Birnam Designs

I landed my first job doing web development in 1998 while attending the University of Chicago. Before long I was freelancing full time. My aptitudes were quickly revealed to be the programming and development areas, and I have been known to keep more books on programming languages and frameworks on my nightside table than novels.

My time at the University of Chicago earned me a B.A. in Cinema/Media studies, which has given me an interesting perspective on the visitor's perception toward a website or Flash movie, especially in terms of user experience.

While I spent several years at first moonlighting here-and-there as an employee, I never stopped freelancing. In 2002, with my wife's support in one hand and the reins to my career in the other, I steered off the beaten path of employment for good. My wife and I incorporated Birnam Labs, which later became Birnam Designs.

Jennifer and I married in 2001. Our son Killian was born in 2004, followed by our daughter Ellandra in 2005. After living in Chicago and Kansas City, in 2007 we moved back to the rural mountains of Virginia, where we both grew up.

We live in a log house on two-acres in the middle of sheep and cattle fields. If you squint just right you can see our nearest neighbor through the trees, and if you take a fifteen minute drive you can visit the one stoplight we have in our county. It's a quiet and peaceful life.

Before this gets too dry, here are some fun lists. Because if there is one thing the internet has taught us, other than how to write complete thoughts in 140 characters or less, it's that everybody loves lists. Right?