Who is Ilya Grigorik?

I am a tinkerer, an entrepreneur, a software developer and a blogger – roughly in that order. I am currently the founder and CTO of PostRank (postrank.com), which is where all of the above job descriptions, as well as many others, come to occupy all of my time. Formally, I have a background in computer science where I gravitated towards the somewhat odd intersection of “Human Computer Interaction” (HCI) and “Machine Learning” (ML) – in other words, working with big data, but with a focus on the presentation and tools around the problem of working with these datasets.

Where and when did you start programming?

Looking back, I’ve often asked myself the same question, in part because I got into the field in a somewhat of a backwards fashion. It’s actually a bit of an entertaining story…

Growing up, I had many friends who were into computers and programming, but neither of those things ever appealed to me personally beyond the simple case of playing computer games. Basic, Pascal, and all the other fun stuff they would teach you in school never captured my imagination – in fact, I would go as far as to say that I found it plain boring. Then one day, I remember one of my classmates created a web-site, and our teacher wrote down its address on the board for everyone to check. I knew nothing about HTML, or how you create a website, but I vividly remember sitting in front of a blank AngelFire editor that night, scanning some basic how-to, when in a moment of raw inspiration, I decided to type: “<center>Hello</center>”. Next, I reloaded the page and to my raw astonishment, discovered that it did exactly what I wanted it to do!

If I ever had an eureka moment, that must have been it, because for some reason that simple line captured my imagination. In retrospect, seems silly, but that was it. From there, I actually didn’t get into “programming”. Instead I got into graphics design, and ended up running a small web-design shop for a while. Then, at one point I realized that instead of paying other people to host all of the sites I was developing, I could save a lot of money if I ran my own server!

Low and behold, soon thereafter I abandoned my design job, and ended up starting a medium-sized web hosting business, which I scaled to a couple of hundred clients. In the process, I got into the server administration business, support, and eventually ended up doing some custom development work for my clients — all of that while working towards my CS degree.

Eventually, I put the hosting business on hold, and focused on building my own apps – that’s when I would consider myself becoming “a programmer”. An odd path, but one that taught me a lot of valuable lessons along the way!

Your favorite language and why?

Much of my production code today is written in Ruby. It is hard to explain why it is my favorite language in concrete terms, because I think at some level I simply find it more aesthetically pleasing than any other language I have worked with to date. Comparing languages by comparing enumerated lists of checkboxes often misses this point. I came from a background of PHP and Java, stumbled into Python, liked what I saw there, and then discovered Ruby. The fact that I had a very “web oriented” background probably played a significant role as well because Rails was just taking off, and Ruby was powering it under the hood.

But short of language features alone, the Ruby community was also a big factor in this equation. When I got into Ruby and Ruby on Rails back in early 2006, I found a lot very helpful people all of whom were super-excited about this new framework and language. Best thing is, this still holds true to this day!

Having said that, while much of my day to day work is in Ruby, I’m also always exploring a lot of the adjacent languages. Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Go, and I really like what I see there. But within the past year I’ve also taken some deep dives with Scala, Erlang, and several others.

What does your typical day look like?

A typical day in a startup is somewhat of a misnomer. I wear many hats, which means that on any particular day I am as likely to be found helping one of our guys debug an issue in our system, as jumping on a partner or a sales call, doing marketing outreach, or interviewing someone for a position at PostRank. In practice, it means that most of my day is spent helping other people be productive. Then, once the sun has set and the inbox is clear, is when my code editor comes out. I love the variety of it all.

What do you do in your free time?

For good or for worse, my free time is not much different from my “typical day”. It’s hard for me to separate work and play, since I naturally gravitate towards the same sort of “tasks”. My definition of a great weekend is one where I’ve caught up on a few research papers, have managed to check out, create, or contribute to some open source projects, enjoyed a good book, or had a good time with friends and family. In other words, as long as I’m learning new things, I’m happy, and fortunately I have the opportunity to do so both “at work” and during my “free time”.

Current favorite apps?

Hands down, the browser! Which at the moment, happens to be Google Chrome.

Short of that, Photoshop, Lightroom, TextMate, and believe it or not, MS Office. On the web: GMail, Delicious, last.fm, Github, and I guess Twitter!

What OS do you prefer?

