Ta ta!

Since leaving university in 1999 I have worked for several companies of various sizes, run two web design companies, built a web site that has been read by millions of people, written several well received professional articles and (painfully laboured over) a book, designed a commercial web application (and then sold it, the capitalist bastard that I am) and put on a popular annual web design conference that, I believe, was the first of its kind in Europe.

From a PSD to HTML monkey, I became increasingly interested in design and particularly passionate about information architecture, the creation of written content, and the challenge of finding methods to tame liquid design. Having said that, participating in the arguments about the merits of web standards around 2003/2004 stands out as being particularly good fun.

It hasn't all been sunshine and frolics, but the good has far outweighed the bad. The friendliness and helpfulness of the web community is almost literally unbelievable and although a pinch of ego and greed has inevitably arisen from abundant selfless enthusiasm, it is the people I will miss the most. I have met and worked with some brilliant individuals, both online and in the flesh, from all over the world.

It has been a blast, but it's time to move on. There are several reasons for doing so, but it mainly boils down to the fact that I have greater passions elsewhere. With some financial security I'm lucky enough to be able to pursue them.

@media 2009 will be my last hoorah and I hope to have gone out with a bang with a particularly good event.

Due to grass invariably being a shade or two greener on the other side, I will, no doubt, miss all of this Web gubbins, but I'm ready for and excited by the challenges ahead.

Patrick Griffiths, 26th June 2009