Good Roads Collective
Putting my design experience to work building a business to serve a craft and grow a community
What do I do at Good Roads?
Everything.
Product Development
A new dimension, the same familiar design problems
Pixels? Plastic? Doesn’t matter: product design is product design.
Eighteen years ago I built my first skateboard deck. From the first moments cruising around on my DIY board I was hooked, and I’ve been building boards ever since. Over the years I’ve designed tools to make the process easier and I wanted to make those tools available for other builders.
I expected the transition from designing software to physical products to be difficult. It wasn’t without some growing pains, but it turns out the process is almost entirely identical. UX/UI and ergonomics are two names for the same type of problem solving. The goal is to make something useful that is enjoyable to interact with.
Identify a problem, develop a solution
Historically, there has been a huge gap between what can be made in factories by large board companies, and what’s possible to make in a small shop. The processes are scalable, but the methods and tooling to enable small-scale production weren’t available.
At least, until now.
With Good Roads, I’m constantly developing new tools and techniques to democratize manufacturing and empower people to make the gear they dream of.
Iterate, iterate, iterate.
Research and development makes good products great. Between heavy testing in my own shop, and sourcing feedback and input from the community, I consistently receive data on how to update and improve my products. Through a steady cycle of revisions and redesigns, each successive generation of tools is better than the last.
By taking the same solutions-oriented approach I’ve used my whole career, I’ve developed a collection of tools that are being used in shops all over the world.
Brand Identity
Identifiable, playful, crafty
Based on an old hobo symbol for “this is a good road to travel,” the Good Roads mark and accompanying text is designed to be readable at a glance, work small or large, and tie into the playful craft of building boards.
UI/UX, Information Architecture and Digital Design
Building a site that fills many roles
A shop
The Good Roads shop is a critical tool for growing the business. It’s the main marketplace for the products and design files I sell. I’m always in the process of fine-tuning the architecture, interface, and visual design of the site in order to increase revenue and achieve a higher level of success.
An educational resource
Building boards is pretty easy if you know the tricks of the trade. I learned from some of the best in the business and it only feels right to pay it forward to others who are learning as well. In addition to creating tools for other builders to use, I also develop methods and techniques which I share with the community. The site plays a major role in hosting and disseminating those resources.
A project repository
In order to empower other builders, I often release designs for tools or prototypes open source. My hope is that these “mother recipe” design files will enable other creators to iterate and develop products of their own. The site houses all of these project files, along with guidance on how to use them.
Content Creation
A 3-for-1 digital classroom, revenue stream, and marketing arm
As I’ve developed products and grown the company, I’ve documented the whole process on Youtube. I’ve produced over a hundred videos showcasing methods, cataloguing experiments, and breaking down the steps involved in all the different facets of the craft. The platform is a major driver of traffic for the business, as well as a trove of useful signals about the interests and needs of my audience.
Running the channel has taught me so much about producing content, finding a niche, and interacting with a community. I’ve been able to share my ideas, build a following, add to my bottom line, and grow my brand.
And Much, Much More
Running a small business has pushed me to grow past my design-centric comfort zone and learn a wealth of new, useful skills:
Manufacturing
Product Releases
Customer Support
Logistics
Fulfillment
QA
Social Media
Backlog Management
Supply Chains
Business Dev
I’ve learned so much and I’m proud of the level of success I’ve achieved. Now I’d like to apply everything I’ve learned, along with my years of dedicated design experience, to help you reach your goals as well.