I have no religious affiliations to any OS or platform. At the moment, I do a lot of my development and day-to-day work on OSX. At home, my desktop is a Windows 7 machine, and my phone is the Nexus One (Android). In fact, I tend to go out of my way to make sure that I stay up to date on all the different platforms, which results in an expensive gadget bill, but I rationalize it as a requirement for doing my job as an entrepreneur-developer!

Small picture for your Workplace?

Your neighborhood coffee shop, a laptop, an americano, and a good pair of noise-isolating headphones!

Name something that has inspired you recently?

My GitHub timeline is a consistent source of inspiration. I’m always amazed by all the new prototypes, projects, and ideas that all the developers out there are exploring. Last I checked, I think I am following over 1500 projects on GitHub, and needless to say, I have to go back often to make sure that I’m up to date on what all of them are up to, and what new projects are being open sourced!

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

By the virtue of being the founder and CTO of PostRank I think I can legitimately say that I’m doing both! I have the opportunity to work full-time alongside fourteen other awesome coworkers, in a field which is rapidly evolving from a market standpoint (not to a small part due to our own efforts). The past three years have been a blast, and we have no intention of stopping.

What are your personal projects and goals for 2011?

There are too many list but first and foremost is to, of course, continue to grow PostRank as a company: growing our business, hiring people, developing the platform, and so on! Outside of that, is to continue learning and experiment with new things – new open source projects, research papers, programming languages, and so on. In the process, hopefully publish a few blog posts, create or contribute to some open source projects, and in general help the Ruby community in any other possible way!

Who is Grace Smith?

I’m a 27 year old web designer and owner of a small but perfectly formed studio called Postscript5 based in Northern Ireland. I work with individuals and companies based in mainly in the UK and USA on a diverse range of projects from branding and blog design to application UI’s.

Otherwise you will often find me tweeting or blogging at my personal site.

Do you have a personal Brand?

I produce work under the brand of Postscript5 (the name is a long story), and have also tried to develop a personal brand as Grace Smith through my blog.

Though I tend to think Jonathan Snook probably summed up my ‘brand’ best when he called me: “that ‘heavy-linkin’, web-lovin’, hard-workin’ gal from Ireland”.

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

I try and look outside of the web for inspiration as it’s so easy to become stuck in a rut and relying on CSS galleries isn’t healthy for any designer. So I find the best thing to do is leave the office and free myself creatively – I usually like to get my beloved Canon 350D out and spend 10 or 15 minutes taking and setting up shots, as I find Photography is hugely inspiring.

I then usually go straight for my Moleskine and jot down some ideas and have a short brainstorming session which is enough to give me that spark of inspiration to start work.

In terms of colors, I’m addicted to ColorLovers and have been known to spend many hours in search of the perfect palette!

What does your typical day look like?

A typical day means having breakfast and a read through my RSS Feeds (in Google Reader) and morning news at 8am. I also use this time to go through my emails so I’m ready to start work around 9. I work through my prioritised tasks until around 10.30 when i have a morning break (at least one cup of tea is involved in this!) I also use this time to return phone calls or contact clients. I work through to 1pm when i stop for lunch and then finish at 4.30pm. I usually leave the office for lunch and meet with friends/family as i feel it helps re-fuel my creative energy for the afternoon.

I finish earlier than most because I like to take 20/30 minutes to plan my tasks for the next day, prepare invoices and generally tie up any loose ends from the day’s work. I also try to spend at least half of each Friday working on personal projects.

What do you do in your free time?

I love spending time with friends, going on photo walks around Ireland and looking after my spoiled pooch – Prada. I’m also something of a ‘movie addict’ and can often be found at the cinema or in front of a great DVD.

Current favorite apps?

These usually change each week, but my current personal favorites are:

• Layers – Fantastic screenshot app which allows you save images in layered files.
• Tracks – This awesome little app sits in the menu bar and allows you to control you iTunes library with ease.
• 1Password – An essential piece of software for anyone who works online. The iPhone app is the cherry on top.
• TaskPa­per – A super sim­ple, ‘get your stuff done’ to-do list app that makes sure I keep up to date with my tasks.

What OS do you prefer?

It has to be Mac! I use both Leopard (my iMac) and Snow Leopard (on my Mac Mini).

