dylanrw

"This is about design education, and above all else, the idea that design is fundamentally about how something works, not how it looks." This cannot be said enough. Much like when you have to relearn how to see the world while learning to draw, you have to relearn how to think about problems while learning to design.

Do not confuse graphic arts or even graphic design with product design.

As usual people find visuals distracting. People just can't understand that while graphic arts can be a part of product design, it does not constitute the entire process.

Firstly, do not underestimate the value of friends/family. If you move to the bay without a job/support network you may very well find yourself in a dark demotivating hole that costs more than most of the world to maintain. This is not a good scenario.

That said, make something. Find a way to lessen your cost of living so you have time, and create something cool/useful. Use the tools you want to make your living with. You'll learn both the tools and a lot about yourself during this process. Once you've done this you'll have a decent example of your skills that could land you the gig you need to come to the bay on good terms.

I hope this helps and best of luck!

Fantastic.

Very nice.

While not themed after languages and such, I keep a gist of my favorite cocktails I either want to try or the recipes me and my friends have come to enjoy: https://gist.github.com/dylan/6093669

My engineering pals think me using a gist to store recipes is funny... :P

I like the idea, however this quote sums up why I think it may not happen.

“Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.” ― John Steinbeck

The biggest problem I have with A/B or Split testing is that it makes it easy for inexperienced people to assume there are multiple right answers to every problem and that they all warrant 'discussion' or testing... Most often this is not the case, and people who jump straight to A/B everything are the sort who don't really have/trust any experience and would rather spin wheels and throw spaghetti at the wall.

That said, sometimes there are two (or more) options that warrant testing (say a marketing strategy) and then it works great.

Test strategy, don't test everything, don't test design principles.

#10 Crowded is creative. #13 Show up.

I couldn't say I agree. It flat out dismisses companies that do perfectly well while having remote teams. I guess it depends on if you have a company that focuses on discussion more than say building something.

I'm sure it's a matter of being able to meet in person without the need for pricey flights, having the ability to come in with some sort of frequency.

Lack of trust and an abundance of paranoia are big obstacles lurking beneath the surface with remote work. Experience leads me to believe most 'managers' or founders aren't able to handle it. However, when you have a good one that gives you the space and trust you need to get things done. It's marvelous.

Here are all of the PDFs compiled into a single one with correct page numbers, including the preface etc. http://static.dyli.sh/Foundations%20of%20Computer%20Science%...

I think you'll find that software and analytical thinking can come into play with many of these articles you don't think should be on HN. While many others believe societally minded hackers are needed now more than ever.

As the world gets smaller the likelihood of any profiling being accurate diminishes. I for one would like to see them practice more intellectually honest investigative techniques. For example, when there is a roadside attack in a prominently arab region, do you round up all of the arabs? No, you survey the scene, find the bomb, look for trigger points, etc. The fact that we jump to profiling I think is an action that not only taints the nation's perceived objectivity, but detracts from a proper investigation...

A million times this. So high off the ground, and soooo inefficient with the tiny wheels. Mad props.

When I see random people dying of bacterial infections in this day and age I can't help but feel like the misuse/overuse of antibiotics has us sliding backwards in medical progress and we will continue to lose great minds to this irresponsibility.

I'm really excited about where these headsets are going. My one reservation is whether long term use will lead to strabismus or extra eye strain...

I tend to do the same thing when I peel away from the screen and take a shower to think on a problem. Maybe instead of keeping it all in my head a rubber duck would be more efficient...

Coming from a designer's perspective you nailed it in the last paragraph. Anyone who disagrees only has a superficial grasp of both disciplines.

It's a funny thought experiment. Some people want to only spend a few bucks. But whats the price not for the pixeling, but the time it took to learn color theory, illustration, composition, what makes a bad icon, etc.?

Excellent job. I love seeing people step out of their comfort zone. :D

I second this assessment. I've come to know Dave through friends and theres a lot to learn from a down to earth hombre like him and it's reflected by what I know of the rest of his team.

I've been impressed by the quality of these Airbnb talks recently...

As a designer I can recommend each of these books.

I'm seeing in various comments that 'hackers' and 'designers' are two different things, and that a 'hacker' needs a certain type of book or format to the material. I'd submit that most hackers have a thirst for knowledge, part from curiosity and part from a desire to be self sufficient in making their concepts a reality. Digest knowledge, practice the technique until it works and you've realized your goal? Does this not encapsulate the 'hacker spirit'? It's funny because most great designers I know came from the same perspective...

So I say put aside this idea of Hacker vs. Designer and who needs what. A design is a solution to a problem, visual design language/concepts are another tool set to help you make effective software and so much more. Don't treat it like its some sort of voodoo that only left-brainers can comprehend.

This hits the nail on the head. If the government can form legislation in a domain, and have the power to prosecute in a domain it should completely understand said domain. Ignorance on many levels is the reason for much of the discontent and injustice occurring where government and internet coalesce.

It seemed to me his biggest gripe was about lack contrast to show a state is selected. It's a novice mistake, contrast is one of the fundamentals and he's right. If you don't use it, things suck.

Very nice take on the toggle.

Gowalla

The essentially left out the two largest/still thriving pixel art communities:

- http://www.pixeljoint.com/

- http://www.wayofthepixel.net/

Relevant plug: If you use safari, I wrote a small extension that detects if you are on pixeljoint and changes the image smoothing to nearest neighbor so the pixels look 'crispy'. Any other sites you can toggle this on and off from the toolbar.

https://github.com/dylan/Crispy

I've only found quotes, and no mirrors.