idiot. Approach criticism with curiosity. You might learn something.

Simple is sophisticatedPermalink

It’s easy to make the simple appear complex. A real challenge is to make the complex feel simple.

Useful content is the best SEOPermalink

Time is better spent on useful content than it is on the “right” keyword mix.

Different designs for different browsersPermalink

If you’re going to spend time on legacy browsers support, it should be with the interaction, not the visual. It’s okay if things look different.

Simple sensible defaultsPermalink

Give the masses simple sensible defaults and let expert users nuance their experience in preferences.

Usable beats prettyPermalink

But you should aim for both.

There is no foldPermalink

You use the scroll bar, so do I, and so does everyone else. Embrace it.

On topic and off, these thoughts are my own.

The Last 10%PermalinkNovember 03, 2011

You learn more from shipping a less-than-perfect product than you ever will from hoarding an unfinished idea.

Talent is the desire to practicePermalinkJune 06, 2011

That title isn’t my own wisdom; it’s a quote from Malcom Gladwell. I resonate with it. So often I observe others lament over their situation for one reason on another. It often boils down to “I wish I could do [whatever].”

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s NestPermalinkMay 15, 2011

I remember when I was 8 or 9 years old my Dad telling me what a fantastic film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was. We watched it together sometime shortly after that. I hated it. But to be fair, I was 9 years old. Today…