Laura Helen Winn

Curiosity Atlas Summer Fellowships

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 17:09:28 -0400

The two IDEO-trained founders of Curiosity Atlas are looking for a Brand Communications Fellow this summer. Please forward to any undergrads or new graduates you know. More details on their site: http://curiosityatlas.com/summer-fellowships

Curiosity Atlas Fellowships

With summer just around the corner, we are thrilled to announce our inaugural Curiosity Atlas Fellowship Program. We are looking for one talented, curious Fellow to each take on a distinct project over the summer within a creative and collaborative team. These projects together will lay the foundation for Curiosity Atlas to grow and thrive over the coming year.

1. Brand Communications Maven

This is a part-time (10-15hrs/wk) opportunity for June through August 2013 - great for undergraduate seniors, grad students, or recent grads. While this is an unpaid fellowship, the rewards are infinite! They include cool portfolio work, mentorship & guidance, an expanded network of creative & entrepreneurial people in SF and taking part in quirky, fun SF experiences!

We’ll brainstorm and plot together once a week; other project activities happen independently and on your schedule.

The Stories We Share

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 01:27:21 -0400

The Stories We Share:

formandfuture:

Do yourself a favor. Read this post, then re-read it, then share it with people you love.

Stories—my grandmother’s, mine, yours—aren’t linear. They come in different shapes and sizes, and they don’t usually move in straight lines. Sometimes life is orderly, but most of the time, it shoots out in a lot of different directions at once and you have to just go with it. Stories don’t always fit on a page or in a room or whatever else kind of box we want to put them in. Some begin and end in the same sentence, and others unfold over dinner parties, weeks, or lifetimes.

The Long, Hard, Stupid Way

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:34:29 -0400

What happened

I really screwed up at my job yesterday, and a small domino set of days before that. I didn’t put the time in, and my work suffered. Is it the end of the world? No. Did it feel like it? Yes.

What I learned

Ask for help as many times as it takes. Even if you don’t know how to describe the problem, try. Start communicating what you’re having trouble with, and you’ll find the answer together. Keep asking for help until you actually feel confident about the answer. Do not wait until the last minute to press the Emergency button, red lights flashing. You need help the second things start feeling shaky. The sooner you get help, the sooner you’ll be on the right track again.

What older, smarter people said

Shannon Fong, Associate Director of Industrial Design at Smart, said needing help never goes away: not as a senior designer, not as a director. Everyone needs help, everyone keeps learning. Over time, the anxiety that accompanies getting help as a beginner fades.

“Wouldn’t it be sad if you graduated college, and were already the best you were ever going to be?”

What a recent graduate said

Xiulung Choy, industrial designer at Smart and recent grad like me, said his best professors were the strict teachers that no one liked. The professors who would count you tardy at 9:01, or not accept late work. “You can’t give your client a doctor’s note and turn in work two days late.”

School is practice. Practice makes you suck less

Whatever your weakness is in school, from timeliness to critique to showing process, will be magnified in real life. Every single person you’ll ever work with has weaknesses. The trick is knowing yours, and working extra hard to correct them. I’m not sure if that ever gets easy, and I don’t really mind.

Be ready to put the time in. When you screw up—and you will screw up—take responsibility. Find colleagues who will be honest with you, and help you grow.

Appendix

Crying in the bathroom at work is okay. Breathe through your nose slowly. Splash cold water on your face. If you’re crying at work more than every once in awhile, that’s too much. Find a job that makes you cry less, or toughen up. You’ll be fine. Wear less makeup. Dress cooler than you think you are. Smile more.

Giving Fear the Middle Finger

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 12:45:00 -0500

I recently tweeted “Fear is useless,” and got a mix of responses. There were some favorites, a direct message about different kinds of fear, and friends who disagreed. I’m glad they thought differently, because it made me think about fear a little more in-depth.