Favorite: Color, Font, Language, JS Framework?

• Font: FF Din
• Color: Blue
• Language: CSS
• JS Framework: jQuery

Name something that has inspired you recently?

I’m hugely into photography at the moment, having purchased my first DSLR late last year and find going on photo walks and spending time with other photographers to be truely inspiring.

I recently went on a weekend tour of Donegal (Ireland) with several other amateur photographers and it was amazing to spend time with such talented, creative people. I not only came back with over 800+ images, but with renewed energy and inspiration.

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

Freelance, because there is no greater satisfaction than creating and running a successful business and being your own boss. It’s hard work but it’s so completely worth it.

What are your personnel projects and goals for 2010?

I’m focused on growing my personal project – The Freelance Feed even further and expanding it’s usefulness and services. Ultimately though I aim to keep working with amazing people, collaborating with other fantastic freelancers and continue enjoying my work.

I would also like to take this chance to say thanks to The Geek Talk for inviting me to be interviewed.

Who is Amber Weinberg?

Amber Weinberg is a front end developer who specializes in writing clean, semantic XHTML and CSS. She also specializes in full WordPress and CoreCommerce site implementations and customization. She has over 10 years of experience in making websites.

Do you have a personal Brand?

Yes, I run my business under my own name :)

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

I don’t actually offer design services anymore, I really prefer to code only :)

What does your typical day look like?

Busy. I try to only check email 3 times a day during work hours, but it’s tough because I get well over 200 emails a day. I normally check my email, feeds and twitter first thing, start on a project, take a lunch, work on a different project and then check my emails/feeds once more.

What do you do in your free time?

Work some more :) I’m working on a social app for developers right now at codesnipp.it I’m also a huge fan of reading, interior design and gardening. I also play a couple of video games, but not too much.

Current favorite apps?

Dropbox, Coda, Twitterrific, WordPress.

What OS do you prefer?

Mac of course :)

Small picture for your Workplace?

Favorite: Color, Font, Language, JS Framework?

Blue, Helvetica/Garamond (sans and serif), CSS, jQuery

Name something that has inspired you recently?

Dribbble is an awesome place to find top designers and their work, very inspiring!

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

Freelance, for several reasons:

• I make way more money than I could ever make working full-time
• I can pick my clients and projects and turn down those I don’t want to do
• I can work out of my home, next to my dog, on my own computer
• I can take off whenever I want (mostly)

What are your personnel projects and goals for 2010?

• To finish codesnipp.it
• To gross 6 figures
• To finish getting rid of any non-agency/freelacer/studio clients, I love working with other freelancers and design agencies
• To turn down any full project under $700

Who is Jina Bolton?

A designer, author, and speaker, and an enthusiast in all things sushi.

Do you have a personal Brand?

Sure, you could say that. People know me as the “sexy stylesheets” girl, or the girl who loves sushi & robots, or the girl who makes really bad jokes (usually with puns). Really, I’m just Jina. :)

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

Anywhere, really. Depending on the subject matter, I’ll use colors that relate to that subject, or sometimes I’ll see a colors I like just walking around and make a mental note of it. Inspiration can come from anywhere.

What does your typical day look like?

I work from home, so my day revolves a lot around sitting at my desk and working. I try to get out everyday for something to eat (so I can get out of the apartment), but sometimes I can’t due to projects. I spend probably a majority of my day at the computer. Lame, yeah?

What do you do in your free time?

When I do get free time (which isn’t often these days) I love dining out with friends. I also like seeing movies and working on side projects. But the truth is, since I’m going to grad school part time while working full time, “free time” is a very distant concept to me.

Current favorite apps?

I’m almost always in Coda, Photoshop, InDesign, Keynote, Adium, & iTunes.

What OS do you prefer?

Whatever the most current version of Mac is out at the time.

Small picture for your Workplace?

Favorite: Color, Font, Language, JS Framework?

Black, Hoefler Text, Italian, JQuery.

Name something that has inspired you recently?

The Coraline movie gave me a ton of inspiration for mood, pattern, and color. It’s stunning.

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

Full time employment. I don’t like dealing with billing, chasing after clients, or being worried about cash flow.

What are your personnel projects and goals for 2010?

