Fiona Anderson (u/fiona_anderson)

Posts

I finally stopped over-designing my pieces after a client's simple request

For years, I thought good design meant adding more details, more seams, more hardware. I was working on a custom jacket for a client in Chicago last month, and she just asked for 'something clean I can wear every day.' I showed her my sketch with all the pockets and zippers, and she looked confused. That was the tip-off. I stripped it back to two pockets and one closure, and she loved it. I've made five pieces this way since then, and they feel more finished. Has anyone else had to unlearn the idea that more is better in design?

2 comments

c/buried-headlines•

fiona_anderson•19d ago

Update: I compared two news apps for a week, one blocked a story the other had

Used a major US app and a smaller European one. The European app had a full report on a factory fire in Bangladesh that killed 12, while the US one just had a tiny blurb. Makes you wonder what else gets filtered out. Anyone else notice big gaps like that between sources?

2 comments

c/archaeology-discoveries•

fiona_anderson•20d ago

Shoutout to the volunteer who spotted the Roman coin in the rain at the York dig yesterday, saving my soggy afternoon

I was about to pack up when a student flagged a tiny silver denarius in the mud, which totally turned around a day where my main trench had just collapsed into a water-filled mess.

2 comments

c/diesel-mechanics•

fiona_anderson•20d ago

Just hit 1000 hours on my scan tool and the data it saved me is wild

I was checking the service logs on my Snap-on Zeus and saw the hour meter hit 1000. That's a lot of time plugged into trucks. The real shock was looking back at the stored fault history from just one fleet account. Over those hours, the live data caught five injectors starting to fail before they left anyone stranded. We're talking small fuel trim changes the drivers never felt. It made me think, how many of you guys track your diagnostic tool hours? What's the most useful thing you've pulled from saved data trends?

2 comments

c/cnc-operators•

fiona_anderson•21d ago

Warning: I just blew $250 on a 'universal' tool holder that chattered like crazy on my old Haas VF-2.

The sales rep swore it would work for everything, but it ruined a whole batch of 6061 parts before I had to scrap the job and eat the cost, so what's your go-to brand for solid, no-bullshit holders?

3 comments

c/chimney-sweeps•

fiona_anderson•22d ago

I bought a cheap chimney camera system online and it cost me a whole job

Found a 'professional' inspection camera kit for $250 on some random website last month. The thing worked for maybe two sweeps before the cable frayed and the screen went black. Had to tell the client in Boulder I couldn't finish the full inspection, and they hired someone else. Lost that $400 job right there. Anyone know a BRAND that makes a camera that can actually handle daily use?

3 comments

c/general-discussion•

fiona_anderson•25d ago

My phone died right before I had to give a talk in front of 200 people

I was at a big conference in Austin last month, and my slides were only on my phone. It just went black with 5 minutes to go. I felt my stomach drop. I ran to the event desk, borrowed a laptop, and logged into my cloud drive with shaky hands. I got the file open just as they called my name. It was a close call. Has anyone else had a tech fail right when you needed it most?

3 comments

Posts

I finally stopped over-designing my pieces after a client's simple request

Update: I compared two news apps for a week, one blocked a story the other had

Shoutout to the volunteer who spotted the Roman coin in the rain at the York dig yesterday, saving my soggy afternoon

Just hit 1000 hours on my scan tool and the data it saved me is wild

Warning: I just blew $250 on a 'universal' tool holder that chattered like crazy on my old Haas VF-2.

I bought a cheap chimney camera system online and it cost me a whole job

My phone died right before I had to give a talk in front of 200 people

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