The Notebook

A carpenter is only as good as his tools, or so the saying goes. However, this phrase doesn't apply to the woodworking trade only. The same has also been used for mechanics as “a poor mechanic blames his tools” and this time round, I would like to use it for designers as well. And what this phrase simply means is that if one really cares about their work, then they ought to invest in their tools.

Before going into app development, it is important for designers to get all the necessary tools together to avoid wasting time and money on improper technology. One of the cheapest and most effective tools that one can invest in before thinking of all the available software out there is a quality notebook!

Of Fast Wi-Fi And Decent Coffee

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to forgo the luxury of a decent cup of coffee just because the café in question had one of the best Wi-Fi connections in town? I have! The converse is also true because sometimes your body just craves the taste of an excellent latte or cappuccino but as much as the said drinks tantalize your senses and leave you with afterthoughts of ordering ten more liters, the management of that particular joint probably never heard of an ISP.

Image Source

A research was actually done about it and it turned out that when people go out to coffee shops, they look for free and fast Wi-Fi and overlook the actual taste of the coffee that the shop offers! I don’t blame them. I totally get frustrated by slow internet! And on that note, you should see me now. Aaargh!

Reflections: Lessons From My First Website

I can’t help but chuckle a little bit whenever I look at the first website I ever developed or at least what is left of it. To say it was unrefined, rough and crude is sort of an understatement. However, looking at the kind of projects I have made overtime and comparing it to that first website it is evident that I have progressed. Started from the bottom, now we are here kinda thing.

I made that website for a 2^nd year unit and at the time I was indeed very proud of the outcome considering I had no prior knowledge in web development. Computers were solely for music and movies and the occasional word document assignments at that point in my life. However, with a little persistence and a bunch of help from some good friends of mine, I managed to produce something.

Random Facts About Me

Hey guys,

A couple of days ago, there was this fad over on Instagram where people were tagging each other and a tag meant you had to share around 20 random facts about yourself. I was having so much fun reading other people’s random facts and never at one point did I think someone would wanna know mine. I mean I already have this little blog here, so I have pretty much said everything right? Wrong!

One +June Tessy nominated me for it and I tried to cunningly escape the obligation by telling her that I will do it sometime later. This was until yesterday when we met face to face and she reminded me about it. I had almost forgotten. Well…I tried to. But with +George Kamau also tagging me on his post it was kinda impossible to do it. Hehe!

#gDaysKe14

As much as the weather was gloomy this past Saturday, the colorful #gDaysKe14 event quickly warmed up the ambiance and raised the spirits of all those who attended. And that in itself will go a long way to try and explain why days later, I am still hung up on that particular occasion. Yes, that is how good this past weekend was!

The event kicked off with the keynote speech from the one and only +Elijah Kitaka {Google}. He shared with the audience some of the cool opportunities that are available at their disposal, including the UX MasterClass which I shared with you here.

Google User Experience Masterclass

Reposted from the Google Africa Blog.

If you are intrigued by the world of User Experience and Design like I am, then this is definitely the post you should be checking out.

This October, designers from the UX team at Google will be visiting Sub-Saharan Africa to conduct a 2-day, hands-on user experience masterclass in Cape Town, Nairobi and Lagos. Attendees at the masterclass will learn the process of taking an idea from concept to launch, including sketching, user testing, prototyping, and the importance of making continuous improvements to keep your users engaged and satisfied. It will cover interaction and visual design pattern including Material Design. The masterclass will be conducted with in collaboration with Flow Interactive {Cape Town}, the +iHub {Nairobi} and the Pan Atlantic University {Lagos}

Intel Inter Universities App Challenge

This is a follow up post from the Intel Hacks by KU post that I wrote about last week {Check it out here}. I had mentioned that I will tell you about it, so here I go…

The Intel Inter University Native x86 Android App Challenge 2014 will be held at the University Of Nairobi, Chiromo Campus on the 26^th Day of September. This is another opportunity for students who are app developers to compete and grow their skills in a fun and interactive setting!

Hello September!

Good morning September,

If it’s September then you know what it is… I am really excited about this month because with it comes a lot of amazing things. Or maybe this is just me being a tad bit too optimistic but it is birthday month so that in itself makes this month the best thing since sliced bread!

So mine is just to wish you a good month ahead and to remind you of the things I like {cake, gadgets, cats, ankara, jewellery etc.} in case you were wondering what kind of gifts to get me. Haha!