Travis
Hines

Almost a decade ago, I began my foray into the design world. I started as a creative entrepreneur in my early high school days, learning the core elements of design through small client projects I was far from qualified for. Over several years, I developed a respectable client roster and became a skilled specialist in print publication design.

Then came the college decision. Do I continue working strictly in the graphic design field, or do I try something new? The advertising industry seemed like a challenging path, and I was quickly overtaken by the idea of becoming an Art Director, working on the big flashy campaigns that surround us all day.

Two years and a diploma later, with my portfolio in hand, I was hired by a local agency the day after my graduation ceremony. I got to dip my toe into the advertising world for a year or so, but still manned the role of a designer based on my previous experience. So I decided to jump ship and swim in another direction.

At the time, blogging had just begun to flourish, and hundreds of manuscripts were likely being written for books on user-generated content. While dodging daily-created buzzwords, I experimented with designing and developing websites. But it took me a while to fall in love.

Over the course of a year, I essentially enrolled in my own University, and taught myself as much as I could about the core technologies behind most websites, and the information architecture that enables entrepreneurs to flourish in online businesses.

Since then, I’ve worked as freelance designer/developer for a handful of clients, while establishing myself as an expert with content management systems and strategic design.

Not too long ago, I decided that I wanted to shift my focus from working as a service provider for others, to doing just that for myself. I’ve been sitting on dozens of ideas for the past couple years, and am finally ready to commit to them full-force.

So that’s where this site comes in. I’ll share as much as I can about the development of my businesses, as well as the lessons I learn along the way, the random insights that pop into my head late at night, and any strange amusements that I think you might find equally amusing.

I hope you’ll hang in there for my journey, and pick up a few nuggets in the process. I’m always open to hearing new ideas and exploring the possibility of collaborations.