Paris Vega’s Blog

Documenting my many failures and few successes as I explore the world. I discuss design, web development, digital marketing, and entrepreneurship.

  • Why take risks?

    Why take risks?

    It’s easy to convince yourself that if you never take risks, you will always be safe. If you don’t move, if you don’t speak up, if…

  • Starting a watch brandโ€ฆ or maybe not.

    Starting a watch brandโ€ฆ or maybe not.

    I started building a watch brand in 2019. It didn’t work out. Here’s the story about what happened during one of many entrepreneurial experiments I pursued…

  • How to start a business and make your first sale?

    How to start a business and make your first sale?

    I started an entire podcast about this exact question. Itโ€™s called the First Customers podcast. I ask entrepreneurs, sales experts, and marketers how they got their…

  • Boost Your Sales with These 6 Proven SEO Strategies

    I started my first job in the SEO industry in 2002 as a part-time assistant at an internet marketing company located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama called Evision…

  • Growth in chaos.

    Growth in chaos.

    Nothing is guaranteed in business. Starting a company is hard. Running a company successfully is even harder. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the…

  • Build your own school

    Build your own school

    Build your own school by focusing on a better way to teach school-age kids, which can be summarized with the following: Build connections with reality by…

  • The Abundance Diet vs Harmless Eating

    While studying permaculture and tending my own garden years ago, I started to notice that the Earth is capable of producing a surprisingly abundant amount of…

  • Powering the People

    There is a sovereign human drive inside us all that chants these basic desires: Let us be free. Let us speak. Let us learn what we…

  • People pay for dopamine.

    There are dopamine makers and takers. Entertainers are dopamine makers. Bad teachers are dopamine takers. Entertainers, artists, athletes create our culture. We pay them for it.

  • Winnie Woods and The Ocean’s Soul

    In her final years my Grandmother, Winnie Woods, told me that she remembered reading something in the Bible about the ocean having a soul, but now…

  • Asteroid Mining Self Replicating Robots

    Asteroid Mining Self Replicating Robots

    What if we made an asteroid mining ship/robot that โ€œhaulsโ€ the mined materials by using them to build onto itself, or replicating?

  • Permaculture.

    All humans need these three things: Clean air, clean water, and clean food. Everybody wants them. Everybody needs them. Sadly, the concept of a clean “environment”…

  • Explaining Pi

    One day my wife and I noticed our boy, 6 at the time, repeating something to himself while holding a dollar bill. Suddenly, he says, “I…

  • May your art never die.

    May your art never die.

    The Xbox cable brushes against the guitar strings. They mutter a cautious chirp from behind the TV. Frightened, the guitar blasts me with guilt and musical…

  • Idea: Pay-as-you-leave shopping experience

    Idea Summary:– swipe card or facial recognition connected to your account as you enter store– put stuff in cart and leave store, items detected by RFID…

  • Floating Simple Robots: Sketch Meditation Day 3 (WIP)

    That feeling when you walk into a room full of floating robots…

  • Sketch Meditation Day 1 (WIP)

    Starting a new sketching habit each day of whatever shapes or imagery feels good to my brain at the moment. This started while drawing with my…

  • Idea: Child Car Monitor

    Product Inspired by the Cooper Harris accident. Features Always on solar powered camera wifi connected camera view in mobile/web app motion & sound sensors other life…

  • Idea: Data Visualizations from text documents

    Product / Service: Infobot Concept: Data Visualizations from text documents Create data visualizations from idea documents, or any text documents, by using some kind of smart…

  • The easiest way to start buying, selling, and mining Bitcoin

    Despite all the negative news around bitcoin,ย I believeย cryptocurrencies are the future. Bitcoin may not be the one to take off, but one of them will eventually.…

  • Everyone is Changing Everything

    “Youโ€™re not just anyone. One day, youโ€™re gonna have to make a choice. You have to decide what kind of man you want to grow up…

  • Alabama kids

    Chasing fireflies through the summer night Listening to the crickets lullaby Laying on the roof of mommas car Searching for one more shooting star Running through…

  • Dealing with my brother’s murder: Love like it’s your last.

