Rest assured, this is not going to be one of those boring and emotional posts about the new year. This is about all the things I have been doing these last two months, not to achieve any goals for 2013 but to make sure 2014 would start off strong.
The only reason why we should slice up time is to help us set a path and be able to understand if we’re making any progress or not. Somewhere along the way, we figured it would be a good idea to set goals at the start of the year and work 12 months to make it happen. This year, I’m taking a different approach and starting off the year halfway through my goals.
1. Photowalke.rs
The best online store for your photo needs is going to expand. With the help of Basílio Vieira and Mário Pires we hope to bring you an english version of the website by february the latest. But there’s more. Sometime during the next two weeks we should be able to introduce photos from OPorto.
The challenge right now is to find a carrier for international shipping. If you have any recommendations, please do leave a comment or get in touch some other way. In the meantime, if you would like to purchase a print do send us an email. At this stage we can handle small request from overseas at a competitive price.
2. Stubs
Remember those crazy kids that built an app in 24 hours? We’re still at it.
Last week we sat down and put pen to paper coming up with a business model and during the next few months we will looking for investors and rolling up our sleeves so that people can have a working version of the app.
3. Mobile Profile
What started off as a simple website to help people have a QR Code on their business cards, linked to an elegant personal branding page, is now a full fledged enterprise solution. You can see it and use a free version over at mobileprofile.co. And if you’d like to see it applied to your company, with your own branding and user management, drop me an email so we can talk. (photo by pixage on flickr)
4. Back to school
In december I started teaching again. The fine folk over at EDIT (School of interactive design and technology) gave the opportunity to work on three modules for their course of Digital Art Director. The result is a small set of lessons from email marketing to social media and the chance to spend time with a very interesting group of students.
5. Faster and better development
Every now and then I team up with a designer for freelance projects when a small company needs a website or app of some sort.
Last year I had one or two freelance opportunities that I had to pass. I was overwhelmed with work and exhausted, so even though I could have used the extra income I had to recommend someone else.
Instead of crying over missed opportunities I looked at ways to fix it on my end. After taking a page from the Lean UX methodology and doing some research on alternative content management systems, I came up with a way to work that I am quite happy with. I have been using it for my own projects and I’m sure it will meet the needs of most small to medium sized clients.
Part of the added value is that whether the client wants to or not, he is getting a responsive website. After all, with so many mobile devices nowadays does it make sense to build for desktop alone?
6. The search for a new apartment
I have been living on a one bedroom flat that over the course of this last year became a bit too claustrophobic in nature. So, in a leap of faith, I told my landlord I would be moving by the end of January. During these next weeks I will have to do some heavy scouting …
7. Travel
I need to travel more, and by february or march I am going to visit Germany for the first time. Düsseldorf and Maastricht to be specific. And later during the year, I will make a few more trips, even if within Portugal.
If you’re near one of these cities, do let me know so we can at least sit down for a cup of coffee.
Header photo by marfis75 on Flickr.
