The Geek Talk

Who is Sarah Parmenter?

I am a user interface and user experience designer based in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.

Do you have a personal Brand?

No, not really. I have my personal blog located at Sazzy which I write all sorts of web related content on but I just write whatever I feel rather than posting once a week, I go for quality over quantity. Looking at the stats from You Know Who, perhaps I should be heading more towards being “me” rather than You Know Who as 80% of visitors find me by Googling my name, which is soon to change as I’m getting married so that’s going to throw a spanner in the works!

How do you find design inspiration and colours for a new project?

I always start with the information given to me by the client, I have a website worksheet and a request for proposal form which new clients fill out. Providing they have filled it out correctly, you can ascertain a good feel for the project and what they are trying to achieve and design accordingly. I’ve always found colour pairing and palettes easy but when I’m stuck for inspiration, I love Adobe Kuler.

What does your typical day look like?

I’m such a creature of habit, every morning when I wake up I grab my iPhone and check Twitter, Facebook and email, I then have a shower and I’m at my desk for 8.30am with a bowl of ‘Special K’ in hand reading through any interesting RSS feeds about the iPhone or iPad. I start work at 9am and this is generally all the admin tasks that I don’t want to eat into my design time later in the day. I always try to stop work at 5pm but sometimes the day will take twists and turns you didn’t expect and so I might end up not doing any work during the “normal working hours” and instead make it up in the evening. It’s just the way the cookie crumbles when you work for yourself.

What do you do in your free time?

My days off are sacred, I spend so long infront of a screen I do try and be strict with myself at weekends and some evenings. Twice a week I head off to rehearsals as I’m part of a theatre company, it keeps my mind off work and also keeps me active. I also love spending time with my family and friends, going out for meals, catching up for cups of tea, just relaxed stuff that doesn’t need to cost the earth.

Current favorite apps?

For Mac? Espresso, Little Snapper. For iPhone, Gowalla, Groupon, Birdbrain, Hipstamatic, Sky + , Tweeteorites.

What OS do you prefer?

100% Mac OS X. Will never use anything else now.

Small picture for your Workplace?

Favorite: Color, Font, Language, JS Framework?

Purple, H&FJ Sentinel, Spanish…. only joking. CSS. jQuery.

Name something that has inspired you recently?

The Apple OS 4 Keynote. I know that sounds strange but Apple have such a strong design ethic I can’t help but watch and think how much fun their UI designers must be having behind the scenes,, trying to fathom the most logical way to help over 85 million iPhone users solve an issue must be fantastic.

What do you prefer (and why)? Freelance work or full time employment?

Freelance, I don’t think I could be employed by someone else very easily, I like my freedom and also having my dog at home with me all the time is such a blessing.

What are your personnel projects and goals for 2010?

I can reveal I’m writing an e-book at the moment, I need about 10 more hours in my day each day in order to get it done but it’s very much in the pipeline. My goals for 2010 are to be happy and continue to enjoy being a part of an industry that I love. The day I wake up and dread going to work will be the day I shouldn’t be doing this anymore.