    In December of 2011, a homeless guy killed my brother.  My oldest brother, Jeff, one of my heroes, was murdered. The moment I heard the news…

  • Idea: Landfill Mining

    Howย to get into the market? This article mentions the need for software to simulate what a landfill may contain. Build that software How to measure/estimate the…

  • Quick Tip: LESS Mixins for Pure CSS Pinterest / Masonry style grid layout

    Pinterestย popularized theย masonry grid style layout. Here’s a simple solution for a masonry layout built with pure CSS3, and no javascript or floats. [css] // Parent Element,…

  • My plugin gets added to WordPress core!

    WordPress 3.5 was released yesterday.ย After upgrading my site, I checked the editor screen and noticed a tiny tweak that made me smile. It looks likeย my humble…

  • One rule to rule them all.

    Impossible to please. 21 Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in…

  • Breaking the cycle: Why I’m voting for a 3rd party candidate.

    This is an old problem Politics in America bend to the will ofย two parties: Democrats and Republicans. Why? Money. Big dollars bank roll these two parties.…

  • Locked Mess Monster

    Have you ever tried to move a folder or selection of layers in Photoshop, but were interrupted by this alert? Somewhere deep down in your selection…

  • Button It Up version 1.2 released

    With the release of my first public WordPress plugin last month I received encouraging nods and tweets from the community, as well as some constructive feedback. One…

  • Idea: Get paid for your trash

    The customer experience Customers sign up online schedule their trash pickup put out their trash/waste as usual receive email/update when their trash has been removed receive…

  • Tribute to the The Great Wave: A color palette based on an old Japanese painting

    Tribute to the The Great Wave: A color palette based on an old Japanese painting

    The Great Wave Color Palette After years of admiring the The Great Wave Off Kanagawa print by the legendary Japanese artist, Hokusai, I realize the colors…

  • Button It Up

    A better WordPress Upload/Insert button In response to the positive feedback from my last post about making the WordPress Upload/Insert button look more clickable, I’ve written…

  • Grandma

      Today is my grandmother’s birthday. A great woman you’ve never heard of who made a huge impact on my life. This is a little poem…

  • If ya wanna click it, ya better put a button on it

    How do I upload an image in WordPress? Frequently, clients who are staring at the WordPress content editing screen ask me, “How do I upload an…

  • Actions do more than words.

    Use words to source actions. As an independent contractor/freelancer I’ve realized that selling plays a critical role in business. Like it or not, it’s a necessity,…

  • The world’s simplest phone

    I love this. The world’s simplest phone in a sleek little black box. It’s called John’s Phone. Consider it the anti-iPhone. No apps or hi-res screen.…

  • The next stage in Google’s redesign

    Checkout the next stage in Google’s redesign http://t.co/IiaG7MAE.

  • “Terminator”-Like Contact Lens

    “Terminator”-Like Contact Lens making way takes augmented reality to another level http://t.co/mCxd5PNL

  • The User Experience Hierarchy of Needs

    The User Experience Hierarchy of Needs http://t.co/fUVdDwdf #ux #ui #design

  • The Never Ending Project: How to Prevent Scope Creep

    Have you ever worked on a project that would… not… end!? Me, too. Poorly organized fixed-rate projects quickly turn into hourly-rate eating monsters that even Falkor…

  • Solar panel for microwaves

    Since visible light is just part of the electromagnetic spectrum, could other wavelengths generate electricity with the right materials? Rectenna: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectenna DIY: http://www.ac-grenoble.fr/yre/agency/library/missions/missrep1997/online/rap-nuc2.htm – power a light…

  • The wisdom of craftsmanship

    I came across this interesting piece of Scripture while reading the Bible this morning: 1ย  AND THE Lord said to Moses,2ย  See, I have called by…

  • My first dribbble post: Strategic Arrows

    The first shot I posted onย dribbble! Thanks toย Joshua Pekera for the invite.ย These grainy arrows wereย part of the Selective Marketing website’s hero image slider. These arrows were…

  • Google+ will improve your social media experience, even if you don’t use it.

