Things You Should Know before Heading to Bali

UX, product, and interaction designer Polly Zebrowski is a freelance contractor who works to provide businesses and individuals with innovative projects. Outside of work, Polly Zebrowski enjoys traveling and is interested in going to Bali for her next adventure.

Before venturing to Bali, there are some things you should know. The Balinese consider themselves blessed individuals, and they involve themselves with leaving prayer offerings throughout Bali as part of their morning ritual. You may stumble across these offerings in your travels, and as they are an important part of Balinese religion, culture, and life, it is critical to avoid stepping on them. You may find them in a woven basket, cradling flowers, or on a banana leaf with small portions of rice.

The Balinese are also known for their cuisine, such as krupuk, deep-fried rice sugar. This inexpensive snack is sold on many of the streets and is a great way to hold you over until dinner. As you are out and about in Bali, remember that Wi-Fi may be available, but it’s not always free. If you are in dire need, there are plenty of Internet cafés around.

Tips for Training a Formerly Abused Dog

 


Polly Zebrowski is a UX designer located in San Francisco, California. Aside from design, Polly Zebrowski is passionate about animals and has experience training abused dogs.

While training dogs can be a challenge under the best circumstances, training a previously abused dog presents its own difficulties. Following these tips can help get good results when training a formerly abused dog.

1. Learn and avoid triggers: After facing abuse, dogs can become either excessively scared or aggressive, and specific actions can trigger these reactions in your dog. Examples include sudden gestures, raising your hand in a threatening manner, or raising your voice.

2. Be patient: Training may take longer than it would with a dog that hasn’t suffered abuse. Keep this in mind if your dog exhibits behavioral issues. Getting angry and raising your voice may serve to cause further distress and destroy trust between you and your dog.

3. Know when to call professionals: If your dog is not showing signs of improvement or acts out violently as a result of a former owner’s abuse, it might be time to call a professional. While you can learn many tricks and tips online, professional dog trainers experienced in dealing with abused animals have a much greater chance of getting through to your pet.

IxDA’s Annual Interaction Gathering Fosters Professional Development

A UX designer in San Francisco, California, Polly Zebrowski is a senior visual interaction designer for Wells Fargo. In this capacity, she works on authentication experiences for the bank’s customers. Active in her professional community, Polly Zebrowski belongs to such organizations as the Interaction Design Association (IxDA).

Since 2003, IxDA has provided thousands of members with fee-free involvement in the interactive design community. The association hosts several events throughout the year, but its main annual event is Interaction.

Daring professionals to figure out how human interactions are affected by their environment, the IxDA’s flagship event brings together 1,000 student, leaders, and professionals in the interaction design industry. Attendees have numerous opportunities to learn about changes and developments taking place within the industry at workshops and talks.

The IxDA has scheduled Interaction17 to take place February 4-8 in New York City. Building upon the unique combination of people and experiences in the city, the 2017 event will be hosted in the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan, near IxDA’s education partner the School of Visual Arts. The event is open to professionals from around the world.

Exercises for Improving Your Painting Ability

Based in San Francisco, Polly Zebrowski serves as a senior visual interaction designer at Wells Fargo. Polly Zebrowski enjoys a variety of creative activities outside of her professional design work, including painting.

As with many things, practice is the key to becoming a better painter. During your painting sessions, try the following exercises to further improve your abilities.

Start by painting one piece a week, but only use one color. Doing this helps you become more familiar with varying tones and shades as you paint. It also makes it easier to take the time to paint if you only focus on one piece a week. If you are already familiar with color shades, then try eliminating black and white from your available colors. Instead, use primary colors to create more vibrant shadows and highlights. Always complete the painting you start.

As you practice with your colors, you can work on improving your ability to paint various scenes. Try making a master copy, a painting copied from one of the Old Master artists of the past. With a painting to reference, you can recognize specific areas that need improvement. The more master copies you produce, the more you will improve your weaker areas.

Finally, take the time to do things other than paint. Although practice is important, you can easily get burned out if you spend multiple hours a day painting.