Changes

According to this Onward Search infographic, Atlanta is one of the top three destinations for what I do. I've brushed shoulders with San Fran, Austin and a few other destinations where the UI/UX job market tends to thrive and I'm surprised over the Atlanta mention. Apparently I shouldn't be. And for some reason, Atlanta feels like a brand new city to me given this fact. Taking a year to decompress in Hilton Head was exactly what I needed to get away from the hustle bustle of the city, get my bearings, and come back in strong with a new perspective.

Brown Bag Marketing is a fun, up-and-coming group in a very elegant and creative space at the heart of Buckhead, Atlanta. Every name has a scope, and one can see immediately that the culture at BBM is humble, down to earth, and fun. No Big Evil Corporation here, just a company that feels great to work at and has great client relationships, primarily in the financial and pharmaceutical sectors. It was after much deliberation and several candidate options that BBM chose me to come on board and be their sole art director on the interactive side. Thank you guys. It's a considerable responsibility and one I'm more than prepared for given my experience in this business. There's not a lot of positive career progress going on right now given the economy. But of course Internet related jobs remain more resilient, as are several of the industries that BBM is in the business of servicing.

I also want to focus for a second on the BFGi guys and all the inspiration Brendan LaMarsche has given me as I take on more responsibility. The Sr. Designer role at BFGi came with a heavy focus on coding after the departure of a Flash developer. Because of that "trial by fire" experience I grew by leaps and bounds, and it was delving into the world of OOP and programing concepts that qualified me for the Sr. Interactive Art Director role I've taken now. The interactive field truly is a "both sides of the brain" sport and I wouldn't feel comfortable with such a title if it weren't for the year I spent working with the crack dev team at BFGi, coding for everything from large portal sites to responsive web/mobile/pad microsites, and as of late even iPhone and Android apps.

It feels great to come to work every day, and no less into a space that is premium and creatively inspiring on so many levels. It's exciting to think what the future holds for this fast growing company. And to top it off I have a great new living space that feels perfect to come home to after a long and productive day.