From the Studio
Thoughts on design, process, and the work in between.
A running log of ideas, experiments, and lessons learned — from freelance life and code deep dives to design thinking and the occasional creative block. Written in real time, mostly for myself, but maybe useful to you too.
Featured Posts
7/6/2026
Taking the Pivot — And Why It's Not What You Think
A year after a layoff, three rounds of interviews, and a phone call from John — the pivot worked. Just not the way I expected.
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6/16/2026
The Best 404 Page I've Ever Built Involved a Cat Named Dr. Pete and Zero Regrets
A five-minute task, a medium sized and confident brown tabby, and one reused component later — here's how a utility closet became one of my favorite things on my portfolio site.
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5/29/2026
Two Years Without Vinz Clortho
Two years ago today, I said goodbye to my soul/heart cat, Vinz Clortho. This is for him.
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2026 Posts
7/28/2026
Your Body Is Not the Problem
Movement, perimenopause, and what the science actually says about your brain right now. A designer approaching 50 makes the case for lifting weights.
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7/17/2026
AI at Every Level: A Designer's Guide
AI isn't one thing — it shows up differently depending on where you sit in the design process. Here's how I think about it at every level, from concept to production.
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7/10/2026
Forty Years After Pretty in Pink & The Purple Karmann Ghia Named Dragonfly
A cider, a phone, Facebook Marketplace, and a 1971 purple Karmann Ghia named Dragonfly. Forty years after seeing Pretty in Pink, I think I'm about to drive one home.
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7/8/2026
One Year Later: What Six Years at Vernier Taught Me
A year ago today I was laid off after six and a half years. Here's what I actually learned — about design, about work, and about what happens when a job ends and the rest of your life doesn't.
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7/6/2026
Taking the Pivot — And Why It's Not What You Think
A year after a layoff, three rounds of interviews, and a phone call from John — the pivot worked. Just not the way I expected.
Read more →
7/3/2026
Why I Built a Collection Page (And Why Your Portfolio Might Need One Too)
Individual case studies tell project stories. A collection page tells a career story. Here's why I built one — and why yours might need one too.
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6/26/2026
Print Is a Craft — And It's Rarer Than You Think
Six years of prepress work taught me something most designers never learn. Print isn't just a deliverable — it's a discipline, and it's disappearing.
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6/16/2026
The Best 404 Page I've Ever Built Involved a Cat Named Dr. Pete and Zero Regrets
A five-minute task, a medium-sized confident brown tabby, and one reused component later — here's how a utility closet became one of my favorite things on my portfolio site.
Read more →
6/12/2026
How I Use AI as a Design Tool (Without Losing My Voice)
Where AI fits into my process, where it doesn't, and how I've kept my own voice intact while using it as a tool rather than a crutch.
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6/11/2026
From Interview High to Blinking Question Mark — The Day My iMac Died
A good interview, a cup of coffee, and then a blinking folder with a question mark. How a Tuesday turned into a Mac Studio M4 Max order.
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6/5/2026
Why My Best Ideas Happen at the Gym
It's not coincidence — it's chemistry. On BDNF, the Default Mode Network, and why stepping away from the screen is sometimes the most productive thing you can do.
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6/1/2026
The Ball Is Smaller Now: Grief, the Brain, and the Work That Comes After
Grief doesn't shrink. The world just grows around it. On loss, the brain, and finding your way back to the work.
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5/29/2026
Two Years Without Vinz Clortho
Two years ago today, I said goodbye to my soul/heart cat, Vinz Clortho. This is for him.
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5/27/2026
I Found My 1990s Design Portfolio on a Zip Disc
Getting 25-year-old files off vintage Zip discs — a hardware adventure and the start of a time capsule series.
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5/21/2026
The PDXWIT Website Rebrand & Website Refresh
Some projects find you. Others you find yourself coming back to — not because you have to, but because the work mattered enough the first time that walking away from the second chapter wasn't really an option.
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4/27/2026
What I Learned Rebuilding My Portfolio from a Logo Grid to Case Studies
A logo grid wasn't telling the right story. What happened when I rebuilt from scratch. For years, my portfolio homepage was a clean grid of client logos. No context. No story. Just names — and the assumption that visitors would connect the dots between a recognizable brand and what I actually did for them.
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2016
Your Portfolio Is a Story. Someone Actually Read Mine.
A few months ago I got an email that I almost deleted. Not because it was rude, or badly written — the opposite, actually. It was warm, specific, and clearly from someone who had actually looked at my work. Which, after enough scam attempts and sales pitches dressed up as compliments, is exactly the kind of email that makes you suspicious.
What makes a good designer portfolio (and what doesn't)
A designer portfolio isn't a gallery. It's not an archive. It's not proof that you've been busy. It's a pitch.
Why I Built a Collection Page (And Why Your Portfolio Might Need One Too)
My case studies were good. They were detailed, well-structured, and told the story of each project clearly. The problem was they didn't talk to each other — and nobody could see the thread connecting them.
What I learned rebuilding my portfolio from a logo grid to case studies
For years, my portfolio homepage was a clean grid of client logos. No context. No story. Just names — and the assumption that visitors would connect the dots between a recognizable brand and what I actually did for them.