I want to turn Art in My Coffee into a book, and I want to get at least half-way through the first stage of my thesis (a project I won’t talk about just yet!).

Who is Nick La?

I’m a Toronto based illustrator and web designer. I run N.Design Studio, Web Designer Wall, Design Jobs on the Wall, IconDock, and Best Web Gallery.

Do you have a personal Brand?

People know me as Nick La or N.Design. I guess that is my personal brand.

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

I find design inspiration from online and offline sources. Online: I browse peoples’ websites, read designers’ blogs, and go through the submissions for Best Web Gallery. Offline: anything I see in my daily life such as fashion, billboard ads, flyers, nature, etc. In term of colors, it depends on the theme of the project. I usually know what colors to pick after the theme is set. Sometimes, I would use web tools like Adobe kuler or ColourLovers to find color inspiration.
What does your typical day look like?

Wake up, check email, and do website admin stuff such as blog posting, check traffic stats, etc. Then, start working. My work schedule varies from day to day (depend on my current projects). After lunch, walk my dogs. Sometimes I cook dinner. At night, I usually watch TV or read online. Then bed time.

What do you do in your free time?

Relax and try to stay away from my laptop.

Current favorite apps?

Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, WordPress, and Chrome.

What OS do you prefer?

Mac.

Small picture for your Workplace?

Favorite: Color, Font, Language, JS Framework?

I don’t have a single favorite color. Font: recently I dig Clarendon. Language: PHP. Javascript framework: of course jQuery!

Name something that has inspired you recently?

A drawer chest with Asian floral patterns that I saw at a furniture shop.

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

Freelance = freedom and flexibility.

What are your personnel projects and goals for 2010?

Design more nice icons, illustrations, and WordPress themes.


Who’s Brian Hoff?

I’m a graphic designer, blogger, speaker and part-time educator on the subject of design from Philadelphia. I’m also the guy behind the design blog, The Design Cubicle, in addition to running my own business focusing on brand identity and web design.

Do you have a Brand?

I focus on and enjoy sharing and interacting with others within the design community in as many ways possible. Designing, blogging, speaking and teaching makes this possible, and I guess you can say I’ve established somewhat of a personal brand because of it.

How do you choose the idea and the colors in any new project?

Typically when starting a new project, for somer reason I always seem to start off by choosing the type. This usually helps to establish the feeling and mood I am going for. Colors and other design elements soon follow. Of course as a project progresses some or many of the starting elements will change—but it’s all part of the design process and working through a problem.

What does your typical day look like?

I usually begin my work day around 8:30am, which starts off with Twitter and RSS feeds for the first half hour or so. Then I respond to client emails, which usually takes another half hour, and then move on to proposals and invoices (if needed that day). Around 9:30 or 10am I start my client work, which I try to split my day between two projects. This helps me to get fresh ideas and a new perspective on a particular project. I find that working on one project all day for eight hours straight tends to not be as creatively productive as it could be with a fresh set of eyes the next day or so. My day usually ends around 6:30pm by responding to blog comments, reader emails and interview requests (like this one!). I also try to write around 2–3 articles a week on my blog, which usually takes place after 8 or 9pm. Go to sleep, rinse and repeat…

What are the tools you couldn’t live without?

Besides the obvious (the Adobe Creative Suite), I also use Little Snapper for storing and organizing online inspiration, Remember the Milk for keeping track of tasks and other client remembrances, Suitcase Fusion 2 for keeping my fonts and families organized and quickly accessible, and Subernova for tracking expenses and time. My iPhone is also a must have, in addition to my second monitor connected to my iMac. This helps to be more productive and timely.

What do you do in your free time?

I enjoy being around friends — going out to bars, live music, or just sitting around chatting the night away. I enjoy walking around with my camera and photographing different things around the city.

Current favorite apps?

If we are talking iPhone apps, I would say my top 3 are Dropbox, Flickr, and the Amazon app—simply for the fact that the Amazon app makes it much easier to browse and buy then the actual website. Top 3 Mac apps would be Dropbox (love it!), Tweetdeck, and Coda when doing development.

What OS do you prefer?

I’m actually a big fan of Tiger (Mac OS 10.4) — it was by far the most stable, in my opinion, of any of Apples amazing OSs.

