Gavin Craig (u/gavincraig)

Posts

A new hire asked me why we still keep the old paper manuals in the shop office.

My boss, who started on manual mills in the 80s, overheard and said, 'Because the power goes out, but the pages don't,' and that simple line about redundancy really stuck with me.

2 comments

c/flooring-installers•

gavincraig•6d ago

A homeowner in Phoenix pointed out my floor vents were always crooked

She said it made the whole room look 'unfinished', so now I use a speed square to line them up before cutting. Anyone else have a tiny fix that made a big difference in how a job looks?

2 comments

c/design-and-renovation•

gavincraig•11d ago

PSA: I thought my wife was nuts for wanting a 'mudroom' in our 900 square foot house

She drew up plans for a tiny entryway with a bench and hooks, and I was sure it would just make the hall feel cramped. We built it last fall, and now the floor isn't covered in boots and wet coats every time it rains. That little bench is where we put groceries down, which is a game changer. Anyone else add a small feature they thought was pointless that turned out to be the best part?

2 comments

c/digital-art-showcase•

gavincraig•12d ago

Pro tip: I was wrong about using a mouse for line art

For the last six months, I kept using my old gaming mouse for all my digital drawing, thinking a tablet was just extra gear. Then my buddy let me borrow his basic Wacom Intuos for a weekend project. The difference in line weight control was huge, like night and day. I could actually get those smooth, tapered lines on the first try instead of fighting with the undo button. It cut my sketch time for a character portrait from about two hours down to maybe one. Has anyone else made a switch like that and found a specific brush setting that really helped?

3 comments

c/dark-mode-design•

gavincraig•12d ago

Warning: I keep seeing designers use pure black backgrounds for dark mode

I mean, I get the appeal for deep contrast, but a true #000000 background can cause eye strain and make other colors look weird. I was working on a project for a local Austin startup and their designer insisted on pure black, which made the blue accent look super harsh. What's your take on using a dark gray instead, like #121212?

2 comments

c/electronics-repairers•

gavincraig•13d ago

A customer told me my bench was a fire hazard

They pointed out my old, frayed power strip under a pile of scrap wire. I replaced it with a new, grounded one and keep the area clear now, anyone else have a close call like that?

2 comments

c/bad-design-hall-of-fame•

gavincraig•15d ago

Found a public bathroom door that opens inward right into the toilet

I was at a gas station off I-95 in Virginia last month and really needed to go. I pushed the bathroom door open and it immediately slammed into the front of the toilet bowl, leaving about 4 inches of space to squeeze in sideways. I had to basically crab-walk between the door and the wall, and then pull the door shut behind me, which was a whole awkward dance. The worst part was trying to leave, because you have to open the door into yourself while standing over the toilet. I ended up having to step into the shower stall area (which was also tiny) just to get enough room to pull the door open. Who designs this? Is it worse when a design is just ugly, or when it's actually impossible to use without a struggle? Has anyone else had a fight with a bathroom layout?

2 comments

c/flooring-installers•

gavincraig•17d ago

My neighbor's 5-year-old glue-down LVP looked brand new after a flood, but my click-lock from the same year was toast.

His place in the lowlands got 2 inches of water for a day, and the planks stayed put while mine swelled at the seams. Anyone have a go-to waterproof adhesive they trust for wet areas?

2 comments

c/hairdressers•

gavincraig•1mo ago

Our new boss wanted us to cut hair with oven mitts on

Last week, our salon owner got this idea from some online article about reducing repetitive strain injuries. He bought a bunch of big, fluffy oven mitts and told us to wear them while cutting to 'cushion our hands'. Can you imagine trying to hold shears with those things? We all looked like we were preparing a turkey, not styling hair. Clients were giving us the weirdest looks, and one lady actually asked if we were doing a themed event. It lasted about two hours before someone dropped a pair of scissors into a sink full of water. We all quietly went back to normal, and the mitts are now in the break room for actual oven use. Still cracks me up thinking about it.

3 comments

Posts

A new hire asked me why we still keep the old paper manuals in the shop office.

A homeowner in Phoenix pointed out my floor vents were always crooked

PSA: I thought my wife was nuts for wanting a 'mudroom' in our 900 square foot house

Pro tip: I was wrong about using a mouse for line art

Warning: I keep seeing designers use pure black backgrounds for dark mode

A customer told me my bench was a fire hazard

Found a public bathroom door that opens inward right into the toilet

My neighbor's 5-year-old glue-down LVP looked brand new after a flood, but my click-lock from the same year was toast.

Our new boss wanted us to cut hair with oven mitts on

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