The Work Thread

Auspice · Aug 15, 2019, 5:36 PM

"I don't want to offend anyone, but...

This looks like shit, your design is shit, and you're shit. (Ok, paraphrased, but this is how it sounded to my ears)

But please, don't take offence or take it personally."

FML. I just want to go back to developing other people's web designs. This having to come up with the web app design sucks.

I started to go into web dev when I was in my late teens.
I didn't last long.

The 'oh, you're the expert, just make it however you think is best!' that inevitably becomes 'this isn't what I wanted at all' (well mf'er maybe if you'd given me any idea what you did want...) drove me away.

Alamias · Aug 15, 2019, 5:40 PM

@Auspice Development I have been doing for 20+ years. I can do the SCSS/HTML/JS/Angular/React..etc with no problem.

Doing the actual design work (Typography, color schemes, UI/UX) I have been doing less than a year, with no training what so ever. I wish I never agreed to it (but if I didn't I wouldn't have a job...so...whee fun.)

Lisse24 · Aug 15, 2019, 5:47 PM

So....since we're talking about promotions and stuff.

I work directly under the Executive President of the org. Everyone else in that position has the title of 'Director.' Mine is 'Manager,' even though I'm technically at the same level as the Directors, and don't answer to anyone about my work. Additionally, there's been several new hires who have come in with the Director title.

Now, I'd been meaning to bring up the title thing at my next evaluation, but before that happened we had our all staff retreat where the Pres announced several "promotions" in front of other staff and the board of directors. It was in this way, without any prior discussion, that I received the title change to "Sr. Manager." Yeah, I'm a bit salty about it.

Derp · Aug 15, 2019, 6:04 PM

@Alamias said in The Work Thread:

@Auspice Development I have been doing for 20+ years. I can do the SCSS/HTML/JS/Angular/React..etc with no problem.

Doing the actual design work (Typography, color schemes, UI/UX) I have been doing less than a year, with no training what so ever. I wish I never agreed to it (but if I didn't I wouldn't have a job...so...whee fun.)

So when my ex was big into photography and I suddenly had to learn lots of things about it just so that I could help him out with the business side of it, I looked into a lot of digital design books. I also found most of them pretentious and unhelpful because they were so vague.

But I did find this one:

http://libgen.is/book/index.php?md5=A6CD0240119364D4298BD9825A48A768

This book was seriously helpful in presenting the hows and whys of certain things like that, what works, what doesn't, WHY (importantly). I really found this one to be pretty invaluable when it came to just getting the basic, fundamental building blocks I would need to expand out from there.

Maybe it'll help you too.

Aria · Aug 15, 2019, 6:59 PM

My new favorite thing at work right now is inventing new ways to yell at my closest collaborator to give me some of his work.

For the last several weeks, he's been complaining about how busy he is. And he is! He's super busy, and I know he's stressed. But he's also not delegating at all despite the fact that every time he does, I have one or two questions (because I'm new) and then am off, getting this shit done or finding an easier way to do it or uncovering a hiccup that doesn't affect us now but will in six months, and that we should start pre-planning for this.

He appreciates the help! He says I'm good at it! I have great ideas!

...and then someone else drops a steaming pile of stuff to deal with on his desk, and he starts stressing, and worrying, and complaining about how backlogged his work is, and it's like he forgets I'm sitting right there and that we have had three heart-to-hearts about this.

I think my next tactic is going to be sending wadded up notes sailing over our cubicle wall that just say, "GIVE ME SOME OF YOUR WORK, NERD" on them every time he starts.

Other suggestions welcome.

Auspice · Aug 15, 2019, 7:02 PM

@Derp said in The Work Thread:

But I did find this one:
http://libgen.is/book/index.php?md5=A6CD0240119364D4298BD9825A48A768

I can't view libgen links at work. What's the title of this book? I am curious.

Alamias · Aug 15, 2019, 8:25 PM

@Derp Thanks! I'll give it a look.

Alamias · Aug 15, 2019, 8:25 PM

Double Post

@Auspice Yeah, i'm in the same boat, and will look at it when I get home.

Snackness · Aug 15, 2019, 8:47 PM

@Derp I too should read this.

Derp · Aug 15, 2019, 9:44 PM

Lindell's "Universal Principles of Design." 2e

Macha · Aug 16, 2019, 12:46 AM

I have big interview tomorrow. I am freaking out already.

Aria · Aug 16, 2019, 12:49 AM

@Macha said in The Work Thread:

I have big interview tomorrow. I am freaking out already.

You're gonna be great!!

Macha · Aug 16, 2019, 11:45 PM

@Aria Well, the interviewer thanked me for a great interview. I am taking it as a positive sign.

Auspice · Aug 17, 2019, 12:03 AM

@Macha said in The Work Thread:

@Aria Well, the interviewer thanked me for a great interview. I am taking it as a positive sign.

Auspice · Aug 21, 2019, 2:14 PM

Week before last I turned in the outline for this project.

My boss gave it her stamp of approval, said it was great, and sent it out to other important individuals who need to review it also.

So far, everyone's just saying it's great, no changes needed, etc...

I am stressing out. Please for the love of god give it some critique. It cannot possibly be completely right. I mean, ffs I have refined it twice since then.

Alamias · Aug 21, 2019, 2:39 PM

@Auspice I'll trade you your 'everyone thinks it is great' for my 'your designs suck and this color looks like baby shit' comments. I'd murder for some positive feedback right now, even just a little, so I can stop feeling like however it is I am feeling right now.

Auspice · Aug 21, 2019, 2:42 PM

@Alamias said in The Work Thread:

@Auspice I'll trade you your 'everyone thinks it is great' for my 'your designs suck and this color looks like baby shit' comments. I'd murder for some positive feedback right now, even just a little, so I can stop feeling like however it is I am feeling right now.

Yeah, that blows. And shows bad management skills.
I kind of expect that sort of thing once I get to assembling the final product. >.>

Auspice · Aug 21, 2019, 2:52 PM

lol maybe I spoke too soon.

The agenda for our standup today includes 'review Auspice's outline and provide feedback.'

silverfox · Aug 22, 2019, 1:17 AM

@Auspice

I want to know the outcome plz.

Auspice · Aug 22, 2019, 1:56 AM

@silverfox said in The Work Thread:

@Auspice

I want to know the outcome plz.

Well, we didn't get around to it in the meeting. The whole meeting was taken up by other stuff.

But, I received two emails with feedback. It was appropriately constructive. I actually feel better now. So I did a return doc with the revised outline and my reply comments (this is why I'm doing X, I was thinking Y, etc.).

I just wasn't sure about 'okay here's six people all commenting at once' in a meeting.

BULLET.
DODGED.