Originally posted at https://www.robertjelenic.com/notes-without-databases

Note-taking is really critical to how I work. It’s been important to me for a while to find a note-taking setup that I’m happy with. I’ve finally arrived there and would like to share it.

Here are a few principles I leaned on while searching for my ideal setup. I borrowed it from my previous post Image management without databases.

1. Portability — The entire setup below avoids platform lock-in as much as possible
2. Flexibility — I want my photos notes to work for me, not the other way around. I want the freedom to organize my photos notes as I see fit today and change that easily in the future if need…

Originally posted at https://www.robertjelenic.com/image-management-without-databases

This blog post shares the experience of organizing my photos. It’s one of those things I was dreading but I’m very happy with the result. There were a few things I wanted to get right in my setup.

1. Portability — The entire setup below avoids platform lock-in as much as possible
2. Flexibility — I want my photos to work for me, not the other way around. I want the freedom to organize my photos as I see fit today and change that easily in the future if need be
3. Automation — As much of the setup should be automated or semi-automated as possible. The point of the exercise is to enjoy your photos, not to create a new…

Originally posted at https://www.robertjelenic.com/untangling-information-architecture-and-sitemaps

Don’t start a new website project without a defined purpose. Before any design file is created and before any line of code is written.

In this post, I’ll assume you’ve moved past this first, critical step. Soon thereafter you’ll move on to the Information Architecture of the site. Information Architecture defines the site structure and content hierarchy. Don’t confuse this with URL Structure. Will Critchlow from Distilled describes these concepts in this his Moz Whiteboard Friday video The Difference Between URL Structure and Information Architecture.

Originally posted at: https://www.robertjelenic.com/password-managers-for-marketing-teams

If you use any digital devices, you really should be using a password manager. If you’re not, stop reading this post, go get yourself set up, and then come back.

In this post I’ll focus on lessons I’ve learned while working with a password managers in a work setting, specifically in marketing. The point of the exercise is to create a team-wide setup that secures your company’s online accounts to the highest degree possible while still enabling collaboration within the Marketing team.

I’m an avid 1Password user so you’ll likely feel that throughout this post. There may be other password managers that have an equally good mix of UX, features and security model. …

Originally posted at: https://www.robertjelenic.com/international-relocation-during-a-pandemic

Dear International Relocation, please meet Worst Time Ever. Worst Time Ever, please meet International Relocation. Let’s get to work.

In late January 2020, we decided that the best move for us was to relocate from London to Berlin. The reasons are many and won’t be the focus of this article. Instead, I’d like to give you a bit of insight into how we pulled off an international relocation in a time when just leaving your home is non-trivial.

Timing

My family moved to Germany in early March. According to “the plan” I was to stay in London, keep working, go on a few business trips and pack up our flat at a reasonable pace. …

Originally posted at: https://www.robertjelenic.com/why-notion-changes-website-builds

Notion is a Silicon Valley-based technology startup that’s built an amazing tool. In their own words:

…we are blending much of your workflow into an all-in-one workspace. Want a task list? A product roadmap? A design repository? They are now all in one place. You can even customize your own workspace from dozens of LEGO-style building blocks.

I remember seeing them market themselves as “the missing half of Slack”, which is brilliant. Slack and other similar apps are a fluid stream of conversation in which knowledge gets lost as the feed pushes it up into oblivion. …

Originally posted at: https://www.robertjelenic.com/about-my-images

I debated back and forth about what kind of images I would use for this site.

Stock images

I decided against stock photos for the following reasons:

• It’s near impossible to consistently find the stock photos that “really captures the essence of this article”. They just often don’t…so I often ask myself: why bother trying?
• The cheesy-ness of many stock photos makes me nauseous
• It’s actually more difficult than you think to consistently use stock photos and avoid creating a visual experience worthy of “amateur hour”. …