I wrote “Fear is useless” because I was frozen about starting a two-week project over smack dab in the middle. I had been working in one direction, and then was presented with compelling reasons to change my approach. I was under pressure, and I really, really wanted this client presentation to go well. I wanted to succeed so strongly that I was afraid of failure.

Being scared of fucking up was keeping me from getting my hands dirty, from doing the work I knew I needed to do. In that moment, sitting at my computer worrying about how to do what I needed to do, fear was hurting more than helping. Sending that little message to the world was my moment of resolve, giving the middle finger to the silly human feelings that were keeping me from doing a good job. After that, I signed out of Twitter, rolled my sleeves up, and dedicated myself to working out the problem.

What I learned–or what I remembered–is that fear is useful, depending on what you’re scared of and why. I’m scared of being a boring person. I’m scared of dying a boring person. On my tombstone they would write nothing, because I gave nothing. So I work hard, and I make things with my hands that feel important to me. Lots of people feel this way.

Stephen DeStaebler says this more eloquently than me:

“Artists don’t get down to work until the pain of working is exceeded by the pain of not working.”

If you haven’t already, go read Art and Fear. When I follow the authors’ advice closely, I have a greater chance of conquering fear.

What are you scared of? How does it hurt you? How does it help you?

capturesbynetta: Yesterday, I had the opportunity to tour...

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:44:11 -0500

capturesbynetta:

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to tour Dandelion Chocolate with my friend Laura to finalize a few details for her upcoming event for Form and Future.

It was like I had died and gone to chocolate heaven. That one package’s untaped flap did make my OCD flare up a bit, though.

Thanks a million, Netta!

Feed Courage, not Fear

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:52:57 -0500

Recently, Sarah Parmenter posted an article exposing her abusive experiences as a speaker in the web design industry. Publishing the truth is a display of both her strength and vulnerability. Since then, Whitney Hess, Leslie Jensen-Inman, and Relly Annett-Baker have each written about their similar experiences with abuse as speakers at public design events. I respect all of these women professionally, and am grateful that they are bringing awareness to what it actually feels like to be disrespected, undermined, and exploited. These are not isolated incidents, and they won’t magically disappear.

Note: Leslie’s story was personally disheartening, because she was the female mentor who encouraged me to pursue a career in web design and technology.

In the comments section of each post, I noticed a theme: fear. Women who are new to design and technology are expressing their reservations about participating in our community, and how they’re scared to speak publicly. We know that when we step on a stage, there’s a damn good chance we’ll be publicly criticized for our gender, appearance, our knowledge of the subject at hand. What’s worse, we may be stalked, threatened, or verbally abused. Why bother putting ourselves in that horribly uncertain space, when we can stick to the sidelines safely?

Please, please don’t keep quiet. Don’t stay on the bench. Don’t let bullies–or the fear of bullies–keep you from becoming a speaker in our community. We need your voices, your opinions, your insights. What you can contribute to the world is bigger than small-minded people who have been taught that women are second-class citizens who aren’t to be taken seriously.

Sexism will never completely disappear. And there will always be racism, violence, and poverty. It’s disheartening, I know, but stick with me here. Just because the dark, horrible, make-your-blood-boil things in life will always linger doesn’t mean we shouldn’t work to change them.

Every time you speak publicly, you win. We all win. Every time you give in to the fear of trolls and abusers, those fucking cowards win. Men who abuse women for speaking publicly are afraid of losing their power: they’re afraid of your power. Putting yourself out there is not going to be easy, and your fear is absolutely justified. I want you to know that I’m on your side. A whole vibrant community of good-hearted people are here to support you.

Public speaking is already intimidating. The fear of bullying, trolling, stalking, threatening has no place in our industry. Thank you to those who are speaking out, and thank you to those who are calling for change.

How can you start speaking? Make friends with women who have experience speaking. Ask their advice about finding friendly venues to speak at, and how to brainstorm topics that you’re comfortable speaking on. Don’t let age, experience level, or any other excuse keep you from speaking. You are worthy, and you are capable of whatever you put your mind to.

