When I meet with clients, I am sometimes asked a very valid question:
Why is your company called “Red Argyle”?
The name was not a product of a random stream-of-consciousness-word-association game, nor is it rooted in any Scottish background (I’m half-Greek, half-Euro-mix, for what it’s worth). And, while red is my favourite color, my propensity toward the low end of the color specturm was not a good enough reason to select it as part of the name (though it helps me look good in RA schwag).
As you come to know me, you’ll learn that I rarely do anything without first committing some deep thought and having valid reasons for my decision. The name “Red Argyle” is no different.
Red is the colour of passion.
Running my own company has always been a dream of mine, which I have been fortunate enough to see come true. My perspective on owning a business may be somewhat old-fashioned: I believe that a business is a mechanism for sharing your passion with others by demonstrating the value of the craft you perform. Whether you make pies, furniture or web applications, if your business is not rooted in your passion for the craft then you lack purpose and meaning in the work you do every day.
I love the work I do at Red Argyle, and I hope that passion is clear in every project.
Argyle is a pattern of patterns.
Almost every project is an information puzzle. Whether it’s a website redesign, an integration between two accounting systems, or custom product configuration app, the fundamental challenge in all cases is understanding the information we’re dealing with. To me, understanding information is the process of identifying patterns that exist or need to be defined, often resulting in layers of patterns.
Next time you look at an argyle sweater, see how many layers of patterns you can find. Between the small and large diamonds, intersecting lines, and multiple colors, I think you’ll see a lot more than at first glance.
