Jekyll2023-08-26T09:16:06+00:00https://daveredfern.com/feed.xmlDave RedfernI help design and develop user-centered experiences that deliver measurable returns. I’m Head of Design & Development at Conversion Rate Experts. I’ve got a degree in Computer Science and over a decade’s worth of experience designing, developing, and optimizing e-commerce websites for leading B2B and B2C businesses.Manifesto for myself2021-10-17T00:00:00+00:002021-10-17T09:04:00+00:00https://daveredfern.com/manifesto<ul>
<li>Be kind to everyone.</li>
<li>Be positive.</li>
<li>Help others whenever possible.</li>
<li>Spend time with those I love.</li>
<li>Spend time on my own.</li>
<li>Constantly learn new things.</li>
<li>Don’t compare myself to others.</li>
</ul>
<p>This page was inspired by Brendan Dawes’ poster titled <a href="https://producedforuse.com/products/manifestoformyself">Manifesto for Myself</a>. Brendan’s other poster titled <a href="https://producedforuse.com/products/process">The Process</a> is also worth a look.</p>Be kind to everyone. Be positive. Help others whenever possible. Spend time with those I love. Spend time on my own. Constantly learn new things. Don’t compare myself to others.Consume vegetables, not candy2021-10-17T00:00:00+00:002021-10-18T07:18:10+00:00https://daveredfern.com/vegetables-not-candy<p>Someone at work said the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Consume vegetables, not candy</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I love the idea of avoiding instant gratification and investing as much time as possible in quality content and doing meaningful things.</p>
<p>Read books, not Twitter.
Listen to albums, not singles.
Watch movies, not YouTube.
Consume vegetables, not candy.</p>Someone at work said the following:Delete with caution2020-07-11T00:00:00+00:002020-07-11T05:58:05+00:00https://daveredfern.com/delete-with-caution<p>Chesterton’s fence is the principle that something should not be changed or removed until you fully understand why it existed in the first place.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, “I don’t see the use of this; let us clear it away.” To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: “If you don’t see the use of it, I certainly won’t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It’s a principle that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Chesterton%27s_fence">Wikipedia have adopted</a> in their policy to change or delete content. If you nominate a change, as part of your request, you must first acknowledge and understand why it existed in the first place and why it should be removed.</p>
<p>In summary, things exist for a reason. No matter how good or bad it is, delete or change with caution and only when you fully understand why it existed in the first place.</p>Chesterton’s fence is the principle that something should not be changed or removed until you fully understand why it existed in the first place.No code is the best code2020-07-11T00:00:00+00:002020-07-11T05:58:05+00:00https://daveredfern.com/no-code<p>I hate writing code. Every line pains me because I know it’s another line that adds complexity to the project, needs documenting and maintained moving forward.</p>
<p>It would seem I’m not alone. Jeff Atwood, <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=goh-BwAAQBAJ&pg=PT50&dq=Jeff+Atwood+only+write+code+under+duress&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi70bnExN3UAhXEB8AKHfqdBEUQ6AEIJjAA#v=onepage&q=Jeff%20Atwood%20only%20write%20code%20under%20duress&f=false">Effective Programming: More Than Writing Code</a>, wrote the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The best code is no code at all. Every new line of code you willingly bring into the world is code that has to be debugged, code that has to be read and understood, code that has to be supported. Every time you write new code, you should do so reluctantly, under duress, because you completely exhausted all your other options.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Robert Galanakis, <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ESAZBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT130&lpg=PT130&dq=Robert+Galanakis+the+fastest+code&source=bl&ots=lYymIMU6jF&sig=ACfU3U27T9WS3js0C_Mp8_gS075W2pi6qg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiVp-zrq8TqAhUBmVwKHVLaDTUQ6AEwAXoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=Robert%20Galanakis%20the%20fastest%20code&f=false">Practical Maya Programming with Python</a>, wrote the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The fastest code is the code which does not run. The code easiest to maintain is the code that was never written.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/536587-measuring-programming-progress-by-lines-of-code-is-like-measuring">Bill Gates’</a> wrote the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Measuring programming progress by lines of code is like measuring aircraft building progress by weight.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Before writing the next line of code, consider the following:</p>
