Basecamp is a small team that creates simple, focused software. Our products help you collaborate and get organized. Millions of people and small businesses use our web-apps to get things done. Jeremy Wagstaff, of the Wall Street Journal, wrote, “[Basecamp] products are beautifully simple, elegant and intuitive tools that make an Outlook screen look like the software equivalent of a torture chamber.” Our apps never put you on the rack.

Basecamp

Steve Schoger is a Canadian designer; he redesigned a topic page for a website called Bad About. The original design is cramped and clunky, but when Steve finishes, you’ll see how much better it looks with a number of small changes. It’s good to know there are UI designers out there like Schoger because there are plenty who aren’t. User interfaces go hand in hand with user experiences, and it’s important they work together for the consumer.

Steve

Jef Raskin was an American human-computer interface expert best known for starting the Macintosh project for Apple Computer in the late 1970s. Jef Raskin was born in New York City to a secular Jewish family whose surname is a matronymic from "Raske," a Yiddish nickname for Rachel. He received a BA in mathematics and a BS in physics with minors in philosophy and music from Stony Brook University.&nbsp;
In 1967, he received a master's degree in computer science from Pennsylvania State University after having switched from mathematical logic due to differences of opinion with his advisor. Even though he had completed work for his Ph.D., the university was not accredited for a Ph.D. in computer science. The first original computer application he wrote was a music application as part of his master's thesis.
Raskin later enrolled in a graduate music program at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), but stopped to teach art, photography, and computer science there. He worked as an assistant professor in the Visual Arts department from 1968 until 1974. There, he did a show toys as works of art.&nbsp;
Raskin announced his resignation from the assistant professorship by flying over the Chancellor's house in a hot air balloon. He was awarded a National Science Foundation grant to establish a Computer and Humanities center which used several 16-bit Data General Nova computers and glass terminals rather than the teletypes which were more common at that time.
Along with his undergraduate student Jonathan (Jon) Collins, Raskin developed the FLOW programming language for use in teaching programming to art and humanities students. The language was first used at the Humanities Summer Training Institute held in 1970 at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. The language has only seven statements (COMMENT, GET IT, PRINT IT, PRINT "text," JUMP TO, IF IT IS " " JUMP TO, and STOP) and can not manipulate numbers.&nbsp;
The language was first implemented in Fortran by Collins in under a week. Later versions of the language utilized "typing amplification," in which only the first letter is typed, and the computer provides the balance of the instruction eliminating typing errors. It was also the basis for programming classes taught by Raskin and Collins in the UCSD Visual Arts Department.
Raskin curated several art shows, including one featuring his collection of unusual toys and presenting toys as works of art. During this period, he changed the spelling of his name from "Jeff" to "Jef" after having met Jon Collins and liking the lack of extraneous letters.
Raskin occasionally wrote for computer publications, such as Dr. Dobb's Journal. He formed a company named Bannister and Crun, which was named for two characters playing in the BBC radio comedy The Goon Show.

A successful mid-century commercial artist and graphic designer best known for his boldly graphic book and album cover art, Sadamitsu Neil Fujita (1921–2010) are credited with revolutionizing the record and publishing industry through his designs.
Fujita was born in Waimea on the island of Kaua'i on May 16, 1921. His father was a blacksmith for a sugar plantation, and the family lived in the plantation camps; as a young man, he also worked in the sugarcane fields. His last two years of high school in Honolulu exposed him to his first art learning experiences, and following graduation, he decided to travel to California to broaden his opportunities.
While working at a fruit and vegetable market in Los Angeles, Fujita decided to apply to the Chouinard Art Institute. He studied at the prestigious art college for two years while living with a customer of the fruit stand, exchanging housework for room and board. In 1942, Executive Order 9066 forced him to move to the Pomona Assembly Center and later to the Heart Mountain concentration camp in Wyoming. He served as the Heart Mountain Sentinel newspaper's art director and remained in camp until he joined the U.S. Army's 442nd Regimental Combat Team in 1943. After four years serving in Italy, France, and as a military intelligence infantryman in Japan, Fujita returned to Los Angeles in 1947 and resumed his fine arts studies at Chouinard under the guidance of teachers Millard Sheets and Rex Brandt. He joined the California Watercolor Society and exhibited with the group four times from 1948–1951. In his last year at Chouinard, Fujita met fellow student Aiko Tamaki. He also began to take graphic design courses, anticipating the need for practical commercial skills following graduation.
He taught throughout his career, first at the Philadelphia Museum School of Art and later at the Pratt Institute, the New School for Social Research, and the Parsons School of Design, where he taught for eleven years. His work is in the collections at the Atwater Kent Museum in Philadelphia, the Floyd Memorial Library, Greenport, New York, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Antonio García Martínez is an entrepreneur, investor, writer, and tech industry veteran. He has had a long and varied career, beginning in the early days of the dot-com boom and continuing today. Early in his career, Antonio worked in a variety of roles at companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs.
At Apple, Antonio held a variety of positions, including working on the retail side of the business, developing software, and helping to launch the Apple Store. At Microsoft, Antonio was involved in the development of a number of products, including Windows 95 and Windows 98. After leaving Microsoft, Antonio founded Adify, a venture-backed ad network that WPP eventually acquired.
More recently, Antonio has become an investor, author, and thought leader in the technology and venture capital industries. He has invested in a variety of startups, including Twitter, Uber, and Stripe. He is also the author of the book Chaos Monkeys: Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley, which chronicles his experiences in the tech industry.
In addition to his work as an investor and author, Antonio is a sought-after speaker and thought leader. He has appeared on the TED stage, as well as at conferences including SXSW, DLD, and TechCrunch Disrupt. Antonio is often called upon to provide his expertise and insight into the tech industry, as well as his views on the current state of venture capital and startups.
Overall, Antonio García Martínez is an accomplished entrepreneur, investor, author, and thought leader. His wealth of experience and knowledge from working in and around the tech industry, combined with his excellent communication skills, make him a highly sought-after individual in the industry.