    The Question My friend at Good Web Workย asked the question,”To what problem is Google+ a solution?”. I started to write a comment on his post, but…

  • Old-School Dark Color Palette: Sportomatic

    Inspiration Cruising through designspiration.net I found an old poster of aย Porsche 911 โ€œSportomaticโ€ at the Nurburgring in 1967. I was drawn to the green monochrome photo…

  • An Inconvenient User Experience: Gmail Drafts

    Summary I love Gmail. If you accidentally discard a draft its gone forever. I think Gmail should send discarded drafts to trash. You can vote for…

  • I’m a podcast junkie.

    I love listening to podcasts while I work. Especially if the task at hand is monotonous or design related. Now if I’m coding, I usually just…

  • Mid-Century Modern Color Palette: Modern Hero Suit

    Inspired by the hero graphic on hulu.com for The Colbert Report (as of 4/12/11), the color scheme really connected with me. Calm, powerful, and bold. I…

  • Book Review: The Four Hour Work Week

    Summary Overall, my mental and emotional experience reading the The 4-Hour Workweekย byย Tim Ferrisย felt something like this: I’m having a chat in a coffee shop with Tim,…

  • How does social media impact SEO?

    SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization …and yes, social media does affect SEO. To better understand how SEO works, letโ€™s look at the story of Billy Joe…

  • How to rip the faces off WordPress hackers… their cheeto-encrusted life-sucking evil faces.

    How to deal with website hackers Find hacker that attacked your site and destroyed the efforts of your labor. Insert hand grenade into hacker mouth. Pull…

  • How to Write Object Oriented CSS

    * Image taken from the cover art of the world-famous Tetris video game. Objects Shmobjects. The first time I heard about Object Oriented CSS was from…

  • Interview with Designer and Entreprenuer Casey Doss

    After interviewing Casey Doss recently, I found myself humbled and inspired by the way he manages work and family life. He doesn’t let being extremely busy…

  • 3 Free Desktop Wallpaper Backgrounds of Flowers

    This month’s freebie is a collection of 3 elegant desktop wallpapers featuring flowers. They can also be used as Twitter backgrounds. These photos were taken by…

  • What’s the best computer for graphic design: Mac or PC?

    What kind of computer do you suggest for graphic design? Mac? PC? My laptop is too slow to do a lot of what I’ve been doing…

  • How much should I charge as a new freelancer getting started?

    This is the first article in a new category I’m starting for my blog: Reader Questions. I’ll be answering questions that I’m often asked by young…

  • Goodbye, Internet Explorer 6. Enjoy hell.

    This week I received an email so beautiful I had to share it with the world. It said that Google will no longer support Internet Explorer…

  • Illustrator: Matthew Lewis

    Saturday night I ran into Matthew Lewis, an old friend from high school, who is also an amazing illustrator. We reminisced about ancient times while I…

  • Why freelancers should use digital contracts with esignatures

      Word of mouth agreements are too risky There is no reason to waste time and money by running your business on word-of-mouth agreements. The risk…

  • My True Father

    My father told my mother he didn’t want any more children. SURPRISE! I was the last of his nine kids. When I was 2 months old…

  • Retro Vintage Color Palette: Vinyl Polaroid

    All the faded luminescence of photographs from the 60s, 70s, and 80s expressed in a simple swath of muted hues. I created this mellow palette on…

  • Free Desktop Wallpaper Background: Black Boxes

    My latest free desktop wallpaper design is an arrangement of dark gray blocks on a black background similar in layout to Piet Mondrian‘s Composition II in…

  • Typography Diagram

    While rummaging through my old files I came across this typography diagram I designed in a typography class way back in art school at The University…

  • The Best Watch Design I’ve Ever Seen.