My smart and cool friend Julie Horvath is a designer who speaks publicly quite often. She wrote a post on her motivation for becoming a speaker. She also shared these wonderful links with me, so I could share them with you. Thanks, Julie!

Blog posts:

Elise Huard, The art of speaking at conferences
We Are All Awesome, Be a Role Model
Jen Myers, Confessions of a Semi-Amateur Speaker
Jen Myers, How to Avoid Feminist Burnout

Talks:

Nicole Sullivan, Don’t Feed the Trolls

Speaking out against things that are wrong help them become smaller. Close your eyes, and imagine yourself as you want to be. Now, go forward with confidence: we’re all here for you.

Reflection on 2012

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 13:50:00 -0500

At the end of last year I predicted that 2012 would be full of changes, and it certainly was. I’m grateful for love and support from close friends and family, and encouragement from mentors. Thank you to the people who kept me grounded during a whirlwind year.

In 2012, I…

Graduated college in May.

Oh, happy day! After five years, I graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a BFA in Graphic Design.

Undergrads, a word of advice: I was contracting for a startup and finishing school at the same time. Do not do this. When your plate is too full, you end up half-assing some things. In the words of Ron Swanson, “Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.” I spread myself too thin, and by the end I was exhausted.

On the bright side, I survived being in over my head. I clearly divided school and work in my mind by scheduling time for each. Every day, I determined the most important items I had to complete, then finished them first. When you’re drowning in to-do lists, efficiency is your best friend.

The UTC Art Department helped me find my voice–and the courage to speak up–as a young person. I learned how to think critically, make things with my hands, and to give and accept critique. I learned how to work in large groups, and let projects push my boundaries. I learned that I favor being part of a community, that I’m happiest there.

Moved to Atlanta in June…

Our house in Atlanta

…for exactly one month. I already had a job in San Francisco, and was itching to move. Stephen and I agreed that we would move together after he found a job in the city. One week after I moved to Atlanta, Stephen accepted a job at Airbnb. We spent the next two weeks saying goodbye to friends and family, and one week packing.

Drove across the country with my love in July.

Leaving my sister’s house in Nashville to begin our roadtrip.

Our Tahoe Airbnb

Since Stephen was on his way to work at Airbnb, he planned each night of our trip with a different Airbnb host. In hindsight, we wish the trip had lasted longer, but we were so damn excited about moving.

Moved to San Francisco, and found an apartment in two weeks.

Our first month in San Francisco was spent living out of suitcases with an Airbnb host. We discovered our cozy Bernal Heights apartment through a friend, and we were the first couple to tour the place. We were nervous because the landlord still held an open house the next day. Everything worked out in our favor, and we moved in August 1st.

Founded Form and Future.

Form and Future started as my senior thesis, and grew into a long-term side project. Working on Form and Future has helped me learn about editing, writing, publishing, designing dynamic content, and marketing. When I graduated from UTC in May, I vaguely understood that I had more to learn about being a designer. Seven months later, I realize that I’m really just beginning.

Many influences in my life are sources of encouragement, advice, and contributions along the way. I’m deeply grateful for the following people, all of whom are fantasticly wonderful human beings.

Rena Tom, Willo O’Brien, Matt Greenwell, Mandy Brown, Ryan Essmaker, Tina Essmaker, Nick Disabato, Stephen Bush, Allison Gay, Daniel Burka, Hannah Wei, Jason Beaird, Timoni West, Aarron Walter, Max Temkin, Julie Horvath, Shawn Collins, Ryan Freitas, Mark DiCristina, Allen Tan, Netta Marshall, Aaron Robbs, Cassie McDaniel

Said goodbye to about.me in September.

