Who is Brian Garside?
I am many things. I’m a writer, an artist, a video producer, a project manager, a web designer, a leader, a master communicator, and someone who builds amazing products that get used daily.
My experience is wide and varied. First and foremost I’m a front end designer who can design wireframes, build Photoshop comps, write HTML, CSS and Javascript, create assets and deliver complete design solutions.
I’ve drawn my whole life. I draw websites, quick sketches of user flows, layouts for graphic designs. I also love to draw comic books and cartoons with my kids.
I shoot and edit video, I spent five years getting better at and becoming an expert. I still love it when I’m called on to put together a last minute video testimonial or to scope out equipment.
I’ve done a bit of code work as well, I’m comfortable around Git, MySQL, and MS SQL. I have written some Ruby on Rails code, PHP, Java and .NET code. I’m able to implement my designs in most platforms. I have a good grasp of technical systems.
I spent three years honing my writing skills while writing about sporting events for TSN (Canada’s ESPN), that skill has transferred to blog posts, copy writing, writing product specs, and writing strategy documents.
I’ve worked on both Business analysis and Systems Analysis, because I have the ability to speak both the language of business and the language of development.
In 2015 I founded NorthIQ Business Solutions where I work on digital strategy and implementation for businesses. I help businesses position themselves online so they’re easily found, and do the work to get them where they need to be.
At the same time in 2015, I also founded Manage Comics – subscription and e-commerce software designed specifically for comic stores. Manage Comics helps comic shops sell online, enables their customers to subscribe to more comics, improves ordering, and helps them get paid faster!
From 2006 – 2015, I was in charge of Info-Tech Research Group’s website, shepherding the design, and graduating from being the only front end developer to the Manager of Digital Experience. I managed a team of designers and developers (at last count, 14 people). My day-to-day involved product development, design direction, people management, as well as customer service and sales support.
A bunch of really great people have given me some really terrific recommendations.
I challenge myself constantly, and in 2012 I set a goal of speaking at events. After doing talks at Info-Tech events in Chicago and New York, I then gave talks at the Digital Interactive Gaming conference in London Ontario, and at North by North East in Toronto Ontario on transforming teams through Innovation Days. In the spring of 2014, I gave a talk on drawing as a superpower at RailsConf in Chicago.
I’m the proud dad to a pair of amazing kids, Kaylin and Maks, who remind me every day of the importance of play in our lives, and I’m married to a wonderfully patient wife, Charlene, who keeps me grounded. I love comics, movies, and the occasional video game.
– Brian Garside