Ian Culver on Atomic Spin

The Software Life

Trail Logic: Consulting Lessons from the Backcountry

Endurance sports have so much in common with consulting. Here are 5 lessons from the trail that show up just as often in our work at Atomic.

AI for Developers

I've started using Cursor—an AI-native code editor—to build a searchable knowledge base for my projects. It’s made a noticeable difference.

UX/Design Practices

Accessible color contrast and strong visual design aren’t at odds. Build a palette that’s on brand, beautiful, and fully WCAG-compliant.

The Software Life

A friend shared an episode of NPR’s Life Kit podcast about thriving in winter, and I've reflected on similar ways I cope with the cold.

Personal Optimization

Consulting inside your organization is a critical part of being a good consultant in general — something we take seriously at Atomic.

AI for Developers

What do when you have limited time with a client stakeholder or SME? How about building a subject matter expert with AI tools?

Personal Optimization

Here are a few tricks I’ve found that help me stay passionate and avoid burnout and fatigue when I'm working on a long software project.

Personal Optimization

I recently spent a week of working vacation in California. Here are a few tips I will focus on while working remotely in the future.

AI for Designers

I’m sharing my perspective as a practical recommendation on using AI as a design practitioner, specifically using AI for research.

Culture

When starting a new job, one must onboard to numerous levels, at varying velocities, and within different contexts.

Project & Team Management

Managing design work is typically less straightforward than development work and not always done as a traditional design backlog.

UX/Design Practices

In-person customer interviews require more resources and coordination, but there are several benefits to in-person vs. a video call.