What is your earliest memory?
I think I was around three or four years old, and I vividly remember the "Where’s The Beef?" commercial that Wendy’s used to air in the 80s. We actually had a Wendy’s in town, and I remember us going there as a family for dinner one night. One of the burgers had a tiny beef patty in the middle of it, and I said "Where's the beef?" just like in the commercial.
How do you feel about democratic design?
Honestly, I'm not too familiar with the concept. Democratic design sounds like a good ideal to strive for, but I think it probably works best when the designer and the client are in sync. I think we have all worked on a project where the initial scope of work has creeped out of the realms of affordability (for the client) and sustainability (for the designer). At that point, it might be hard to apply democratic design to make everyone involved on the project happy.
What’s the best advice that you’ve ever gotten?
Happiness is a choice.
Also, you're going to get criticized anyway, so you might as well do what the fuck you want.
How do you record your ideas?
If I'm on my phone, I'll either record voice notes in Otter or jot down lists in Google Keep. I like using Google Keep, because you can turn notes into Google Docs if you need to expand upon something.
If I'm on my iPad Pro, I'll write down or sketch ideas quickly in Notes. I also use GoodNotes a lot for taking notes during meetings, organizing random thoughts, and for free writing.
What’s your current favorite tool or material to work with?
Notion. I was introduced to it at my last job, and fell in love with how versatile and extensible it is. I manage my podcast production, track project updates, and I even host my portfolio on Notion. It's been a real game changer for me.
What book is on your nightstand?
Currently, it's You Were Born For This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance by Chani Nicholas. It’s the last physical book I bought, but I also have lots of books on Kindle and Audible.
Why is authenticity in design important?
Authenticity is important because design -- for products and services -- is about solving problems. If you're not authentic about trying to solve a problem, then perhaps you're the problem.
Favorite restaurant in your city?
Oh wow... remember restaurants? Memories. Carroll Street Café is usually a favorite of mine because it's so chill and cozy while also serving great food.
What might we find on your desk right now?
Aside from my podcast setup, I have two Mega Man amiibos, a Mario figurine, a Morgana figurine from Persona 5, and some other small trinkets from my travels. I also have a big steel storage box from Best Made Co. for papers and larger items.
Who do you look up to and why?
I don't mean for this to sound sappy, but I really look up to pretty much everyone I've had in Revision Path. Many of them are navigating challenges, spaces, and systems that I've never experienced, and hearing their stories of how they do it is really inspiring.
But I also look up to the activists out there fighting the good fight and representing their communities and fighting against issues such as police brutality, workplace discrimination, and others. This past year, particularly, has shown that fighting for what is right is more important than ever.
Oh, but if we're talking celebrities? Oprah, who I reference in probably every episode of Revision Path, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, because he is a genius and we're around the same age and I think he'd be just cool to hang out with and learn from in general.
What’s your favorite project that you’ve done and why?
I was just about to say that my favorite project is one that's not even out yet!
But of the projects I've done, my favorite has probably been the Black Weblog Awards. It was my first big self-directed, self-funded project and I learned so much. In many ways, it set the scene for what I'm able to do with Revision Path.
What are the last five songs you listened to?
Where can our listeners find you on the web and on social media?
My website is mauricecherry.com -- that's pretty straightforward. I'm also on Twitter at @mauricecherry, though I don't tweet often.