Dan Cederholm is a web designer, author, and speaker. He co-founded Dribbble, a community for designers, and blogs at SimpleBits. In this interview, he shares the tools he uses on the daily, his thoughts on each of his essentials, and some sage advice about how you should use tools everyday.
What’s in your everyday carry?
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View Dan Cederholm’s Full Everyday Carry
- iPhone 6 with black leather case. Also my primary camera.
- DDC pill case from draplin.com. Sadly, the logo wore off. Essential meds, never leave home without them.
- Dribbble-branded black wood pencil. Of course.
- Corter Leather bottle opener/key hook. Subaru Outback keyless key. This brass thingy keeps your keys from dragging your jeans down. Plus it opens bottles. And it’s made in New England.
- Finn Wallet from Waterfield Designs in San Francisco. Waxed canvas and leather. Love everything they make, and the wallet can hold a bunch of cards and cash and still stay very thin. It also fits my iPhone 6, which is handy when going through security at the airport.
- Chromatic banjo tuner. Clips to the headstock. Critical for open jams. Stay in tune, stay golden.
- Shinola Runwell Chrono 47mm. This is relatively new. I’m not sold on the Apple Watch yet, so in the meantime, this hefty thing keeps me on time. The Horween leather is thick and the face looks like something out of a WWII fighter plane cockpit. Handmade in Detroit.
- Bose noise-cancelling headphones. Absolute necessity when flying. I find wearing them decreases my anxiety and makes for a better trip.
- Gear Head pocket phone charger. Always be charging. Crucial for backseat battery emergencies on long car trips with my kids.
Could you introduce yourself and walk us through what you do?
I’m Dan Cederholm. I co-founded Dribbble, a community for designers, and founded SimpleBits, my blog-turned-business-turned-blog. I spend my day designing, HRing, emailing, partnering, etc., for Dribbble. I also write books on web design and occasionally speak at conferences. I play clawhammer banjo, snowboard, kayak, and try and make my kids laugh.
As a web designer and author, you must be constantly thinking of creating usable, beautiful things. where do you look for inspiration to start that process?
I’m inspired by so much. Music, nature, packaging design, films, typography, my kids, other designers, the Dribbble community, traveling, and cautious adventuring.
Besides your work, what else are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about music. And right now, especially clawhammer banjo (hence the chromatic tuner). I also like to travel (pocket charger, noise-canceling headphones). Photography is another passion of mine.
Why do you EDC?
I love the idea of sharing the items we use daily. I’m a big fan of efficiency and quality these days. And I like small companies that make great products. It’s fun to discover brands from the lists of items under each everyday carry posted here.
Out of all your essentials, which piece is your favorite in terms of design?
Out of all the items, my favorite is the Finn wallet. It’s such a simple, brilliant design. And has kept my back pocket from being overstuffed for years.
Do you have any recent accomplishments or interesting projects in the works that you’d like to tell us about?
I’m busy making Dribbble better, growing our team and growing the community. We’ve got lots of great stuff in store for designers and fans of design.
To wrap this up, what advice would you leave for our readers?
Don’t be afraid to use tools to make your life easier. And by tools, I mean physical things like a camera or a computer — but also non-physical tools. As I get older I realize more about what makes me happy and keeps me at even keel. So meditate, play music, take a walk, upgrade your airplane seat, get therapy, etc., and know that millions of others are doing the same.
See more of Dan’s work at his blog, SimpleBits, and can keep up with Dan on Twitter (@simplebits).
