I am very pleased to announce that I have accepted an offer from McSweeney’s to become their first Digital Media Director. The full-time position will begin later this year and I will be moving to San Francisco (work permit pending).

The opportunity to work with the great people at McSweeney’s and play a part in determining the future of a publishing company that has inspired me for many years is very, very exciting.

Of course, this means that I am no longer considering any new freelance projects or consulting work. Please direct any enquires of this nature to the awesome guys at Spoiled Milk.

It was back in 2004 that Casper and I started Spoiled Milk while both living in the UK. Of course in those days we were more concerned with making short films or producing flyers for our friends’ bands, but the seeds had been sown for the company that exists today. Now, nearly five years later, we are supplying a broad range of fantastic clients with our design, technology and strategic services from offices in both Copenhagen and Zürich. The journey has been a tremendous experience and I speak for everyone, new and old, when I say that we’re all very proud of what we have achieved together so far. I think the greatest aspect of this company has been the chance to meet and work with so many interesting, talented and friendly people.

So, my recent decision to move away from full-time duties has been a difficult one to make. The reasons are simply that I need to take a break. After devoting so much of my time and energies to Spoiled Milk over the years, it’s important to me that I take some time out now – an extended sabbatical if you like – to work on some other projects and explore other interests.

This doesn’t mean I am leaving completely. I will remain a member of the board of directors, as well as assuming the new role of Technical Consultant. Our Zürich-based technologist Christian Vollenweider will take over the Technical Director duties and continue steering the ship along with David, Casper, Frederik and the rest of the team.

There are many exciting times ahead for Spoiled Milk as we enter the next phase of our development. We are no longer the new upstarts on the scene, but now find ourselves as an established part of the web, design and creative markets. We will strive to continue building on this story, while still promoting our core values in usability, intuitiveness and feeling.

Speak soon!

Russell.

[Post originally published here on the Spoiled Milk blog]

With my final days in Denmark rushing by, I started to think about all of the high Scandinavian taxes I’ve paid. It seemed a shame not to experience the wonderful welfare state I’ve been contributing to for three years, so I decided to start cultivating abdominal pains over the last few weeks.

By last Monday morning I finally hit the jackpot: shooting cramps, nausea and a tender spot right by my appendix! After an emergency appointment with my doctor I was duly shipped off to Bispebjerg Hospital for 24 hours of blood tests, ultrasounds and CAT scans. After everything very serious and mildly serious was ruled out, the final verdict was an inconclusive guess that maybe a hernia operation I had three years ago had become aggravated. Oddly it turned out that said operation was exactly three years ago to the very day. I can’t help thinking that some guarantee ran out.

“Bispebjerg Hospital was designed by the architect Martin Nyrop and covers 48 acres. During the German occupation of Denmark 1940 to 1945 in World War II, the hospital treated those illegally resisting the occupying forces, harboured jews and helped transport about 2,000 of them to safety in neutral Sweden.”