@russu I’m entirely convinced that luck is the biggest factor in someone’s career. And yet it’s almost never spoken about in the 21st c.
— Dan Saffer (@odannyboy) December 23, 2012

Joining the about.me team completely changed my life, and I was lucky to get the gig. The people who make about.me are some of the kindest, smartest, most damn awesome dark-comedians to work with. Working closely with Shawn and Ryan taught me to never settle, always do my best, and ask for feedback frequently.

Leaving about.me was a difficult decision to make. Instead of working remotely, I wanted to work with senior designers in an office every day. In order to grow as a designer, I sensed a need to develop skills by working with clients. Saying goodbye was bittersweet, and I hope we get the chance to work together again.

Said hello to Smart Design in October.

I was fortunate enough to join Smart Design as an interaction designer. The designers at Smart range from graphic design to industrial design, from interns to senior designers. Our clients range from OXO to companies that are working to bring their products and services into the future. Smart is a sincere company with a lot of heart, and I’m proud to work here.

Onward, 2013!

I’m grateful for my life, and every person in it. There’s room to grow personally and professionally, and I look forward to doing so. Let’s all do our best this year.

"We need to spend less time looking to others for interesting things, and start spending more time..."

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:49:00 -0400

“We need to spend less time looking to others for interesting things, and start spending more time doing the things that make us interesting.”

- Ab l e Parris (via ryanessmaker)

Tell Bigger Stories

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:39:01 -0400

“…the best recipe for success with telling bigger stories is the one that helps everyone be the hero in their own story.”

Chris Brogan, “How Do I Get People to Care About What I’m Doing? - Tell Bigger Stories”

Confidence

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 14:27:02 -0400

If you don’t believe in your work, no one else will.

Don't Stop Trying

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 21:56:00 -0400

In orchestral music, the last note of a piece is the most important note, because it is the last note the audience will remember. My band director advised us, “No matter what happens during the piece: no matter how many times you mess up, strive to make the last note strong.”

When I near the end of a difficult activity - running, writing, or designing - I’m always tempted to let my energy fade a little bit at the end. I’ll think, “I’ve done the work. I’m tired, it’s almost over, I can just slow down.”

There are two problems with slowing down.

When I relax a little bit: leave some corners unpolished, or skip the last half mile, I’m cheating myself. I know I can do better, it’s just a matter of doing so.

The second problem with slowing down is that the end of an activity can disappoint the people who work with you. It disrespects the integrity of the project.

The key to overcoming this is reframing the activity in your mind. Time is valuable, and any time you spend doing something is worth doing well. It also feels good to actually complete a fast-paced activity. Choosing to not complete a project strongly is laziness.

The last 10% of a project takes 90% of your time. Make sure your last note is strong - it’s what people will remember about you.

Thinking about how the majority of design work isn’t “sexy”. It’s working...

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:33:15 -0400

Thinking about how the majority of design work isn’t “sexy”. It’s working with others, organizing the moving parts, and getting a project to completion that makes up the most design work. It’s the heavy lifting that will make you a great designer.

Ultra-sensitive

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 02:28:01 -0400

“I once read that safe-crackers rub the tips of their fingers with sandpaper to increase tactile sensitivity. It make their fingertips ultra-sensitive and enables them to feel the nuances of the lock’s gear mechanism, as they rotate the dial in search of the magic combination that will open the safe. It’s the same with graphic design: the more sensitive you become to the world around you the better you will function. This means studying design in all its contemporary manifestations, as well as design history and the visual arts in general. But it also means studying the world beyond graphic design.”

- Adrian Shaughnessy, How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul

New City, New Life

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 01:22:27 -0400

I moved to San Francisco three weeks ago from Atlanta, GA, and Chattanooga, Tennessee before that. I lived in San Francisco last summer for an internship at about.me, and fell in love with this city.

I’m here to be part of the technology and startup scene. More than that, I’m here because of connections I’ve made and continue to make here. The tech and design communities are incredibly closely knit, and I feel welcomed and encouraged with each new person I meet. It gives me the feeling that more things in my life are possible here.