<ol>
<li>Do I really need to write a new line of code?</li>
<li>Can I reuse or repurpose something that already exists?</li>
<li>If I do need to write something new, is it the simplest it can be?</li>
<li>In my documentation, am I able to justify why it exists?</li>
</ol>I hate writing code. Every line pains me because I know it’s another line that adds complexity to the project, needs documenting and maintained moving forward.Simplicity on the far side of complexity2020-07-11T00:00:00+00:002020-07-11T06:39:15+00:00https://daveredfern.com/simplicity<p>In Interview with Business Week, Steve Jobs said the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Simple can be harder than complex: you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Less words take longer to write, simple code takes many iterations, and <a href="/design-principles/">good design</a> are born from complex ones.</p>
<p>The more I solve problems the more I think it’s an unavoidable part of the process. Simplicity on the far side of complexity.</p>
<p>The process isn’t easy, it’s time consuming, but once you’re on the other side—the simple side—it’s one of the most rewarding feelings.</p>
<p>When do you know you’ve reached the other side? <a href="https://secureservercdn.net/166.62.107.55/297.bb9.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Lessons-at-30.pdf">Buckminster Fuller</a> says the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>When I’m working on a problem, I never think about beauty. I think only how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, let’s avoid a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg_machine">Rube Goldberg machine</a> solution.</p>In Interview with Business Week, Steve Jobs said the following:Keep it short2020-07-11T00:00:00+00:002020-07-27T10:15:51+00:00https://daveredfern.com/keep-it-short<p>Written communication can be time-consuming but it doesn’t need to be. When writing, I use the following rules.</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Keep it short.</strong> Less is more.</li>
<li><strong>Be explicit.</strong> Being passive can create lots of follow-up.</li>
<li><strong>Write for an international audience.</strong> Words can have double meanings that might offend or cause you to break rule two.</li>
<li><strong>Don’t be offended.</strong> Don’t read into tone. People are generally good.</li>
<li><strong>If it’s turning into a thread, jump on a call.</strong> It’s the equivalent of days worth of text-based communication.</li>
</ol>
<p>This article was inspired by <a href="http://five.sentenc.es/">five.sentenc.es</a>.</p>Written communication can be time-consuming but it doesn’t need to be. When writing, I use the following rules.Ask for help2020-07-01T00:00:00+00:002020-07-01T13:22:08+00:00https://daveredfern.com/ask-for-help<p>One of my favorite quotes from the book “<a href="https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/product/let-my-people-go-surfing-revised-paperback-book/BK067.html">Let My People Go Surfing</a>” is from Patagonia’s first CEO, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris_Tompkins">Kristine McDivitt</a>. Kristine had no experience running a business. She had to learn on the job by asking people for help.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If you just ask people for help—if you just admit that you don’t know something—they will fall all over themselves trying to help.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>One of the best things about the web industry is its community. It’s full of passionate people who are willing to help.</p>
<p>So next time, <a href="/work-with-the-garage-door-up/">work with the garage door up</a> and <strong>ask for help</strong>.</p>One of my favorite quotes from the book “Let My People Go Surfing” is from Patagonia’s first CEO, Kristine McDivitt. Kristine had no experience running a business. She had to learn on the job by asking people for help.Shitty first drafts2020-07-01T00:00:00+00:002020-07-02T20:33:27+00:00https://daveredfern.com/shitty-first-drafts<p>Whether it’s a thought, a short article, or something longer, the important thing is to write it down. Whatever comes to mind without holding back.</p>
<p>It might not be good—no one is going to see it—but without the shitty first draft, you can’t improve upon it and make it great.</p>
