WHO IS MIKE ROSS?

MIKE ROSS is the owner of Digital Designs. Mike is known as a Macintosh guru as well as a FilemakerPro database developer. He is respected for his integrity and dedication to his customers.

Education: Mike has two degrees from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. A Bachelor of Fine Arts degree was earned in 1978. Mike earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science in 1988. His computer science degree included Macintosh programming (Pascal and C) plus some very interesting explorations in Fractal mathematics. The focus on the Macintosh in the early eighties was an insight that one day, most computer operating systems would adopt the graphic user interface. The Mac melded both the visual and technical.

Work (Pre-digital): Treeware provider (also known as a bookseller).

Work (Pre-Digital Designs): Worked as sales consultant with Stolz Computers, the now-defunct infamous Apple reseller for 4 years. Mike worked with the education market (both K-12 and college) while at Stolz. Commissions and profit margins back then allowed a consultant to spend significant time with a client. Mike developed a large following with his conscientious customer care. Mike also did the layout for the Stolz newsletter, offered training seminars, and developed the store's invoicing database. Mike left when dwindling profit margins (computers were becoming a commodity) meant less time with customers. He recognized that it was his skills, and not the hardware, that his clients needed.

Work (Digital Designs): Digital Designs started as a Macintosh consultation business. Consultation involves needs analysis and assessments, debugging, and finding the best hardware prices. Troubleshooting graphic design shops is a specialty. Mike also does some design work, not only because he likes it, but doing the work lets him encounter the same situations full-time designers run into. Mike's database work incorporates his graphic design skills in such a way to make his databases visually appealing as well as easy to navigate. Mike has developed a special relationship with fire departments with a collection of databases designed specifically for management of their stations: FIREBASE and VOUCHERS. Many of those fire departments use Mike's talents to produce (or proof) their newsletters, informational materials, slide presentations, and bond campaigns.

Home: Mike Ross has has been happily married to Fawn since 1985. There are two boys - Steven and Isaac - presently in grade school.

Play: Mike runs a business. Any free time is usually spent with his family.

Digital Designs is Mike Ross. E-mail me at mike@rossdigital.com