Small pic for your Workplace?

10. Favorite: Colors, Fonts?

Definitely a tough question. Favorite (lack of) color: White. Favorite font(s): Anything that H&FJ crafts. All of their typefaces are incredibly beautiful and well designed.

The things or source that inspired you?

Print design, magazine / book layout and typography provide a lot of inspiration for my web work. I also love color palettes of old, vintage/retro posters.

What do you prefer, the freelance work or the full time employee?

Freelance work. There’s a lot to do and maintain, but its well worth it in the end. Nothing is more gratifying then running your own business…and being the boss ;)

Your projects and goals for 2010?

I’m looking forward to speaking and traveling more. I also plan on starting a book towards the end of this year, and of course, as always, plan on learning as much as I can about design and improving my own skills and knowledge on various web technologies. I love to learn and explore.

Who’s Jason Ennui?

I’m an author, freelancer, and slacking blogger from Missoula, Montana. I run Ennui Design, which used to be just me, but has grown into a collective of freelancers whose work I admire. I’ve authored two books, PHP for Absolute Beginners and the yet-to-be-released Professional PHP and jQuery for Apress publishing.

Additionally, I designed and co-own the clothing company Humblecock, which is an apparel company for the confident-not-cocky crowd.

Do you have a Brand?

I operate both my freelancing business and my blog under the banner of Ennui Design. I’m also part-owner of the Humblecock trademark, under which I operate my clothing company.

What does your typical day look like?

It varies based on my workload. Lately I’ve been doing a lot more project management instead of actual programming, which has been a pleasant break. A busy day might look like this:

• 8:30AM—Wake up, do the morning routine
• 9:30AM—Head to my favorite coffee shop to fuel up
• 10:00AM—Check email, return phone calls
• 11:00AM—Organize myself with a to-do list for the day
• 11:15AM—Start tackling the items for the day
• 12:30PM—Eat lunch while watching an episode of something (currently Archer)
• 1:10PM—Get back to it
• 5:00PM—Head to the gym
• 6:30PM—Eat dinner and watch another episode of whatever I’m currently into
• 7:30PM—Finish any items that are still outstanding on my to-do list
• 9:00PM—Depending on the day, either go out with friends, pop in a movie, or read a book
• 11:00PM—Bed

This is pretty loose, though, since I make my own hours. Some days I only have a couple hours’ work to do, other days I’m up until 3AM trying desperately to meet a deadline. It all depends.

What are the tools you couldn’t live without?

I rely pretty heavily on Firefox, Firebug, FirePHP, the Web Developer Toolbar, NetBeans (after Wes talked me into trying it over Eclipse‘s PDT project), the PHP manual, and the jQuery docs. I’ve also become completely dependent on my Cintiq 12WX for any work in Photoshop.

What do you do in your free time?

I don’t have too much free time these days, but I brew my own beer, get tattooed, travel, and try to get my hands on the best beers and bourbons available.

Current favorite apps?

Aside from the apps I mentioned above, I use Skype for communication with the freelancers working with me, the iTunes/Last.fm Scrobbler combo for my music, and Tweetie to keep up with my fellow geeks on Twitter. Other than that, I don’t really use too many apps.

What OSs do you prefer?

I use a MacBook Pro, and I’ve got VMWare Fusion running on it with the Windows 7 RC that they were giving out free before the official Win7 release.

Small pic for your Workplace?

Favorite: Colors, Font, Languages, JS Framework?

I specialize in PHP/MySQL backends, valid HTML/CSS front-ends, and I love adding some jQuery progressive enhancements to sites.

The things or source that inspired you?

I learned out of necessity (I was in a band that couldn’t afford professional web design), then realized it was fun to build websites. I kept learning new techniques and getting into new and different ways of accomplishing tasks, and when I realized that it was possible to use PHP and MySQL to build content management software, I really dove in.

I love logic puzzles, so programming was very appealing to me. I got lucky enough to have a passion that also works as a profession.

What’s do you prefer, the freelance work or the full time employee?

Definitely freelance. I’m terrible at keeping full-time jobs because I can’t stay in one place. My freelancing allows me to travel wherever I want and keep working. My whole office fits in a messenger bag if I need it to, so I’m constantly mobile, which works out really well for my nomad spirit.