Antonio García

Matthias Schrader’s practice focuses on domestic and international litigation and arbitration matters across a broad spectrum of industries. Matthias has acted as counsel to both claimants and respondents in a wide variety of commercial litigations and arbitrations before various courts and leading arbitral institutions.&nbsp;
He has also successfully negotiated out-of-court settlements of complex disputes for various commercial and private clients. Furthermore, Matthias has represented sovereigns in litigations as well as international investment arbitrations.

Matthias

Yesenia Perez-Cruz is a designer, speaker, and writer based out of Philadelphia. She is a Senior UX Manager at Shopify, Polaris. Previously, she led the Product Design team at Vox Media. She also worked at agencies like Happy Cog and Ey-Intuitive for clients like Viacom, Papa John's, Harvard University, fonts.com, and BBVA Compass.&nbsp;
She's spoken around the world at conferences like An Event Apart, Velocity, and SXSW Interactive about the intersection of design and technology. Yesenia's passionate about increasing inclusivity in tech, designing responsibly, and leading with empathy. When she's not designing, you may find her photographing her beautiful city of Philadelphia, trying a new recipe, or digging into her stash of unread books.
Throughout her career, she’s helped countless teams strategize, design, and implement their brand identity and design systems. Currently, she leads a cross-functional team on the Polaris design system team at Shopify. Previously, as Senior Director of Product Design at Vox Media, she led the design system for Vox Media properties, including The Verge, Vox, and Eater.
Yesenia has been a featured speaker at conferences around the world, like An Event Apart, Design Matters, and SXSW Interactive, on topics like web performance, responsive design, and design systems.

Yesenia

Tim Ferriss is an American author, entrepreneur, and public speaker. He is best known for his bestselling book, The 4-Hour Workweek, and for his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show. Ferriss has been featured in the Time 100 Most Influential People list and has been recognized as one of Fast Company's "Most Innovative Business People."
Ferriss was born in East Hampton, New York, in 1977. He attended St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and graduated from Princeton University with a degree in East Asian Studies in 2000. After college, he worked in sales and marketing for a data storage company before starting his own business, BrainQUICKEN, which he eventually sold.
In 2007, Ferriss wrote The 4-Hour Workweek, which became an international bestseller. The book proposed a new way of working that focused on efficiency and productivity and encouraged readers to pursue their dreams and passions. The book was credited with launching the "lifestyle design" movement and has been translated into 35 languages.
In 2010, Ferriss launched his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which is now one of the most popular podcasts in the world. He interviews high-profile guests from various fields, including business, sports, and entertainment. Ferriss has also written several other books, including The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans, and Tribe of Mentors.
Ferriss has been an active investor, advisor, and board member for a number of companies, including Uber, Evernote, Shopify, and Duolingo. He is a founding member of the Silicon Valley investment firm K9 Ventures and is also a venture partner at the venture capital firm Collaborative Fund.
Ferriss is active in the philanthropic community and has been involved with a number of charities, including DonorsChoose.org, The International Rescue Committee, and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. He is also a member of the Clinton Global Initiative.

