Russ Prior is an instructor and freelance front-end developer who specializes in information architecture (IA), user interface (UI), and user experience (UX) for the World Wide Web. His design style and approach is typified by the terms simplicity, ease of use and legibility. Russ has over thirty years of design experience.
Professional Background
Prior to his current freelance status, Russ was a senior-level editorial art director as well as an early evangelist of computer-aided design and interactive marketing strategies. Russ has served as art director for Surfing, Volleyball, Bodybording, SDSU Alumni Magazine, and Baja Explorer magazines. Russ has also worked as a creative director for Emerge USA and The LaJolla group in San Diego.
For the last twenty years Russ has taught design, web design, and front-end development at San Diego State University and MiraCosta College in San Diego. He continues to work as a consultant to local as-well-as national technology based companies.
Education
Russ attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ, and received his BFA in Studio Art and Graphic Design in May of 1989. The U of A features a unique educational approach, which emphasizes the creative and conceptual process of independent study and research. This approach focuses on gaining the skills necessary to ask intelligent questions and to seek meaningful answers.
Russ also attended the MFA program at San Diego State University. While there he researched human computer interface design and the relationships between visual stimuli and brain development in children. He left the MFA program in 1996 for a tenure teaching position at Palomar College in San Marcos, CA.
In 2008, Russ received a Masters of Education in Curriculum Development. He continues to work as a freelance front end developer and teach in the School of Art + Design at San Diego State University as well as the Media Arts and Technology department at MiraCosta College.
Interests
Russ' passion, outside of teaching, is building hot rod and custom cars. He learned auto body and paint while in high school and is a self learned fabricator and welder. Russ has built and sold many customs; currently he is working on a 1970 Corvette restomod.
Some of his favorite websites include:
- GO TO PAGE TOP
- W3Schools.com
- CSS-Tricks.com
- Stackoverflow.com
- Kindigit.com
- Martinbroscustoms.com
- Pandora.com
My favorite quotes about design and fabrication in no particular order
"K eep
it simp
le"
"1000 is the new 500 horsepower""Weld it up wire it up and fire it up"
"Have no fear of perfection - you will never reach it"
"Design is intelligence made visible"
"Design is a solution to a problem; art is a question to a problem"
"Good design is obvious. Great design is transparent"