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Developing a unique design system, establishing a brand identity, and assembling a productive team: How can startups create smart and compelling designs?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

Photo Source: personal archive of Ilya Sizov A well-crafted design sets a company apart from its competitors, fosters audience loyalty, and ultimately boosts profits. Major businesses have long recognized this, but it’s a different story for young projects in their rapid growth phase. Often, founders lack the funds, time, or clear understanding of why they should invest in a direction that may not immediately generate returns or even cover its own costs.  So why is design crucial during the early stages of product development?  AWhen will design choices start impacting financial outcomes? Ilya Sizov, Art Director of international projects, Head of Design at TheXPlace, and leading Marketing Design Specialist at Smartcat, addresses these questions and more in an exclusive interview with LAWeekly. – Ilya, as a designer with over 15 years of experience, an international competition winner, and the creative force behind numerous successful projects, what draws you to startups? In t...

10 Ways to Design Your Workspace to Maximize Productivity

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

Are you struggling to stay productive in your workspace? If you want to increase your productivity, the answer may be as simple as reorganizing your workspace. By making a few small changes to the layout and design of your workspace, you can create an environment that encourages creative work. Whether you are working from home or in an office, read on for 10 ways you can design your workspace to maximize your productivity.1. Find a Dedicated WorkspaceHaving a space dedicated to work is essential for staying productive and focused. Specifically for work-from-home situations, choose an area that’s specifically designed for you to get your job done to help keep distractions at bay and stay on task.“When you create a workspace for yourself, design it in a way that allows you to stay organized and be efficient,” explains George Fraguio, Vice President of Bridge Lending at Vaster Capital. “Whatever makes sense to you, go with that. Each person will have different needs w...

GOP-controlled Arizona House ousts Republican lawmaker

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

By Kyung Lah and Anna-Maja Rappard | CNNState Rep. Liz Harris was expelled Wednesday from the Arizona House of Representatives for ethics violations resulting from inviting a conspiracy theorist to publicly testify before lawmakers earlier this year.The resolution to expel the first-term Republican, elected in November, stated that she had brought “disrepute and embarrassment to the House of Representatives,” resulting in “disorderly behavior.” Forty-six Arizona representatives in the GOP-controlled House voted to remove her from her elected position, meeting a two-thirds threshold to expel lawmakers. Thirteen members opposed her expulsion.CNN reached out to Harris at her legislative office and personal number. She has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.Arizona Rep. Lupe Diaz, a fellow Republican, voted to expel Harris, saying on the House floor, “We need to have integrity in the institution, and I do not take this vote lightly. I do vote ...

El Cerrito’s Arhoolie Records sets star-studded awards show and concert

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

The Arhoolie Foundation in El Cerrito is one of the country’s best known roots music record labels, revered for collecting, preserving and publishing a vast trove of tunes representing Cajun, Zydeco, blues, folk, Tex-Mex, Latin and other genres.So you can bet that when the Foundation formed and still operated by passionate musicologist Chris Strachwitz throws an awards show and concert, some first-rate music will be in store.That’s the case on Friday at the Foundation hosts it fifth annual Arhoolie Awards and Benefit Concert at the Chapel music hall in San Francisco. The event will present Foundation Awards to Santiago Jiménez Jr., a folk/Tex-Mex/conjunto music accordionist; Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton, blues singer and multi-instrumentalist; and traditional New Orleans jazz street band Tuba Skinny. The awards honor musicians’ efforts to preserve American roots music and carry a $10,000 prize.Jimenez and Paxton will perform as part of the event, as will famed folk/ro...

San Jose: Jim Stump’s Taproom & Kitchen takes off at SJC airport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

There’s good reason to arrive early for your next flight out of San Jose Mineta International Airport (besides sailing through security):The chef-owner of some of the South Bay’s most popular restaurants has opened his newest venture in Terminal B.Called Jim Stump’s Taproom + Kitchen, the eatery will serve passengers from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily with a menu that pulls breakfast, appetizer and entree favorites from Stump’s other menus, past and present, in Campbell, Los Gatos and San Jose.There’s Jim’s Family Bolognese with penne pasta. The Only Burger That Belongs on The Table, from his Willow Glen menu, along with the Chilaquiles Rojas. The Shepherd & Sims Salad from the Los Gatos restaurant of that name. And the Fried Shrimp from his old menu at the Los Gatos Brewing Company, served this time with a salad of shaved celery and blue cheese, plus buffalo sauce.Among the appealing additions are Steak Frites, a bavette cut drizzled with salsa verd...