Adam Wathan has been obsessed with computers since he was a kid. In fact, he was introduced to computers by his 1st-grade librarian.. and his first programming project was using Q-Basic, following a tutorial on how to make a pro wrestling simulator.
During his time at university, he wasn’t enjoying the programming curriculum and ended up dropping out to play in his band and working odd jobs to support his music career. During this, he got into the production side of music and started a home studio to record local bands. Four years after he quit programming, he started tinkering with the same framework used to make Winamp – called reaper – and fell in love with programming all over again.&nbsp;
At this point, he tried school again, but after post internship, he decided to go straight into the field without finishing his degree. These days, he is married to a young family. Besides staying busy with that, he still finds time to play games with his remote friends and occasionally trains for powerlifting. He met his business partner, Steve, in college and hacked on side projects together.&nbsp;
These side projects led to the creation of a mini CSS framework, which Wathan started using throughout other projects, growing it into something he was quite proud of. In fact, while live-streaming some coding, he was surprised by the influx of people asking what it was… and where they could get it. He decided to open source the framework in 2017, and it has steadily grown and grown in usage – to the tune of millions of downloads a month.

Adam

Jason Fried is an American entrepreneur and the co-founder and President of 37signals (now Basecamp), a Chicago-based software company. Fried is a prolific writer and speaker on topics related to technology, productivity, and business.
Fried is a self-taught programmer who began his career in software development in the late 1990s. He co-founded 37signals in 1999 and has since grown it into a successful business. Fried has been the President since the company's inception and is responsible for overseeing product design, customer support, and business strategy.
Fried's vision for 37signals has been to focus on creating simple, user-friendly web-based productivity tools. He believes that the most successful products are those that are designed with a focus on the user experience and on providing value to customers. In addition, Fried wants to create products that are easy to use and don't require extensive training for users to be successful.
Fried's writing and speaking engagements focus on topics related to the software industry, productivity, and business. He has written several books, including "Rework" and "Getting Real," which have become bestsellers. Fried is also a sought-after speaker and has been a featured speaker at many industry conferences.
Fried is committed to helping other entrepreneurs and startups succeed. He has been involved in a number of initiatives to help foster entrepreneurship and innovation, including the Start Small Foundation and Y Combinator. Fried is also a mentor to a number of startups and regularly provides advice and guidance to entrepreneurs.
Fried is a believer in the power of collaboration and shared knowledge. He has been an advocate for open-source software and has been actively involved in the open-source community. In addition, he is a proponent of using web-based tools to help improve collaboration and productivity within companies.
Fried is passionate about his work and is an inspiring leader. He is a firm believer in the power of simplicity and in the importance of focusing on the customer experience. With a strong vision for 37signals, Fried has been able to create a successful business out of the company and has helped many other entrepreneurs and businesses to succeed.

Jason

Laura Kalbag is a British designer living in Ireland and the author of Accessibility For Everyone from A Book Apart. She’s co-founder of Small Technology Foundation, a tiny two-person-and-one-husky not-for-profit organization advocating for and building small technology designed to increase human welfare, not corporate profits.
On an average day, Laura does everything from design and development, learning how to run a sustainable not-for-profit, and trying to make privacy and rights-respecting technology accessible to a wide audience. You can find her making design decisions, writing code, nudging icon pixels, or interpreting a privacy policy into something humans can understand. Sometimes she speaks at conferences and writes articles too.

Laura

Jesse Schell is the author of the critically acclaimed book "The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses," published in 2008. The book captured Game Developer Magazine's coveted "Front Line Award" in 2008. In 2014, he released the second edition of this book. In 2019 the tenth anniversary and third edition of the book were released.
Jesse is also the founder and CEO of Schell Games. Since starting Schell Games in 2002, Jesse has grown it into the largest and most successful game development company in Pennsylvania. Under his leadership, Schell Games has produced an amazing array of innovative, transformational, and award-winning entertainment experiences, including the Disney Fairies MMO, Pixie Hollow, Toy Story Mania TV Game, and some of the most popular interactive theme park attractions in the world.
Jesse also holds a faculty position as a Distinguished Professor at the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) of Carnegie Mellon University. Since 2006, Professor Schell has taught the Building Virtual Worlds class, created by ETC Co-Founder and "The Last Lecture" author Randy Pausch.
Prior to starting Schell Games, Jesse was the Creative Director of the Disney Imagineering Virtual Reality Studio, where he worked and played for seven years as a designer, programmer, and manager on numerous projects for Disney theme parks and DisneyQuest.

