I'm fascinated with people and their stories.

Over the years, I've visited people’s homes and workplaces; watched their favorite shows; played their favorite games; and spent hours just chatting and listening. We all have similar anxieties, struggles and dreams, and we all yearn for respect and acceptance. But each of us has a completely unique perspective and life experience. And each of us has a unique story to share.

I love Story Corps and Humans of New York for this reason. Ordinary people are sharing their extraordinary stories, and the rest of us are given a front row seat. You can’t help but be drawn in. Then before you know it, you gain real understanding and empathy for the storyteller.

I've designed my own products to help people share their stories as well. The first was called the Urban Pioneer Project. The other is Momentary. I think my interest in other people and their lives has made me a more thoughtful designer, and a more grateful human being.

Before you know it, you gain real understanding and empathy for the storyteller.

The Urban Pioneer Project

I created  an early social network to connect people in cities across the US and around the world. It was a private community based on personal referrals. This gave us the freedom to keep sharing open. We often asked the community to share pictures of their apartments, the inside of their refrigerators, their favorite shoes, artwork, etc. UPP captured a moment in time, and was the subject of articles in TimeOut, Nylon, and Anthem magazines.

Story covers from my Momentary collection

Momentary is a web application for building a collection of your favorite moments and sharing it with family and friends - or the entire world. I designed an editing tool that enables users to add photos, videos and style text, titles and quotes to create their photo stories. I launched a beta version to a small group of users.

A District Films short video about HALs restaurant

HALs is an institution on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, CA - and a great example of a business that understands, and values, the customer experience. The owners, Linda, Greg and Hal, have built a business and a community around it. They single-handedly convinced the city to rename the boulevard from Washington to Abbot Kinney, then they turned Abbot Kinney from a neglected, troubled neighborhood into “the coolest block in America.”

Local food is yummy

The Local Food Alliance connects local farms, restaurants, markets and consumers through education, events, and partnerships. Its goal is to develop a strong local food economy that provides jobs and supports local farms. I am working with them to develop tools and services for consumers and providers.

Solar power is the future

To ensure we pass along a healthy planet to the next generation, solar energy has great promise. I worked for SolarCity, and saw how consumers can push change more rapidly than governments. I continue to educate consumers and encourage them to make the switch to solar.