Trump sues Cohen, his former attorney and ‘fixer,’ for $500M

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

By Lauren del Valle and Devan Cole | CNNFormer President Donald Trump is suing Michael Cohen for $500 million in damages for allegedly breaching his contract as Trump’s former personal attorney.The lawsuit, filed in a Florida federal court on Wednesday, accuses Cohen of spreading false information about Trump and breaching his contractual obligations to the former president in Cohen’s public statements, published books, podcast series and other media appearances.Cohen, Trump’s onetime “fixer,” has recently reentered the national spotlight after Trump pleaded not guilty last week to 34 charges of falsifying business records following an investigation into hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The payments were coordinated by Cohen in the days before the 2016 election, and Cohen’s cooperation with prosecutors has drawn the ire of the former president.“Mr. Trump is once again using and abusing the judicial system as a form...

Man fatally shot Sunday in Oakland is identified

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

OAKLAND — A 50-year-old man fatally shot Sunday in West Oakland was identified by police Wednesday as Lannie Ross.Police have not yet confirmed a motive for the killing or announced any arrests.Ross, who had addresses in both Oakland and Berkeley, was shot about 7:15 p.m. Sunday while outside in the 3200 block of Filbert Street near San Pablo Avenue. He died at the scene.Investigators said Ross was shot by another man with whom he had gotten into a dispute. The nature of the dispute was about has not been confirmed.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Antioch mayor, residents overcome with emotion at council meeting following release of racist texts sent by police Crime and Public Safety | Exclusive: Inside the Antioch police department’s secret racist texting group Crime and Public Safety | A Fremont man allegedly confessed to murder, but defense says he was framed by his boss Crime and Public Safety | Woma...

Antioch moves ahead with bringing police chief under council control

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

Antioch has taken the first step to bring the hiring and firing of its police chief under the City Council’s control and away from the city manager.The move came a week after a scandal broke out in the department when the FBI, which had been investigating officers for other matters, found racist and homophobic text messages involving 23 Antioch officers. The messages dated back to 2019 and ended in January 2022 when their cellphones were seized – several months before Steven Ford was hired as interim police chief. He was given the permanent role in November.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Exclusive: Inside the Antioch police department’s secret racist texting group The Antioch council currently oversees only the city attorney and city manager, and would first need to change the city municipal code before taking over the supervision of the chief, City Attorney Thomas Lloyd Smith said.“City Councils are granted wide latitude in determining how a city wi...

Antioch mayor, residents overcome with emotion at council meeting following release of racist texts sent by police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

ANTIOCH — Emotions boiled over in a tense city council meeting Tuesday following the release of racist text messages allegedly sent by Antioch police, with the mayor at one point getting into a heated exchange with a resident who called for an investigation of him instead.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Exclusive: Inside the Antioch police department’s secret racist texting group Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe has called for an audit of police internal affairs and the firing of anyone involved in the sending of racist or homophobic texts, many of which were released in court on Tuesday. The texts, directed mainly at Black and Latinos, included names of 23 officers who now have been placed on administrative leave.Thorpe himself was the subject of one text exchange in which an officer offered to “buy a prime rib dinner” to anyone who shot the mayor during a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020 with a projectile used on protesters.While most speakers con...

Santa Cruz homicide victim ID'd after two decades of mystery

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

(KRON) -- A homicide victim was found in the Santa Cruz mountains along Bear Creek Road on Dec. 27, 1998. The body had been wrapped in a tarp and dumped at the bottom of a hill.A coroner's autopsy concluded that the victim died from blunt force trauma. A investigation by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office resulted in the arrest and conviction of three people for the unidentified victim's murder. Even after the triple conviction, the victim's identity still remained a mystery, until this week. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office said "John Doe" has finally been identified thanks to advances in genealogy technology.The Sheriff’s Office Forensics Services team utilized forensic genetic genealogy in partnership with the California Department of Justice Jan Bashinski DNA Lab, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, and the FBI's Latent Print Unit.On Wednesday, investigators said the victim was 22-year-old Eric P. Cupo."Eric Cupo’s adopted family and biological relati...