Jesse

Chris Anderson is the Head of TED, a non-profit organization devoted to spreading ideas through short, powerful talks. He is also the founder of TEDx, a program that allows communities and organizations to host TED-like events.
Anderson has been involved with TED since 2001 and took over as Head of TED in 2002. Under his leadership, TED has grown into a global phenomenon, with talks being viewed by millions of people in more than 100 languages. He has also been instrumental in expanding the reach of TED by making the words available for free online and by launching the TEDx program.
In addition to his work with TED, Anderson is also an entrepreneur and author. He is the founder of several successful companies. In addition, he has written several books, including "The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More" and "TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking."
Anderson is a firm believer in the power of ideas to change the world, and he has dedicated his career to promoting this idea through TED. He is a charismatic and dynamic speaker and has been praised for his ability to bring together diverse groups of people to share their thoughts and inspire change.
Anderson is also known for his innovative approach to curation, which has helped to make TED one of the most respected and widely-watched platforms for ideas. He has a keen eye for identifying new and emerging trends and is always looking for ways to bring fresh perspectives and voices to the TED stage.
He has also been a champion of using technology to democratize knowledge and ideas, making them more accessible to people worldwide. In addition, he has been an early adopter of new technologies, such as online video and social media, to help spread TED's message and reach new audiences.
Various organizations and publications have also recognized Anderson's work with TED. He has been honored with numerous awards for his contributions to the field of communications and education and has been named one of the most influential people in the world by Time Magazine.
In addition to his role at TED, Anderson is a sought-after speaker and advisor and has been invited to speak at conferences and events worldwide. In addition, he is a regular contributor to various publications, where he shares his insights on the future of technology, business, and culture.
Overall, Chris Anderson is a respected leader and a thought leader in the field of ideas and education, and he continues to inspire and innovate in his role as Head of TED. His work has helped make TED one of the most critical and influential platforms for sharing knowledge and ideas, and his contributions to the field will continue to be felt for years.

Chris

Ryan Holiday is an American author, marketer, media strategist, and entrepreneur. He is the author of several bestselling books, including his most recent, Perennial Seller, as well as popular titles such as The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, Conspiracy, and Growth Hacker Marketing. Holiday has written for the New York Times, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications. He has also been featured in Time, The New Yorker, and The Washington Post.
Holiday is the founder of Brass Check, a creative consulting agency that specializes in marketing, media strategy, and creative consulting. He has worked with some of the world’s most successful authors, entrepreneurs, and public figures, including Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, Robert Greene, and Tucker Max. His clients also include media companies such as VICE, MTV, and Complex. He has also served as a consultant to brands such as American Apparel, Google, and Gillette.
As an author, Holiday has written nine books, three of which have become New York Times bestsellers. His books focus on topics such as personal and professional development, marketing, and media strategy. His most recent book, Perennial Seller, is a guide to creating and sustaining success in business, publishing, and life.
As a media strategist and consultant, Holiday has helped launch and reinvigorate several brands and campaigns. His work spans from creating marketing campaigns for startups and Fortune 500 companies to working as a creative consultant for media companies and major brands.
Holiday's work has been featured in major publications, including the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and The Washington Post. He has also appeared on television shows such as the Colbert Report, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and podcasts such as the Tim Ferriss Show and the Joe Rogan Experience.&nbsp;
In addition to his work as an author, media strategist, and consultant, Holiday is a frequent public speaker. He has been a keynote speaker at events such as SXSW, the World Business Forum, and the Inc. 5000 Conference. He also teaches marketing and media strategy classes at the University of California, Berkeley.
Holiday is passionate about helping others achieve their goals and dreams. He has created several online courses and resources to help entrepreneurs, creatives, and marketers better understand the media landscape, marketing, and creative strategies. He also serves as the Managing Director of the media startup, Contently and is an adviser to several startups and companies. He is also a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs and creators.

Ryan

Alexis Ohanian is an American entrepreneur, investor, and best-selling author best known as the co-founder of the social news website Reddit. Ohanian is also the executive chairman of the social enterprise Breadpig, an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia, and the author of the bestselling book Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will be Made, Not Managed.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Ohanian attended the University of Virginia in 2005, where he majored in history and business. While attending UVA, Ohanian created the social news website Reddit with Steve Huffman. The website quickly gained popularity and was acquired by Conde Nast publications in 2006. Ohanian continued to serve as an advisor for the company until 2010.
In 2007, Ohanian founded Breadpig, a philanthropic organization that sells geeky merchandise and donates the profits to charity. He also co-founded the travel search website Hipmunk and serves as an advisor to it.
Ohanian is a vocal proponent of internet freedom, net neutrality, and open access to the internet. He is a vocal opponent of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA). He has also been involved in the fight against the National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance of the internet.
In 2013, Ohanian authored the book Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will be Made, Not Managed. The book focuses on the power of the internet to empower entrepreneurs and innovators.
Ohanian is a frequent speaker at technology conferences around the world and served as a judge on the reality television series Shark Tank. He also serves on the board of the non-profit organization Kiva.
In 2017, Ohanian married tennis superstar Serena Williams. The couple has a daughter together, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.
Ohanian is an active philanthropist who has donated to several charities and causes. He is also the co-founder of the non-profit organization The 776 Fund, which provides grants to local charities and non-profits.

