Today we’d like to introduce you to Ame Stanko.
Ame, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
After graduating from UCSD in ’91 I worked as a volunteer on a reforestation project in Mozambique, Africa and then returned to San Diego because, well, San Diego! I love this city from the beaches to Balboa Park. As the internet developed I became fascinated with the ways in which it could bring people together regardless of geographical location.
I began working in what we then called new media in 1997 and graduated from the San Diego Continuing Education Center for Educational Technology in their first Multimedia Certificate program. I spent the next seven years looking after the web, multimedia and graphic design needs of a local software company. In 2005 I made Pixel Lava a full-time business and have hand-crafted hundreds of websites, graphic design jobs and multimedia projects since then.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have been very fortunate in finding great clients over the years, usually through word of mouth. The hardest part is also the most interesting parts – learning new technologies. I spend a lot of time taking classes, practicing new techniques and trying out emerging tech. I am currently learning app development and UI/UX (which is pretty much what I already do). I feel very lucky to have gotten into interactive media at a time when all it took to start a business was a laptop and the willingness to work crazy long hours!
Please tell us about Pixel Lava Interactive.
I work directly with clients developing websites, social media campaigns, interactive media content and marketing materials. I also really enjoy training and offer online and live workshops teaching small businesses and nonprofits how to make the most of the web. While I do a lot of coding, I specialize in helping people really.
I’ve spoken to people who are in tears after finding a critical form broken right before a big event, or after discovering that their web person has disappeared with no notice (or worse, died without sharing any passwords). I’ve learned that sometimes the most important thing is just to really listen. I’ve been called a website therapist because I enjoy working with people – and a website is a part of a person’s life after all.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Visits to the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco are definitely one of my favorite childhood memories. From the moon bridge to the colorful koi to the enchanted tea house it was the most magical place in the world to me. My passion for design – both digital and fine art – was sparked by the colors, textures, smells, architecture and feeling for 3D space that Japanese gardens exemplify. That influence carries over to my work today. I often approach a project as a suite of elements that should evoke a feeling in addition to delivering a story or concept.
Pricing:
- I offer online and live workshops starting at just $15.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1286 University Ave #848
San Diego CA 92103-3312 - Website: www.pixellava.com
- Phone: (619) 507-6176
- Email: ame@pixellava.com
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