    This extraordinary minimal wrist watch designed by Iskender Asanaliev, features a clear LED display that shows the current hour with a hand built from the minutes.…

  • How to edit your host file on a Mac

    Changing the contents of a computer’s host file is extremely helpful skill for web developers to have. You can basically manipulate the way your computer looks…

  • The Off / On Coffee Mug

    This coffee mug changes color as you pour hot coffee into its temperature sensitive core. It also happens to be exactly what my brain looks like…

  • How to beat Desktop Tower Defense

    How to beat Desktop Tower Defense

    Desktop Tower Defense is a simple little strategy game that hacks into your basic human instinct to stop creatures from going from one place to the…

  • The Email Standards Project… Thank God!

    If the US government needs a non-violent method of torture to replace water-boarding, I would like to suggest email design. The detainees would be required to…

  • Awesome Designer / Developer Video Tutorials

    I LOVE KNOWLEDGE! Today my wonderful employer, Evision Marketing Group, purchased a premium subscription to lynda.com, the video tutorial site. Every designer / developer skill that…

  • Green Website Hosting: A carbon-free solution

    What do I mean by “green”? Over the past few years the word “green” has grown from simply describing the color we see in the visible…

  • Gulf South Solar | Logo Design and WordPress CMS

    About the Client:Gulf South Solar is the leading solar provider in Louisiana. They are based in Baton Rouge and have been installing solar for 5 years.…

  • Red Ribbon at the Beach

    A straw hat with a red ribbon sailing in the wind at the beach is being held by my wife. We were in the Gulf of…

  • Free High Resolution Wallpaper: Black Burst Design

    Black Ray Burst Wallpaper Here is a free wallpaper background I designed. It contains a dark gradient with rays beaming from left to right. I use…

  • Present: pastโ€™s future

    pre-sent. This suggests that what is, became, as a result of something that has already happened. What you do now is literally creating tomorrowโ€™s present. What…

  • The Mazda Furai explodes my face.

    Check out this wild concept car: The Mazda Furai. The Mazda Furai concept car [1] is a beautifully designed piece of machinery that will melt your…

  • Scientists Invent Holodeck!

    FINALLY! Every gamer has dreamed of the day of real virtual gaming. Well, my cheeto-loving friends, our day has finally come. The VirtuSphere let’s you run…

  • Myspace Sucks

    I think all designers would agree that Myspace sucks. A usability nightmare, Myspace is the perfect example of those money-hungry banner-ad-loving sites that cares more about…

  • The Father’s Love Letter

    Growing up without a father in my home, I eventually viewed the Christian God of the Bible as my father. I looked to the Bible’s principles…

  • Open source software in schools could save taxpayers billions

    Open source software is all over the place. Google Apps being a prime example. If schools switched from paying for software to these open source alternatives,…

  • Solar and Wind Leaf Photovoltaic Shingles

    While the future of solar technology seems to rest on nanotechnology innovation, these GROW panels by SMIT are fairly remarkable. Inspired by leaves, these tiny generators…

  • Fusion Power by 2035 …ish.

    If scientists can perfect fusion power, they will usher in a golden age for power production, with systems providing all the benefits of nuclear reactors and…

  • Google goes solar funding $1 per watt solar panels

    Googling Green Recently Google posted an article on there blog about encouraging green energy. They also made it obvious that, as usual, they were ready to…

  • Body Clock ‘Control Switch’ Found

    Our DNA amazes me. It is a complete language describing how to build a human. Beautiful. The good ole BBC came out with this interesting story…

  • Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year 2007: w00t

    That’s right. Digital Culture has exploded in large part to the success of video games and the evolution of online gaming. According to Wired.com, “This year’s…

  • Light to Shrink Computer Clusters

    IBM is looking to replace the well-known copper circuitry in computers with beams of light. What are the benefits of using light instead of clunky copper…

  • The University of Alabama Permanent Collection, 2005

    ย ย  The first curious steps into Sarah Moody Art Gallery quickly transformed into a journey through some of the most popular names in contemporary art over…

  • Choosing a path

    Choosing a path

    One day while daydreaming as usual in a college math class, i made a list. This list was different from most lists because i never got…

  • Metamorphosis

    Change is constant and definite. To be is to change. Everything in the physical universe is changing from life to death. It is a cycle. The…

  • Lean Back

    Lean Back

    Every breath like rumbling rivers Repel from conversation. Its public solitude.