Early in my career, I was fortunate to cross paths with a mentor who changed how I saw design-and myself. He ran a small studio whose influence reached far beyond its size. He led with a quiet confidence and quick wit, showing how intelligence and humility could coexist in the creative process. I was passionate about the craft, but there was still so much more to learn about the tools.
Before anyone received an official alert about the Eaton fire, a message lit up a pickleball group chat. "Everyone look up, there's a vegetation fire on Canyon Close," the message read. "If you're anywhere near Eaton Canyon, I'd evacuate." Over the next several days, the chat of about 50 people who met regularly at the Altadena Country Club pinged with updates about where the fire was headed, pleas to evacuate, offerings of safe-havens and status updates on what was lost.
There's a misconception that state-of-the-art technology has to be expensive and hard to engineer, but innovative technology is often needs-driven, iterative, and practical.