Hasta La Ideas

Around the mid-point of last month, many were caught off guard to read on his site that Khoi Vinh, the popular designer and blogger, had decided to leave his job as the design director of the New York Times‘ site and various mobile outlets. Having taken the role four years ago and turned the paper’s online presence something other news outlets tried copying or desperately aspired to, Vinh announced that it was time for him to move on, later followed by an optimistic post about how excited he was to be starting something new. Now he’s recently spoken to the New York Observer, offering a little more about what that “new” might turn into, what he thinks about the Times‘ second foray into paywalls, and working for a big media company in general. He says mostly positive, but adds some minor negatives here and there. Here’s a bit about his future and why he needed to make it happen:

After some contract work for companies in the coming months, Mr. Vinh might launch a start-up of his own. He’s interested in social media. “I have some ideas of my own. I have a really specific great idea that I’m hoping I can make happen. We’ll see. It’s all new to me. I haven’t ever been in a position where I need to raise capital or put together a technology team,” he said.

“As much as I liked it there [at The Times], I really wanted to try something different,” he said. “Ultimately I decided that if I don’t get out and try to do something small, or start something new on my own, or join a startup that’s much scrappier, then I would never have the opportunity to do it.”

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