Hello, I'm Nico

I'm a designer at Expo, cyclist, and odd dad, texture guy. I believe in learning things the stupid way. Like finding the energy to have a website (or whatever this is). I'm now sure it is not a pragmatic use of my time but it feels right. I design websites because I got good enough to get paid for it (crazy that I get to feed my family doing this). An odd mix work ethic and ego led me to define myself through the stuff I make. That qualifies for the techie archetype. Unfortunately I am one of those monkeys for whom most learning comes from direct experience. Doing the work keep me humble, hungry, and engaged – Although I spend an uncomfortable amount of time torn between ascetic ideals and pragmatic coping.

Born and raised in France, I got incredibly lucky landing in the Bay Area in 2016 to join Opendoor. 5 years later, luck stroke again. I joined GitHub. After 3 years and 2 babies I left. While I'm filled with gratitude, a decade in front of the screen has taken a toll. Semi-burnouts have compounded. It has been complicated for me to find much satisfaction in my contribution as a designer – rightfully so. A website is a website. Yet almost ten years later I'm still here, making websites. I try not to obsess over tech and focus on creation, feel the process, and get off the screen as soon as I can.

While I’m not a technologist, I’m not a monk either. I’m way too fidgety. Modern tech devices really rub my monkey mind the wrong way. There is so much stuff out there. It's at best distracting but realistically destructive (by fragmenting attention, then intellect and ultimately, society). I don't want this for myself, my people, and the world. Discipline and self examination keep me sane (and lots of walks and bike rides). I've been a fair-weather meditator for a while now. Believing that discipline was the only thing keeping me away from the peace and insights (silly, I know) I've been practicing on and off for years. The importance of concept-free experience of life is eye-opening. So when time opens up, I sit, or walk aimlessly, slowly.

From: Nico [nico@slrncl.com]
San Luis Obispo, CA, USA