Hey Reader,

Sometimes it's the very simple actions that can give you clarity of ideas, decisions and problem solving. This week I pass along the simple advice I learned from a past advertising instructor, and I hope it inspires you to let your mind think, wonder and reflect.

Keep creating,

Maria

Clarity in the Backroads

Get unstuck and recentered by driving the long way home.

CODING ARTICLES

Learning Git

​Git is a free and open-source version control tool. In simple terms, it allows you to keep track of changes in code (like a very unique way of "saving as" for a file.)
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Git uses the command line, which can be intimidating to learn at first. To make it easier, I often use GitHub and GitHub Desktop to store code (called repositories) and track code using a more visual interface. However, it's beneficial to understand how to use Git and the command line in general.
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Since I don't use the command line every day, I easily forget the Git commands. To keep my skills sharp, I sometimes code a scratch web project to jog my memory and practice navigating around. This knowledge base provides helpful instructions and cheatsheets for practice.

CODING TUTORIAL

Let’s Make One of Those Fancy Scrolling Animations Used on Apple Product Pages

I've been assigned a project where the client wants "fancy animations like Apple" (view Apple's website for example). I may be bold for saying this...but personally and from my design perspective I have never liked Apple's website. I think the animations are overpowering and overdone. They load in odd layouts and have too many gesture directions, providing a jumpy user experience. I get it: the "wow" factor is part of the status they're selling in their brand, but I'll always advocate for simple design before fancy—but I digress. :)

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So I've been studying code animations, such as this tutorial, to understand various build approaches and animation types. The code is interesting, but I'll end by saying to only do presentations like this if the use case is really fitted for it.

CODING VIDEO

Every React Concept Explained in 12 Minutes

I'm continuing to learn a lot about React, a library for user interfaces. This video helped clarify a few concepts I was struggling to understand at first. It's quick but has great content if you slow it down to absorb.

DESIGN TOOL

Coolers Color Palettes

Sometimes it's helpful to explore color palettes online for inspiration and see what emotions a particular color palette may evoke. This is a cool tool that has a nice presentation and search for exploring many color options.

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"The quality of your life is a direct reflection of the quality of the questions you are asking yourself."​
​Tony Robbins

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