Your personnel projects and goals for 2010?

I’m really trying to get the content management system I’ve built to a point where it could feasibly be released to the community. It’s got a ways to go yet, but I’ve got some great folks such as Drew Douglass contributing to the project and helping me improve the CMS.

Also, I want to release a handful of jQuery plugins I’ve been working on and get my blogging back on a regular schedule. I’m almost to a point where my schedule doesn’t feel completely insane, and the first thing on my list is to reactivate the Ennui Design blog.

I’m working on a full redesign of the Ennui Design site as well. It needs to change from just being the online face of Jason Lengstorf and communicate the new, collective aspect of the business. Of course, a redesign for yourself is always a long process, and it has to take a backseat to all my client work, but it should definitely be done in the first half of 2010.

Who’s David?

I’m a 26-year old Web Developer from Madison, Wisconsin, United States.  I’m author a web development blog, David Walsh Blog, and am a member of the MooTools Core Development team.

Do you have a Brand?

I don’t know if I have a brand, per say.  I’ve found that my blog’s illustration has been very recognizable outside of the site itself.

How do you choose the idea and the colors in any new project?

I try to follow the color scheme of the client’s logo.  If the logo’s colors don’t lend themselves well to web, I usually stick to safe, light colors.

What does your typical day look like?

I spend 8-5 at my full time job, mostly typing emails and coordinating website updates.  After my day job I get to experiment with different languages and try to help MooTools developers with some of their questions.

What are the tools you couldn’t live without?

When I’m working on my PC I can’t work without Photoshop, jEdit for text editing, and Firefox/Firebug for debugging.  I rely on TextMate.

What do you do in your free time?

I spend a lot of my free time obsessing over English Premier League soccer, creating new plugins to share with the MooTools community, and sneaking in a few hours of XBOX.

Current favorite apps?

I love Tweetie and TextMate.  TextMate is the most useful and flexible development tools I’ve ever used.  I also enjoy GitX to visualize repository commits.

What OSs do you prefer?

I actually prefer Windows XP if I’m working on a PC.  I have Snow Leopard on my Mac and love it.  I’d prefer to work on a Mac all day.

Small pic for your Wokrplace?

Favorite: Colors, Font, Languages (PHP, Ruby), JS Framework?

I tend to fall in love with the greys like #EEE, #CCC, #999.  I’m definitely a sans-serif font lover, Lucida Grande being my favorite.  I love tinkering with PHP on the server side.  As you can probably guess, MooTools is my javascript framework of choice.

The things or source that inspired you?

My biggest inspirations are usually the things that bug me about other websites.  I make a list of those frustrations and create jQuery and MooTools plugins to fix them.  I’m also hugely inspired by my brothers on the MooTools team — they’re a brilliant collection of problem-solvers.

What’s do you prefer, the freelance work or the full time employee?

I enjoy freelance;  the freedom to work the way that’s most comfortable for you and to experiment is best.  Full time jobs can be rigid in every sense of the job: lack of client selection, freedom in type of work, etc.  Full time positions are generally safe so it does have its advantages.

Your personnel projects and goals for 2010?

My goals for 2010 are to continue spreading the word about MooTools and to learn another server-side language; possibly server-side javascript, ruby, or python.

Who’s Liam McKay?

Generally just a nice guy & Freelance Web Designer with an overactive need for things to look good. The rest of the time I’m your average 20-year old.

Do you have a Brand?

Nope. I’ve not focused on building a brand, neither my personal brand or that of my blog / design company. There will come a point, this year, where I’m going to build on both of these and put some real effort into building something people can connect and engage with.

How do you choose the idea and the colors in any new project?

If I’ve got some clear ideas in my head, I’ll make them known to the client and take it from there. If they or I need some thinking to be done over the style I’ll put together a simple mood-board and put forward some colour ideas, usually from Photographs or colour palettes.

What does your typical day look like?

Currently, we’ve took a little break from client work to build & improve some sites of our own. So I’m spending a lot of time arguing with myself and being overly critical of my own work. Working from home gives me the chance to make the most of my time and fit my day around my mood. I always fit a good amount of hours into my work, but there’s definitely no pattern to my working hours.

What are the tools you couldn’t live without?

