Some samples of my work online
This page contains articles, videos, and other references to my work over the years. I'm extremely lucky to be able to say that the nature of some of my work is that it is recorded for the public to see, and that I've made news headlines from time to time (for good reasons!) — there's quite a bit of my work that isn't represented here, too. I'm always happy to talk shop. drop me a line if you'd like to know more!
Driving a successful launch for Conversational Actions
October 01, 2021
From Google I/O 2021: In this session, we (I) discuss marketing activities that help users discover and engage with what you’ve built on Google Assistant, as well as some updates to monetization features for Conversational Actions.
VOICE Talks August 2021: Trust the researchers for voice-first UX
August 27, 2021
As a part of my work as a DevRel lead for Google Assistant, I did a guest segment on VOICE Talks in August of 2021, talking about why UX research for voice-first experiences is so crucial.
JAM Stack, SSGs, and their role in empowering the creator economy
August 23, 2021
Tools like Eleventy, Hugo, Gatsby, Svelte, and others have given developers a superpower for quickly developing content-driven, easily manageable web properties. It's an exciting frontier for developers who are also content creators, but for non-technical creators, our favorite toolchains can feel like a labyrinth of indecipherable choices.
In this talk, we'll discuss our role in promoting the creator economy. We'll talk about the opportunity we have as developers in helping to democratize content creation for everyone, and the importance of creating a more robust, archival internet.
Push dynamic shortcuts to Assistant
May 19, 2021
From my work as a Developer Advocate on the Google Assistant team, this tutorial explains the difference between shortcuts and dynamic shortcuts for Android, and how to use Assistant to take advantage of this functionality.
How to create your first App Action
May 19, 2021
A brief, 2-minute Demo from Google I/O 2021: learn how to create your first App Action for an Android app, which lets you connect your app's features to Google Assistant
New Transaction Features for Smart Displays
May 19, 2021
A quick demo from Google I/O 2021: we take a look at some user experience (UX) changes for card verification code (CVC) confirmation and new payment method entry for payments on smart screens.
What the Heck is a Fullstack Developer? Aquent UK
July 14, 2020
An interview with my former employer (and parent company of Gymnasium), Aquent about my thoughts on what it means to be a Fullstack Developer.
Description from the article:
Full article is available to read on Aquent UK's blog.
Proximity Acquires SMPL Software
April 08, 2020
In early 2020, smpl was acquired by Proximity. I was cofounder and CEO of smpl - we proudly helped independent coworking spaces manage their communities with automated billing, invoicing, and community management. It was a wild ride, and I couldn't have done it without my two amazing cofounders.
We were acquired by our biggest competitor, Proximity, who are continuing the dream by creating a network of amazing, independently owned coworking spaces around the world.
Read the press release about the acquisition to find out more.
There is another (paywalled) article on Business Insider about the acquisition, too!
More about smpl on Crunchbase.
Tools we used to build smpl:
Matter - a whole thing about design
March 07, 2019
From a talk I gave at my then-home-base Hygge Coworking at a community event. The thesis: we're all designers, and you should give a damn about the things you put into the world.
Slides are available on slideshare.
Publishing Your First GitHub Pages Website - Gymnasium Take 5
March 01, 2019
From my days working as Technical Director of thegymnasium.com: a 5-minute tutorial (lovingly referred to as a Take 5) showing how you can use GitHub pages to host your very own website.
The full tutorial (with additional reference material) is available for free on The Gymnasium
Gymnasium is a treasure - if you like this, get yourself a free account at thegymnasium.com/register, and start learning at your own pace today!
Lightning Talk: The Perils of Obedience
August 10, 2018
These are slides from a lightning talk I gave at a local conference in 2018.
I explain the Milgram Experiment, how absolutely terrifying it is, and how understanding Cognitive Psychology and Social Sciences can help us make the world a better place.
I also implore the audience to go register to vote. turbovote.org. Go do it!
Slides available on Slideshare if you're interested in perusing.
Design Matters, Hygge Zero day
April 13, 2018
These are slides from an empassioned talk I gave about design during a community event called Zero Day at Hygge Coworking in Charlotte, NC, USA.
The thesis: good design is important, and you should be paying attention to good-and-bad design in the world around you. Contributing to making the world better for everyone is everyone's job.
Slides are available on SlideShare
50 Most Powerful startups in Charlotte
November 10, 2017
I was cofounder and CEO of smpl, a SaaS startup helping independent-scale coworking operators automate their business. We were featured in a 2017 Article by Axios Charlotte (then called The Charlotte Agenda) as one of the most powerful (lol) startups in town. Pretty cool!
Edx Comprehensive Theming Tutorial
July 28, 2016
A talk I gave at Stanford University in 2016 on Comprehensive Theming for Open EdX.
Slides are available on Slideshare
Open EdX, Slack, and Intercom
July 17, 2016
(My talk starts at 5 minutes and 43 seconds into the video)
From Open EdX Conf 2016, this is a lightning talk I gave on our strategy for student support at Gymnasium, while I served as Technical Director there.
Top 30 Under 30 Future Leaders of Charlotte - Elevate Lifestyle 2016
June 07, 2016
Not much on the web about this these days, but if you really want to go spelunking, here's a Wayback Machine link from late 2016 that's captured the gist of it. Wayback Machine: Top 30 Under 30 Future Leaders of Charlotte, Elevate Lifestyle 2016, and an old facebook event.
Your App is Ugly
May 13, 2016
A rehash of a talk on the basics of design and aesthetics, covering color theory, swiss design, and some of the historical roots of modern design.
Authored with Andrew Miller, Jeremy Osborn, and Leah Cunningham
Slides are available on SlideShare
Gymnasium - Building the plane while flying it
October 27, 2015
(My part starts at 13m47s, but you should watch the whole thing!)
This is a talk I gave during Open Edx Conf 2016 with my colleagues, comrades, and brothers in arms Andrew Miller and Jeremy Osborn, talking about how we built Gymnasium while actively experimenting with formulas for an effective MOOC.
Designing Windows 8.1 apps, from the ground up
September 26, 2013
This is a talk I gave at Blend Conf in Charlotte, NC USA in 2013, when I was working for Microsoft as a UX Designer. If you're interested in learning how to design apps for a version of Windows that came out in 2012, this is your day!
Slides are available on Slideshare