design

NNL Podcast Waiting in line sucks. It sucks so much that many people are willing to pay to avoid lines. Whether you’re dying to be the first with an iPhone 5S (without waiting 100 hours in line) or you want to make your trip to Disneyland a little less tedious, those who have the means will do anything to jump to the front.

My guest today is Gabriel Velez, a graphic designer and co-creator of Linesnapp, a mobile app focused disrupting the line. Gabe met his cofounder, Rafael Maya, at a hackathon and the two have been working on rethinking queues ever since.

I really respect what Gabe and Rafael are doing, because they’re not just blindly following their ideas. Instead, they’re talking to users and constantly changing their approach in order to find the version that sticks. You’ll definitely want to hear what Gabe has been doing.

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NNL Podcast I first met Mike Blea (of Michael Blea Design) when I worked at LAPTOP Magazine. He was part of the magazine’s design team, building the magazine’s layout, mocking up covers, and helping with graphics for web. We’ve remained friends even after both of us left that job, and Mike even helped me design the cover for 8 Things to Learn Before Making Your App.

I wanted to bring Mike on the show to have a fresh perspective on building products. I, personally, am completely design challenged — a glaringly apparent fact when looking at the first version of my first app Reader Tracker. I’ve learned a lot about the value of good design since then, and Mike has definitely helped me out along the way.

Mike gives some insights into the life of a professional designers and shares some tips for hiring a freelance designer of your own. If you work it right, you won’t end up spending a fortune.

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