In the latest installment of our Columbus Creatives: A Day in the Life series, we talk with Shane McCleery, a Senior UX Consultant at Cardinal Solutions. When he’s not in front of a computer, Shane enjoys playing video games and spending time with his girlfriend, and his dog, Typo!
Hey there, Shane here. I’m a multidisciplinary designer in Columbus, Ohio. Fancy word meaning if it has needed to be designed I’ve done it.
I’m a Senior UX Consultant at Cardinal Solutions. I’m a loving dog Dad, retired line cook, and caring future husband, Husker in the land of Buckeyes (GO BIG RED), awesome uncle, favorite son, avid gamer (both tabletop and console). I think it helps in the problem-solving situations UX is constantly being put up against. I’m currently living in Minerva Park, but have jumped around town, everywhere from New Albany, to South Clintonville, to Old East.
Morning
A typical morning for me is fighting the urge to go back to sleep because I have the comfiest heating source of a dog that needs to be cuddled at all time, Typo the bullypit. After I grab a cuppa coffee and take out the little brindle boy, it’s checking the calendar, browsing dribbble, designer news and other inspirational sites to get me psyched for the day while listening to whatever new All Girl Korean Math Rock exists, cranked to 11. If I have time, I’ll be making some ‘Toads in a Basket’ for me and the pre-wife, but that’s usually reserved for the weekend.
Afternoon
After a filling lunch from Chipotle or anything that North Market has to offer, it’s time for some self-reflection. I always like to take 20 or so minutes out of the day, away from screens and do some personal thinking about how the day/week/month/year is going and if I believe I am happy with what I am doing, and if not, what I can do to change that. I should probably pay more attention to these thoughts, but it’s more of a free thought writing exercise, but without the pen and paper, and more of mental gymnastics.After attending to matters at hand and trying to meet deadlines and a couple meetings later, it’s time that I lay the hammer down on some colleagues with a game or two of Mario Kart. In the immortal words of Mario’s best rival “IMA WARIO, IMA GONNA WIN”
Evening
Driving home, listening to 99% Invisible or Your Mom’s House podcasts, all I can think about it how happy Typo, my dog, will be to see me. Nothing beats the feeling of a companion who is always happy to see you no matter what.
I’ll feed Typo and then he usually brings me his after-dinner toy, affectionately referred to as “The Pickle” which I stuff with peanut butter and treats while we wind down and I put on the comfies (shorts and a hoodie.) After catching up with the love of my life, Bekah, and binging whatever shows we need to catch up on– Last Man on Earth, Parks and Rec (for the 7000th time), Game of Thrones, Westworld just to name a few.
You’ll always be able to catch me on Xbox Live wrecking scrubs on Overwatch, killing massive beasts on Monster Hunter World, or flying off the ceiling in a ballistic missile on wheels trying to pull off impossible trick shots and being salty while spamming What a save! On Rocket League.
When it’s time for bed, we put on the best show ever made, Star Trek Next Gen and drift off to sleep to the voice of the most perfect human in the world Cpt. Jean-Luc Picard. As I think about the next days to come, I keep Picard as a mantle of positivity and as my moral compass, and when I need to get something done, I’ll always finish a thought that needs action with a quick fix of my shirt, a point of a finger and an exclamation of “Engage!”
