About Frank

I make software for a living and write about what I see. I'm on the web to figure out how we're supposed to build the world together.

PS my legal name is currently Frank Johnson but that’s a different story.*

Bio

I live in Brooklyn, NY, where I work as a Design Engineer at Zoo. I was born outside of Akron, Ohio. I studied city planning at The Ohio State University, where I co-founded a DIY club and was a Buckeye Leadership Fellow. I wrote notes on my career trajectory from city planning to software here. I spend my days working from the neighborhood coffee shops, hanging with my partner Mags and my dog Waffle, and exploring the city when I can.

Site

The areas of interest you'll read about on this site will likely spread from these principles and beliefs I've been exploring:

1. Humanity is broadly good, though myopic and prone to cruelty
2. The goal of technology should be to better steward ourselves and this planet
3. Systems thinking is the next step in human evolution
4. It's harder to be full citizen than propose some tech to fix things, but being a full citizen is the only way forward

And topics that always seem to come back to me include, in no particular order:

• sociology
• waste design
• frontend software design
• urban design
• skateboarding

Tools

Ultimately I think I'm here on earth to make tools for others. I got into software to build tools for digital creativity. I started a DIY club to teach and give access to tools for physical creativity. I write about the often odd ways I see life because I think they are tools for how to imagine a different, better way of living together. And I believe that all the tools—digital, physical, and social—are available today for us to build a wonderful world if we choose to wield them.

If you are interested in any of these areas, or are simply looking to connect and share ideas with someone in Manhattan or in cyberspace, please feel free to reach out at frank@franknoirot.co, or find me as @franknoirot anywhere things are posted.