Read me

Living documentation for understanding and working with James Mathias a US born, Scottish, cisgender male.

Table of Contents

Reference Preferences Return to table of contents

Guiding Ideals Return to table of contents

Always be learning. Constant Learning is at the core of my design practice and life. My days are filled with curious questions, clarifications, and confirmations.

Share everything. Helping others learn is an amazing way to pay it forward in life. I operate as an open book when it comes to what I know and what I don’t.

Grow often. I’m progressive and proactive when it comes to growing as a person and professional. Importantly I’m prepared to be uncomfortable, and to sit in that discomfort while I do the work towards being less uncomfortable.

Respect your craft. I was raised by and around craftspeople. People that led with quality of craft over speed or profit. Learning to apply this mindset to things I make or do has made me a better designer, husband, father, friend, artist, etc…

Stay flexible. Flexibility is foundational. Having opinions and beliefs are very important, and it’s very important those constantly adapt to new information. Rigidity leads you right into walls.

Core Principles Return to table of contents

Be transparent. Transparent behavior gives those around you a clarity that is often hard, yet it is super important to operate in a way that is open and clear. Even when it hurts.

Practice humility. A deep understanding that I do not, cannot, and will not ever truly understand another person’s pain or lived experiences. A reminder that I need to check myself and the space I consume, so I gratefully yield the floor to other’s voices.

Embrace curiosity. Never stop asking questions. It’s as important now as it was when you were five. Digging gets to the core faster. Question everything.

Strive towards optimism. See the light in others and assume the best. I prefer to live and work with this in mind, as it naturally guides me to more humanity centric solutions and helps my anxiety.

Start from inclusion. Embrace and recognize differences. Open your heart and mind to the cultures, ideas, set backs, and triumphs of others. Always be asking how does this affect others.

Lead with kindness. Treat others as you’d like to be treated. Be kind, not nice. Being nice is a facade, you’re pretending to be kind. Kindness requires more than performance from you, and the outcomes tend to be better for everyone.

Interactions Return to table of contents

I’m diagnosed with ADHD, Anxiety and Panic disorders. While I can appear to be “fine”, and do have many tools at my disposal for coping with the symptoms, I do have bad days and moments. I only ask that you are patient with me as I navigate those.

I prefer not to “mask”, but I will do so if I feel unsafe or for the comfort and benefit of others.

How I talk. Born & raised in North California, which means I have an accent. For clarity: I do not have a vocal fry and I don’t uptalk, but I do have the cot/caught merger, drop my Gs, and “mispronounce” washer, drawer, and crayon. Yes, I frequently say dude and like, but stopped using hella in the 90’s.

I don’t hug. It’s not you, it’s me. I don’t feel comfortable embracing co-workers or acquaintances. This typically happens outside work, at conferences or after-parties. Please don’t be offended if I decline your hug. I’m not rejecting you.

I do fist bump. I prefer to fist bump as it’s less intimate, and feels more casual and appropriate for platonic encounters.

I like oversharing. I’m big on sharing my thoughts, opinions, and knowledge. Often to detriment. If I begin to derail please let me know. I can talk for-literally-ever, and I lose track of time easily.

I ❤️ Mondays. I’m the most optimistic and enthusiastic on Mondays. As the week goes on I find myself losing steam in terms of my general disposition. I find Mondays to be a good reset, a fresh start. I like fresh starts, they bring hope.

I connect through shared experience. I often attempt connection or communication through shared experience. This can come across as centering myself, but I promise it’s just me looking for a way to connect with you.

I love to laugh. Humor has always been a part of my life. I love making others laugh and I find a lot of life to be very funny. Laughing keeps you young and I laugh at myself a lot.

Lunch is hard. I have an eating disorder and I’m a vegan. It’s difficult for me to eat socially. I tend to overeat due to anxiety and finding a restaurant that offers both vegan and non-vegan options is nearly impossible.

Work Preferences Return to table of contents

I dislike jargon. I greatly prefer plain speak and getting to the point.

I dislike forced innovation. Everything we do should be an exploration, and if we land on something that is both best for the customer and innovative, well yay us! And if the best solution is a tried and true “boring” way to do it. Also yay us!

I prefer action. I’m not a meetings guy. They waste time, disrupt deep work, and usually end in scheduling a follow up meeting. Meetings are great for facilitating procrastination. Alternatively I prefer autonomous action.

I dislike secrets. Secrets in the workplace are always bad. Just speak plainly and tell me what we’re up against.

I dislike office politics. It’s silly and immature behavior.

Titles are for resumes. Experience isn’t purely a quantity game. Quality of experience is more important. Bottom line, I don’t care what your corporate rank is. If you do great work step up, and if you don’t step back.

I like to think. I prefer to tackle problems more slowly. I like to think things through, really explore, experiment, and test. I can produce things quickly if the task requires it, but I vastly prefer being able to approach tasks more thoroughly.

I like to make things. I like the journey, I like the mistakes, I like to try things and fail.

Tough Subjects Return to table of contents

I’m happy to discuss the following topics one on one with the shared goal to learn and grow, but I will not participate in bad faith debates.

Religion? My beliefs are based on love, logic, and common sense.

Politics? I lean towards policies that help generate freedom, peace, and happiness for the largest group of people possible.

Racism? Strongly anti-racist. I believe racism is a white people problem and that it is the responsibility and duty of white people to do the heavy lifting in the abolishment of systemic racism, and to help marginalized communities build equity towards the fight for equality.

I believe Black lives matter.

Gender? Gender is a social construct. Binary gender is an outdated concept. Gender is a spectrum. Individuals have the right to identify as they please, and it’s wrong to disrespect, deny, or otherwise disregard that identity.

I believe transgender people are people, and that their lives matter.

Abortion? Strongly pro-choice. It is wrong to tell another person what they may or may not do with their own bodies.

Drugs? Pro-legalization.

Guns? Anti-gun. Pro-bans. Guns only cause death, mayhem, and destruction. I wish they didn’t exist at all, and prefer small changes over no changes.

Social Reform? At a baseline minimum I’m for free education, free healthcare, universal basic income, open borders, policing & prison redesign, 12 hour work week, raising minimum wage to match or exceed inflation and costs of living, outlawing billionaires and redistributing hoarded wealth.

Pronunciation? It’s a soft G.

Indentation? Tabs. Don’t @ me.