My Goals for this year (not in any particular order)..
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Education
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Provide the community with a number of durable sustainable resources in terms of training and support for Microsoft Expression Blend. I am working to add a number of resources to everyone’s reach.
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Community
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Bring the designer and developer community together. we all have the tools and the products to collaborate, now is the time to reach out and connect the designer and developer communities together like never before.
Spotlight on Community Heroes
I would like to also start spotlighting other folks in the community that are making a difference, that includes designers, developers, and integrators. We all make contributions, it’s time to start casting a spotlight on how and what people are doing inside the community.
Background
Wow, this has been an incredible year for me. I am truly blessed. On March 16th, 2009 I was blessed with a kidney transplant after over four years of hemo-dialysis. During this time I almost died twice. Once in a car accident and the next time of hyper-parathyroidism brought on by the kidney disease. I really appreciate the second opportunity at life. It has really allowed me to see things in a very different way. I am thankful for every day here and try to make a difference every day. The story isn’t completely over though. The kidney transplant in just part of it. I have a called polycystic kidney disease or PKD. I still have two original kidneys that are larger than they should be that will have to be removed at some point. The polycystic disease also still creates cysts in other places and can be hyper-painful at times. I get episodic pain and sometimes it’s painful enough that I am paralyzed by it and unable to move and even walk sometimes. Luckily for me at this point that isn’t very often still. There is still other things I have to worry about like the transplant meds causing extended growth of the gums in my mouth. So while I am not dying (at the moment at least) there is still a lot of problems to work through. So the transplant is unfortunately not the end of the story yet for me.
Life Lessons
I know that we are going through very tough economic times at the moment. Most people are taking a very conservative approach to spending and business. However, it is really important to realize that you are talking to someone who has almost died twice and survived much illness. What did I learn from all of this? Well it’s important to make everyday count! In work, in life, and to not waste time. Decisiveness is important, so are bold moves.
How does this affect my views on business?? Putting your best foot forward is paramount. It’s not time to be timid, market conditions are what they are, get over it! The way to the future is still what it was before, innovation! We never know how much time we have. This has drastically affected my thoughts on how to be more effective in business as well.
How does this relate to my stated goals?
Educational Initiatives
I have several planned. Expression Blend’s SketchFlow feature is at the heart of these initiatives.
SketchFlow Everywhere!
I will be bringing SketchFlow to the masses. SketchFlow makes it easy to show anyone and everyone how easy it is to create amazing websites and platform applications from the back of the “napkin” to the completed application. Where do I start? Well I am bringing my posse armed with laptops and Expression Blend3 with SketchFlow to Ann Arbor’s Michigan Give Camp 2009. From there I am bringing the laptop and Sketchflow on tour to every user group and designer group I can giving demonstrations throughout the summer, fall, and winter until I have covered the entire region and shown folk how great this technology is.
2) Bring SketchFlow training to businesses and organizations. Much like UML, SketchFlow is a great rapid prototyping tool, not just for artists but for everyone.
3) Offer videos and live meetings and a special SIG at Michigan Interactive Designers just for and a monthly live meeting via Live Meeting’s MVP chat
Community Initiatives
This is the third year I have been watching Microsoft courting designers and developers working together. Finally the tools are there and the revolution has hit, however there are still pockets mostly local developers and designers don’t know how to talk to each other, when in reality they now share a lot of the same tools and the same process thanks to Expression Blend. However, a lot of people are still keep both camps separate in their own minds. It’s time to come together..
How to make this happen?
Design Everywhere!
This year I am visiting developer groups and giving talks on Expression Blend 3 and Sketchflow for Developers everywhere in the region to explain how we can both work together more effectively. We really are just “the other side of the coin” for each other and we have a lot of common concerns. It’s time to break down those final barriers. I will also be inviting more developers to Michigan Interactive Designers, and visiting more developer groups and lending my presence and support presence to everyone’s group meetings as well.
Confab! Monthly Live Meeting
I am going to organize a “Designers and Developers” come together Live Meeting monthly so that designers and developers can talk to each other about common concerns and how they can work together and evolve some best practices.
Want to change the world?
So that’s my flight plan! How can you help out? Join us for our meetings, attend live meetings, help us spread the word about these great tools and how they make a difference in your life and how you can be more effective with them everywhere…