Published inUX Collective·PinnedPeer into the mind of a type designerThe making of Peasy: A case study — On becoming a type designer As a kid, I remember first getting interested in typography when I got my first computer, a Mac Plus, in eighth grade. Many happy hours were spent in Hypercard and Aldus PageMaker as I made interactive slideshows and newsletters. I remember poring over the Adobe Font & Function magazine and…Design6 min readDesign6 min read
Published inUX Collective·PinnedMember-onlyHow to find what drives you as a designerLast month, I spoke with a class of seniors about my career so far, a group of design majors at the University of San Francisco. Their advisor, Rachel Beth Egenhoefer, asked me to share my experiences. …Design8 min readDesign8 min read
Published inUX Collective·Updated Oct 23Why are we so fascinated by letters?When I tell them that I make fonts, my non-designer friends are truly curious. Everyone has had some exposure to fonts, most commonly through the font menu in apps. They see how a different font can make your document longer (if you’re trying to reach a certain page count), or…Typography6 min readTypography6 min read
Published inUX Collective·Jul 31How to ‘un-stuck’ your design workThree lifelines to call on when you’re feeling stuck creatively — I’ve been a professional designer for over twenty years, working across a wide range of media: UX/UI, motion, branding, web design, mobile apps, and creative coding. Most lately, I’ve been developing my font design practice. Design is a long journey of exploration and growth. You live through bouts of self-doubt…Design7 min readDesign7 min read
Published inUX Collective·Sep 27, 2021The key to learning math and science online is interactive playWhy I joined Brilliant.org. — Learning something new takes trial and error. You make a hypothesis, then you discover if you were right or if your thinking was off. Learning is a give-and-take process, and it can be messy — you’re muddling through something new and often challenging. To learn, you need space to explore…Design6 min readDesign6 min read
Published inYDays·Feb 5, 2021Member-onlyHow constraints can inspire creative thinkingAdding limitations helps uncover new solutions — You’re brainstorming new projects at work or developing a plot line for your screenplay. But the ideas aren’t coming, and you feel stuck. The well-worn phrase, “Think outside the box,” torments you. What does it mean? …Creativity8 min readCreativity8 min read
Published inYDays·Jan 5, 2021Three things we’ve learned about drawingA look back at the first three months at YDays — We launched YDays in October: it’s a site where friends, colleagues, family members, and even strangers can draw together and explore unique prompts and drawing tools. Since then, we’ve seen thousands of people try it out. …Drawing4 min readDrawing4 min read
Published inYDays·Oct 29, 2020The Why Behind YDaysA site for creative drawing challenges with friends — Like you, I’ve been spending months stuck inside, unable to see friends and loved ones freely outside of the Zoom boxes we’ve grown so tired of. We’re all craving novel ways to connect with each other. And maybe, like me, you’ve hoped to use this time to improve yourself in…Design7 min readDesign7 min read
Jan 23, 2019Member-only23andMe Made Me Rethink My Identity—TwiceAs my DNA profile changed over time, so did my concept of self — One morning in spring 2017, I spat into a tube containing a stabilizing solution, packed up the kit, and dropped it into the mail to return to 23andMe. A few weeks later, I would get a report detailing where my ancestors come from. …Genetics6 min readGenetics6 min read
Published inPocket Design·Oct 25, 2018Reading Types Deserve the Best Type for ReadingPocket users are readers. They save millions of articles every day, stories that feed and fuel the mind. In the Pocket apps, they spend time reading articles without distractions in a clean, consistent layout. …Typography6 min readTypography6 min read