Alexis

Matej Latin is a Senior Product Designer at GitLab who is based in Ljubljana, Slovenia. He has over 10 years of experience in design and has been working in the tech industry for the last five years. He is an expert in UX design, user research, and product strategy.
Matej has a passion for creating delightful and intuitive user experiences. He is an advocate for minimalism, typography, and good design. He has a deep understanding of the psychology of design and believes that good design should be simple but powerful. He is always looking for ways to optimize the user experience and ensure that products are engaging and easy to use.
Matej is a prolific writer and often writes about design, minimalism, and typography. His articles have been featured in various publications, including Smashing Magazine and UX Magazine. He also runs a blog focusing on design, minimalism, and typography.
Matej is also a speaker, often speaking at conferences and events on topics related to design and product strategy. He enjoys public speaking and loves to share his knowledge with others. He is a lifelong learner and is always looking for ways to improve his design skills. He is constantly trying to stay ahead of the curve and is always looking for new and innovative design solutions.
Overall, Matej Latin is an experienced and passionate designer who is committed to creating amazing user experiences. He is constantly learning and pushing the boundaries of design and product strategy.

Matej

Matthew

Defensive design for the Web is what defensive driving is for the road. Good site defense can make or break the customer experience, just as good or bad highway driving can.&nbsp;
This book shows you what to do (and not do) to ensure that your customers' needs are met and their questions answered; gives guidelines to prevent errors; and retrieves your customers if a breakdown occurs. It also shows you how to evaluate and improve your own site's defensive design.

John Maeda's career has spanned various design, technology, and education roles. He began his career as a computer scientist, working on projects at MIT's Media Lab. In 2001, he joined the faculty at the MIT Media Lab as an associate professor and later served as the director of the research lab's Aesthetics and Computation Group. In 2008, he was appointed President of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he served until 2013.
After leaving RISD, Maeda joined Kleiner Perkins as a Partner, focusing on design in technology startups. From 2015 to 2017, he was Design Partner at a venture capital firm. In 2018, he joined Automattic as Global Head of Computational Design and Inclusion. In this role, he leads the company's design and inclusion efforts and works on further integrating technology and design into the company's products.
John Maeda has received several awards throughout his career for his contributions to design and technology. Some notable mentions include:
<ul>
<li>Design Mind Award from the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in 2012</li>
<li>AIGA Medal in 2012</li>
<li>Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business in 2012</li>
<li>BusinessWeek's Design Innovator of the Year in 2006</li>
<li>National Design Award for Communication Design from the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in 2001</li>
<li>Id Magazine's Interactive Design Review in 2001</li>
<li>Webby Award for Best Use of Animation in 2000</li>
</ul>
He also served as the Jury President for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2018. These are just a few of the many awards and honors that John Maeda has received over the years. He is highly respected in design and technology, and his work has significantly impacted the industry.
Throughout his career, Maeda has also been an active speaker and author. He has given talks at various conferences and events worldwide and has written several books, including "The Laws of Simplicity" and "Redesigning Leadership." He has also been honored with numerous awards for his contributions to the field of design and technology.

John

Jeffrey Zeldman

Don Norman

Jakob Nielsen

Steve Krug

Jared Spool

Jason Fried emphasizes the importance of defensive design in web development. He suggests that a well-designed website should be able to handle errors and guide users through the process, rather than leaving them frustrated and confused.

Importance of Defensive Design

Fried introduces the concept of contingency design. This means planning for what could go wrong and designing your website to handle these situations. It's like having a plan B ready to kick in when plan A fails.

Contingency Design

The book explores the importance of user-friendly error messages. Instead of technical jargon that leaves users baffled, he suggests using clear, simple language that helps users understand what went wrong and how to fix it.

User-Friendly Error Messages

Preventing errors is just as important as handling them. Jason Fried encourages you to research and understand common user mistakes and design your website in a way that helps prevent these errors from happening in the first place.

Preventing Errors

Fried emphasizes the need for testing and iteration in web design. He suggests that you should constantly check your design, find issues, fix them, and then test again. This continuous cycle of improvement can lead to a more robust and user-friendly website.

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