About Mike Rohde
About Mike Rohde, and Rohdesign
Hello, I’m Mike Rohde. I’m a visual and user experience designer and blogger living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I have a passion for simple, effective and usable design solutions.
I believe it’s important to share thoughts, ideas and process, so others can find something from value from my experiences.
I’ve been blogging since February, 2003, covering a wide range of topics, including: design, creativity, sketching, travel, mobile technology, coffee, cycling, music and more.
Professionally
I work for Gomoll Research + Design a user-centered experience and interface design firm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
I design, art direct and help build web-based sites and applications. If you’d like to see work samples or my design thinking, explore the Design archives.
If you need a logo, business card or icon designed, drop me a note and let’s talk.
Sketchnotes
I’ve been hired by conference and event organizers to capture sketchnotes in real-time, including UX Intensive, SEED Conference, SXSW Interactive and An Event Apart.
You can learn more about my sketchnote approach by reading Lessons Learned from my SXSW Sketchnotes, listening to Episode 39 of the Thirsty Developer Podcast or checking out my Sketchnote archives, to view my work.
If you’re interested in hiring me to come and capture sketchnotes live, in real-time at an upcoming event, contact me and let’s talk.
Sketching & Sketchtoons
I love sketching and cartooning. In late 2004, I was invited to sketch a page in the Wandering Moleskine Project and then to submit a pocket Moleskine sketchbook to Patrick Ng’s proj: exhibition in Hong Kong. If you’re curious about my sketches, cartoons and other hand-drawn tidbits. have a look at my Sketches.
I’ve created a Sketchtoon Coffee Calendar and other custom illustration projects in my sketchtoon drawing style. If you’re interested in hiring me to create sketchtoon illustrations drop me a line.
Personally
I’m fascinated by mobile technology, in particular iPhones, iPods and Macintosh portable computers. My interest in mobile technology goes back quite a long way. I was an early Macintosh Powerbook Duo 230 user, Powerbook G3 Wallstreet user, and Powerbook Titanium G4 user. Presently I work with a Dual G5 PowerMac and a MacBook, both running Mac OS X — but I also know my way around Windows. I’ve moved to an iPod touch from the Palm platform in 2007.
I was an early (1996) Palm 1000 user, which led me into the world of Palm OS handhelds. I founded The Palm Tipsheet (See my local archives), a free e-zine of practical tips for Palm handheld users. The Tipsheet started with emails of interesting Palm tidbits, sent to a few friends and family in the fall of 1997. By the spring of 2003, it had grown to over 10,000 subscribers, when I sold it to BargainPDA.
Founding the Tipsheet was a wonderful experience. It taught me about writing clearly, the net, e-zine publishing, and no-budget PR. It helped me connect with many great friends, whom I value highly to this day. Even more, it provided a testing ground where I learned to write and publish articles that helped others in very practical ways.
My involvement in The Tipsheet and the Palm OS community, earned me an invitation from PalmSource to join the Palm OS User Council. We provided feedback to PalmSource and their Palm OS licensees, from a real-world users perspective.
However, by late 2002, I felt the need to expand my writing horizons to more than handhelds. I sold the Palm Tipsheet and I began this blog — and I’m still writing.
In 2006 I joined 9rules, a collection of people on the web who write, design, think and share their passions with others.
Recommendations
Here are a few recommendations about my work from LinkedIn profile:
