Cameron Moll

Hiatus

published 27 October 2011

It’s clear by now dust is gathering at this domain. I’ve been okay with that, and will continue to be okay with it, but only a little longer. I’ve been swamped with obligations on my current projects and have traveled much more than usual. I’ll visit NYC for the third time in a month starting next week, for example.

More importantly, I’ve realized I need to realign the focus of this site. The tumblog, light-narrative format is definitely enjoyable, and it’s helped me blog more frequently, as well. But I’ve realized it’s not entirely what I wanted to be when I grew up.

Without doubt, linking to and editorializing others’ articles takes just as much skill as writing one’s own. However, I find it doesn’t challenge me creatively as much as authoring my own stuff. I progress most efficiently as a designer and thought leader when composing and criticizing my thoughts rather than others’.

To this end, I plan to author more original content soon, but it’ll take a while to figure out the right approach for that. Hang tight, and follow me on Twitter, Google+, Dribbble, and Instagram in the meantime.

Twelve Days

published 29 September 2011

I’m blessed to have remarkable parents who created opportunities for unforgettable experiences during my childhood. This is one of those experiences.

Leading up to Christmas one year, my parents gathered the family together and announced that we would be helping another family in need. This wasn’t foreign to us, as we had not only done the same before, but we had also been the recipients of similar giving during lean Christmases as a family.

The plan was simple: For 12 days leading up to Christmas, we would deliver a package with food, toys, and essential supplies. On the 12th day before Christmas, the package contained 12 items. On the 11th day, 11 items. And so on.

However, the package was to be delivered at night anonymously without the recipient family knowing who made the delivery. And there the fun began. Each night one of us was assigned to sneak up to the front door, place the package on the doorstep, pose in a runner’s stance with one finger on the bell, and then run like crazy after ringing it. The getaway car, cleverly disguised as a minivan, was just around the corner.

On Christmas Eve, I was entrusted with delivering the final package. We safely assumed the family was on to us by now, expecting a delivery sometime that evening. No tomfoolery this time, no sir. Thus, I was extra cautious as I approached the doorstep. Quiet as a mouse.

But to no avail. They knew we were coming. For there on the doorstep stood, not a person, but a card. It was placed atop a plate of homemade cookies. Essentially the card said this:

To our Secret Santa: Thank you. We can’t express enough gratitude for making Christmas wonderful for our family this year.

Years later, when the impact of that one night finally registered in my mind — and more importantly, my heart — I realized that we weren’t delivering packages that Christmas. We were changing lives. Real people with real needs and genuine gratitude for our family. (I have a hard time even typing these words, much less sharing the experience vocally, without getting a little emotional.)

I share this story as I request your help one final time to contribute to the Authentic Jobs charity: water campaign. Almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. Real people with real needs, and I’m confident they possess genuine gratitude for those of us who can help.

Many of you have already made very generous donations: Myles Grant, Stefan Hartwig, Ryan Essmaker, Stefan Velthuys, Nate Tharp, Elliot Jay Stocks, Jeffrey Snider, Christine Rondeau, Mark Wyner, Sarah Fraser (on behalf of Jenna Dixon), Grant Hutchinson, Jason Ferrell, Veerle Pieters, Jesse Bennett-Chamberlain, Neutron Creations, and many more of you too numerous to mention here.

Our campaign concludes Monday, October 3. We’ve got a long ways to go to reach our goal. Give $3, the cost of a plate of cookies, if that’s all you have to spare. Or the $20 you would have spent on a shirt. Or $100 or more if your finances are healthy. Please, donate now.

HTML5 Whiteboard Magnets

published 26 September 2011

Last Friday I posted a photo of these magnetic HTML5 elements from part of our homeschool curriculum, and several of you expressed interest in knowing how I made them.

It’s pretty simple: magnetic sheets that are compatible with any inkjet printer. I’ve used Avery magnet sheets satisfactorily for similar projects. For this project, however, I used Office Depot magnet sheets. They have a glossy finish, whereas the Avery ones have a matte finish. Comparing the two, the ink seems to be more durable with the glossy finish.

We’re lucky enough to have a really big whiteboard (like 8’ x 4’ big) in our school room, which provides plenty of space for hands-on HTML5 instruction, in addition to writing actual markup. I’m sure the magnets would work just fine on a smaller whiteboard or printed at smaller sizes.

If you’d like to download my .ai files, have at it. Add your own elements as needed. After all, wouldn’t the web would be a much better place if we all taught our children the fundamentals of good markup?

Download html5-magnets.ai

My Late Grandfather Was a Pinch-Hitter, Too

published 20 September 2011

Recently I pulled this form letter out of storage. It’s one of my favorite mementos of Grandpa Moll. An independent contractor later in life, he probably sent this to companies in the surrounding area, most likely larger cities such as Reno, Nevada, as his quaint home town of Markleeville, California had only about 150 residents at the time.

Back when I did client work as a freelancer, I would often describe myself as a pinch-hitter. In baseball, a pinch-hitter substitutes for another player when the coach feels the substitute player may perform a specific duty, such as bunting or base running, better than the player he replaces. Not that the pinch-hitter is better overall than the other player, just that he might have a better shot at succeeding in a specific scenario or critical play in a close game.

Using the term “pinch hitter” was a quick way to describe how I could add value to a project, and most managers here in the U.S. quickly understood the analogy. Often I was called in to produce mock-ups at the start of a design, or to provide ideas for an alternate direction. I found the term was also a convenient way to address a delicate situation, as I was occasionally called in to complement an in-house team with designers already on staff.

From the looks of my grandfather’s letter, I think he might have described himself the same way. His son (my father) also has entrepreneurial skills and has served as an independent contractor over the years, as well. I suppose it’s in the Moll DNA. If so, I’ve got four pinch-hitters in training should you be scouting for one in the near future.