Revision Path

"Regardless of your dreams, don't let anyone stop you." When Harrison Wheeler, told me this before our interview, I knew that we were going to have a good conversation on our hands. Harrison is the design manager at Base, a customer relationship management tool used by entrepreneurs to help track clients and set up a sales process so your business runs more efficiently.

We started off by going through a typical day for Harrison, and he shared what he thinks makes someone a good design manager. From there, he talked about how he first got involved in design, his entrepreneurial days at the University of Iowa, and we talked a bit about diversity in design as it relates to hiring. (And he is hiring!) Harrison really had a lot of great information to share, and I think anyone interested in more about product design or design management should definitely give this episode a listen. Thanks to Ron Bronson for the introduction!

When Asia and I spoke before recording, she told me that one thing she wanted people to take away from our talk was that it doesn't matter what your path is, there's a way into technology. I think that's super important for people to hear, especially when there's so much talk about college programs, hackathons, and the like. There's more than one way to be a part of this industry, and Asia's story definitely illustrates that.

We started off talking about the work she's currently doing as a product designer at 2U, including learning how she approaches new projects and the tools she uses. From there, we talked about how she got into design, how her college experiences shaped her, and her love for mentoring and volunteering. We also spend some time going into game design and Asia shared the game she's most interested in and the one she most wants to design. Thank you Asia for such a thoughtful interview!

It's May, and we're beginning the month by talking with Dr. Vukosi Marivate. Dr. Marivate is a data scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa. His work primarily deals with machine learning, so I had to ask one question -- how do machines learn?

From there, Dr. Marivate walked me through a typical day, answered some great questions from our Slack community, and shared what people who are interested in data science should learn. We also talked about his early days growing up in South Africa and going to college there, as well as his time here in the United States at Rutgers studying for his Ph.D. Dr. Marivate shared a lot of really great advice that he's used to help him succeed, and I'm glad to get the opportunity to have him share it with you all!

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Join our Slack AMA with WordPress consultant and developer Kronda Adair on Wednesday, May 4! Sign up for our Slack community here: http://revisionpath.herokuapp.com

We're back to New York City this week -- Brooklyn, to be exact -- and talking with Digital Ocean product designer Earl Carlson. Earl is proof that you can move around and try different things as long as you have the drive to succeed.

We started off talking about Earl's college days at the University of Michigan, and then Earl guided me through where his design skills have taken him -- New Orleans and San Francisco. We also talked about some of the work he's doing at Digital Ocean, his great posts on design on Medium, as well as some of the people who keep him motivated and inspired to succeed. Earl is really about helping the next generation of designers, so make sure you keep an eye out for him in a city near you!

We have a lot of students that listen to Revision Path, but I haven't actually had a student on as a guest in a long time! Enter Eniola Odetunde: a visual designer and current grad student at the Savannah College Art of Design. She shared some great insights into the life of a student designer that I think you'll enjoy.

Eniola's specialty as a designer deals with movement, so we talked about how she got into dynamic typography and stop motion work. She also shared why hand lettering is so popular right now, and shared how she gets inspired and works on new projects. We even went into the Atlanta design scene a bit and talked about diversity in the design industry. According to Eniola, "you might not be the best, but you have to figure out your style." Excellent advice!

Designer and web video producer Satchell Drakes is someone I've wanted to have on the show for quite a while. Satchell is probably best known for his YouTube channel Satchbag's Goods -- a collection of gorgeously produced and insightful videos on gaming, movies, music, and culture.

We started off talking about the independent Internet space and how he got started with design and video and he walked me through his workflow and what a typical day is like for him as a designer. Satchell also shared the biggest compromise he's made that has attributed to his success. And of course, we talked about video games too! I think you'll really get a lot out of this interview, so press play and enjoy!

"If there's one thing I want people to know, it's that computer science is accessible by everyone." When Dr. James H. Hill told me that, I had a feeling this was going to be a pretty interesting interview. Dr. Hill is currently an associate professor of computer science at Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses and serves as co-director of their Software Engineering and Distributed Systems research group.

We started off with Dr. Hill's backstory and how he got into computer science, and from there he walks us through his work at IUPUI and some of the current projects he's overseeing and researching. Dr. Hill and I also spoke about the current government administration's focus on computer science curriculum and what that means for educators and students. It's a great interview, and I'm always glad to get the chance to talk with a fellow Morehouse alum. Enjoy!

March is ending with a great interview with product designer Kat Vellos. Kat's unique approach to user experience design comes from her past work in visual design, education, and facilitation. Very cool!

We talked about some of her current projects, including #EndSmallTalk and the popular Bay Area Black Designers meetup. We also discussed mentorship and how people can use design in their communities. Kat's curious and inquisitive nature, combined with her background, makes her a really thoughtful designer. I'm interested in seeing what else she does in the future!

Bemnet Yemesgen wears a lot of different hats -- creative director, photographer, strategist -- but if you're looking for a title that describes his work, "creator" is the one.

We talked about his early years growing up in Addis Ababa, moving to the U.S. for college, and his current work in our nation's capital. We also spent some time talking about how his faith impacts his design work, along with why he loves learning by going to conferences. Bemnet's main goals are to inspire, educate, and connect, and I think you'll find yourself relating to him on all three points. Thanks to Dian Holton for the introduction!

We've talked about coding bootcamps several times here on Revision Path, so I thought it would be a fantastic idea to talk with someone who teaches them! Meet Antoinette Smith, an instructor and software engineer with Prime Digital Academy.

We started off with an overview of Prime Digital Academy and what Antoinette teaches, and from there we talked about the effectiveness of coding bootcamps for employers and Antoinette's love for databases. We also spent some time talking about the local Twin Cities tech scene, her journey as a software engineer, and the one dream project she would love to build. Thank you Antoinette for helping teach the next generation of programmers!