The only thing that really gets used every day without fail is Photoshop. It’s probably too obvious an answer, but really you could take everything else from me and I wouldn’t even notice!

What do you do in your free time?

Work is my free time. I don’t tend to stop. Even on my days off it’s still something I enjoy. There will come a point where I’ll work in some regular time off where I can focus on a hobby or something, but for now – other than the usual daily distractions TV, X-Box, Call of Duty MW2 the only other time I get off is spent with my friends.

Current favorite apps?

Livebrush stands out as the best thing I’ve used recently. I’ve always been on the look for an app with a more organic and realistic brush action. You generate lines based on your mouse movements that give very smooth and organic results, and then you can import the lines into Illustrator. It’s perfect.

What OSs do you prefer?

Currently working on a Mac with OSX. I don’t hate Windows, I’ve used a Windows PC for the majority of my life and maybe one day I’ll return to it. But in terms of user experience, I find that OSX is much better to live and work with on a daily basis.

Small pic for your Workplace?

Favorite: Colors, Font, Languages (PHP, Ruby), JS Framework?

Currently I’m liking dark blue/grays, something around #3b3d49. Futura is a font I keep finding myself using more and more. I’m not really clever enough to delve into development side of things, so CSS is about my limit on the development side.

The things or source that inspired you?

The main thing that inspired me was seeing other people make it work. Seeing other people design neat things, and running great blogs with really useful and focused content really played a big part in sparking my interest in the first place. I love seeing what people are doing, and what people are working on, it’s a big motivation & inspiration.

What’s do you prefer, the freelance work or the full time employee?

I’ve tried both, and for me Freelance works best. I can see the benefit of both, but for me I’m sort of living in a dream situation. I could never really see myself spending my entire life working in an office environment, maybe it’s something I’d return to later in life for a while, but I’m really happy doing what I do – and it seems to be working at the moment!

Your personal projects and goals for 2010?

Some big things are coming. I can’t really say too much. We’ve already spent a few months working on our big main project, and there’s still a long way to go. But we’re hoping it will be something people will really like. Other than that, a re-design of the blog and a better way of updating it, as well as my own personal blog and a few small projects of our own we’re hoping to launch. So although very vague, you can see that 2010 is more about our own projects and building our own brand. A big risk, but hopefully time well spent.

Who’s Chris Spooner?

That’s me! I’m a self employed designer/blogger who has a love for all things creative.

Do you have a Brand?

I produce work under the brand of SpoonGraphics, and have also tried to develop a personal brand as Chris Spooner.

How do you choose the idea and the colors in any new project?

Often I’ll head over to a site such as ColorLovers for palette inspiration, although for some client projects the particular requirements of the job might tailor towards a certain colour scheme.

What does your typical day look like?

My day is usually a mix of client projects, personal jobs and the creation of blog posts. I’ll check Twitter periodically and follow interesting design links. My fiancee returns home at lunch and makes me a sandwich (life of a king!), then I’ll get back to work until 5ish in the evening. Saying that, every now and again I do enjoy making the most of the freedom of self-employment and taking a cheeky day off!

What are the tools you couldn’t live without?

My MacBook, Photoshop, Illustrator, WordPress and a Hammer

What do you do in your free time?

We usually head of to the Gym or the Cinema in the evenings, and occasionally spend the day at the theme park. There’s a new ride for 2010 that I’m looking to try out in the Spring!

Current favorite apps?

I’m a big fan of Spotify for my daily music, and I’m also addicted to two iPhone apps name Doodle Jump and GeoDefense.

What OSs do you prefer?

Since moving over to Mac I’m a big fan of Mac OSX. Particularly Snow Leopard, simply because of the cool name.

Small pic for your Wokrplace?

Favorite: Colors, Font, Languages (PHP, Ruby), JS Framework?

Grey, DIN, CSS (I’m not techy enough for anything server-side!), jQuery.

The things or source that inspired you?

I’m currently enjoying gathering retro inspiration from old Atari game designs.

What’s do you prefer, the freelance work or the full time employee?

Freelance for sure!

Your personnel projects and goals for 2010?

One goal I’ve had in mind for 2010 is to move from freelancer to fulltime blogger. I’m on my way towards it by cutting down on client jobs, and starting to spend more time on post creation.