<p>Anne Lamott, author of <a href="https://wrd.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/1-Shitty%20First%20Drafts.pdf">Shitty First Drafts</a>, wrote the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something—anything—down on paper.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Anne goes on to explain the three draft approach:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A friend of mine says that the first draft is the down draft—you just get it down. The second draft is the up draft—you fix it up. You try to say what you have to say more accurately. And the third draft is the dental draft, where you check every tooth, to see if it’s loose or cramped or decayed, or even, God help us, healthy.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And remember, <a href="/nothing-is-original/">nothing is original</a>, <a href="/work-with-the-garage-door-up/">work with the garage door open</a> and <a href="/ask-for-help/">ask for help</a>.</p>Whether it’s a thought, a short article, or something longer, the important thing is to write it down. Whatever comes to mind without holding back.Vegan chorizo sausage and tomato pasta2020-06-27T00:00:00+00:002020-06-27T14:51:51+00:00https://daveredfern.com/vegan-sausage-pasta<p>This sounds a strange combination but trust me. It’s quick to make (around 15 minutes), can be made in large batches, and a crowd pleaser for the whole family.</p>
<p>The following recipe makes one portion but it’s really easy to multiply up.</p>
<h2 id="ingredients">Ingredients</h2>
<ul>
<li>2 vegan chorizo sausages (I like the <a href="https://lindamccartneyfoods.co.uk/our-food/frozen-range/vegetarian-chorizo-red-pepper-sausages/">Linda McCartney ones</a>)</li>
<li>80g of your favorite dried pasta</li>
<li>1 tablespoon tomato paste</li>
<li>1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika</li>
<li>Handful of fresh tomatoes chopped into chunks (I like cherry tomatoes halved)</li>
<li>Salt and pepper</li>
<li>Small handful of basil.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="method">Method</h2>
<ol>
<li>Pre-heat the oven and cook the sausages following the instructions on the package.</li>
<li>Heat a large pan with water salt.</li>
<li>Cook the pasta following the instructions on the packet. You’ll need to calculate the timings so the pasta is cooked 3-4 minutes before the sausages are.</li>
<li>While the pasta is cooking, chop the tomatoes and chop the basil.</li>
<li>Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water, keeping a few tablespoons of the liquid.</li>
<li>Turn off the heat on the stove or set it to the lowest setting. Add the pasta back into the pan along with the water you saved and all the other ingredients apart from the sausages (which are still in the oven).</li>
<li>Stir the pasta until all the ingredients have mixed well. Once everything is mixed together, take the sausages out of the oven, chop them into small chunks and stir into the pasta.</li>
<li>Serve in a bowl. Optionally, sprinkle with some chopped basil. Adding basil really freshens the dish up.</li>
</ol>
<h2 id="tips-and-tricks">Tips and tricks</h2>
<ul>
<li>You’re aiming to have the pasta and sausages finish roughly at the same time. You might not get it perfect and that’s not to worry. You can reheat the sausages in the pasta dish or continue to keep the pasta on low heat while the sausages finish. The longer the pasta mix is on the heat the more dry it will become so you may need to add an extra tablespoon or two of water.</li>
<li>Experiment with different types of vegan sausages. There are a huge variety and it really changes the flavor of the dish.</li>
</ul>This sounds a strange combination but trust me. It’s quick to make (around 15 minutes), can be made in large batches, and a crowd pleaser for the whole family.McDonald’s theory—break the ice with the worst idea2020-06-22T00:00:00+00:002020-06-27T14:51:51+00:00https://daveredfern.com/mcdonalds-theory<p>Ideas are hard. Sharing ideas is just as hard. No one wants to share a bad idea but don’t underestimate the value of those ideas. Bad ideas kick start the creative process and allow people to speak their mind—reassured that the worst idea is already on the table.</p>
<p><strong>So why not break the ice with the worst idea?</strong> If you say it, others might start sharing their good ideas with confidence.</p>
<p>I first read about the <a href="https://medium.com/@jonbell/mcdonalds-theory-9216e1c9da7d">McDonald’s theory from Jon Bell</a> who provides a great example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I use a trick with co-workers when we’re trying to decide where to eat for lunch and no one has any ideas. I recommend McDonald’s.</p>
<p>An interesting thing happens. Everyone unanimously agrees that we can’t possibly go to McDonald’s, and better lunch suggestions emerge. Magic!</p>
</blockquote>Ideas are hard. Sharing ideas is just as hard. No one wants to share a bad idea but don’t underestimate the value of those ideas. Bad ideas kick start the creative process and allow people to speak their mind—reassured that the worst idea is already on the table.