From SimCity to the Modern Web: A Journey Through Software Design
Having begun my adventure with software design in the early 1980s, I have witnessed—and contributed to—some of the most transformative moments in technology’s history. My professional journey has crisscrossed industries and eras, all fueled by a lifelong curiosity for digital experiences.
The SimCity Revolution
In those early days, I was privileged to be part of the team that brought SimCity to life—a title that would go on to redefine what simulation games could be. The original SimCity challenged the status quo: there was no definitive “win” or “lose,” just open-ended creativity, community planning, and emergent gameplay. Working alongside talented minds at Maxis, I contributed to the title’s mosaic of ideas and watched as it evolved from a niche project to an iconic franchise whose impact spanned entertainment, education, and even urban planning simulations for real-world corporations.
Adventure With Maxis and Sierra Online
My passion for interactive design carried me to further projects with Maxis, as well as Sierra Online, where pushing the boundaries of graphics and gameplay was our everyday challenge. Sierra pioneered graphical adventure games, and developing for their systems taught me the value of immersive storytelling and user engagement. Whether working on fantasy quests or simulation tools, these collaborations refined my sense of what makes a digital experience memorable.
3D Animation and Accident Reconstruction
The 1990s brought a new chapter: exploring the depths of 3D animation for accident reconstruction. This work was as much about technical innovation as it was about clear communication; turning complex data into visual stories for the courtroom demanded rigor and empathy with the audience.
Discovering the World Wide Web
Then came the web—at a time when Netscape was the dominant force and the browser wars were just heating up. I eagerly shifted gears, embracing web development’s new paradigms. The possibilities felt endless: multimedia, interactivity, and global connection on scales unimaginable in the floppy disk era. My early projects experimented with every tool Netscape could offer, laying the groundwork for dynamic web applications and evolving with each new browser and protocol.
Designing for Enterprise: Fortune 500
My design journey soon found a new purpose serving Fortune 500 brands. Building both frontend and backend software meant solving problems for thousands of users at once, balancing business needs with intuitive design. Here, the lessons from game development, animation, and web work all came together: designing with the human experience as my guiding principle.
UX: Career, Retirement, and Beyond
As a UX designer, I explored the intersections of psychology, usability, and beauty, often advocating for the user’s voice in rooms filled with ambitious stakeholders. Retirement hasn’t slowed me down—I remain active in both programming and design, pursuing new ideas and helping others navigate technology’s ever-shifting landscape.
Reflections
I’ve gotten to see and be part of it all, from Apple II all the way through mobile. And AI, OMG, where were you all those years?
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