Vans is just one of those companies that no matter how large they seem to get they remain grounded to their roots. As part of their tradition of creating custom kicks since 1966 Vans is offering to let YOU design your own shoes. They have an interactive shoes designer on their website that allows you to create new styles and show you realtime pricing on your fancy new kicks. Pretty cool way to show your loyal customers that they are appreciated. Go check it out at Vans.com and happy 10.10.10 to you all!

I’m a big fan of the self made, grass roots, dig deep business mentality. I’ve always admired the dedication and drive that is required to see you through to success. I recently watched a DVD by Element Skateboard’s called Make It Count. Element caught my eye a few years back and I really dig their presence in the industry. Make it Count is less of a skate video and more of a company biography and an in depth look into the gradual success of an influential brand. Whether you skateboard or not, this is a great DVD to see. You can purchase it from Element or on Amazon and you can view the trailer right here. Be prepared for inspiration!

Debugging your web project can be a frustrating experience if you want your work to translate appropriately between the different browsers. It helps to know who your key audience is and understanding the frequency at which the users will be viewing your website, and from what browsers. As always there will be variables here that you simply can’t account for, so creating a site that translates smoothly between browsers is your best option. I like to keep tabs on which browsers are getting the most use and at minimum will debug projects to be viewed on the most used browsers. The W3 has a running report of browser statistics that is frequently updated. You can check out the report here, and use it in your future web development. Happy coding!

AIGA has announced the dates for the upcoming design conference in the fall of 2011. It’s still pretty far off but the event will be hosted at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona October 13-16, 2011. Registration begins this October and for more info you can jump on over to the AIGA website.

In the wake of the perfect storm, there comes a time to be reborn. It’s undoubtedly been a challenging past couple of years and it has truly given the world an eye opening shot to the heart. However, I am a firm believer in taking every experience whether bad or good and putting it to work for me. It’s a long overdue reminder that nothing in life is as certain as we assume and to leave each day without regret. Last fall I took a much needed vacation from the unrelenting winter here in Chicago and I returned with a renewed enthusiasm for progress. Make Waves is the result of this shift in perspective. I don’t want to ride the waves in life, I want to make them. Welcome to my portfolio, let’s make waves!