I’m Mark Frauenfelder, Editor-In-Chief Of MAKE Magazine, And This Is How I Work

For followers of the ever-expanding maker movement, Mark Frauenfelder is king. As editor-in-chief of MAKE magazine, a quarterly publication dedicated to DIY projects, Mark is a defining force in maker culture. Called a “central organ” of the movement, MAKE encourages individual and group experimentation through metal and woodworking, robotics, electronics, and more. Its pages are brought to life each year at Maker Faire, a mecca for engineers, scientists, artists, and every DIYer in between.

Mark is also the founder and co-editor of Boing Boing. Started as a cyberpunk zine in the late 1980s, Boing Boing has grown into a go-to blog for everything from tech and space exploration to politics and music. How does he do it all?

Name: Mark Frauenfelder

Occupation: Editor-in-chief of MAKE, co-editor of Boing Boing

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Current computer: 27-inch iMac, 11-inch MacBook Air

Current mobile devices: iPhone 4

One word that best describes how I work: Pinball

What’s your best time-saving trick?

I use AwayFind to stay on top of important emails and try to ignore the rest. I also make a daily to-do list and robotically go through them in order.

What’s your favourite to-do list manager?

I use Wunderlist to make all of my lists and then transfer my daily to-do to TOPS form 2170.

Besides your phone and computer, what gadget can’t you live without?

The ScanSnap s1500m. I use this sheet-feed, double-sided scanner to scan all my paper documents to Evernote. It’s a life changer.

What’s apps/software/tools can’t you live without?

Divvy, Blue Yeti microphone, Bean word processor, Palomino Blackwing 602 pencil, AwayFind, Aeropress coffee maker.

What’s your workspace setup like?

[I have] a spare bedroom office with an iMac atop a vintage steel desk.

What do you listen to while you work?

I like silence, unless I’m using my hands to draw, paint, solder or make things. Then I listen to mainly old school punk and 60’s garage rock.

What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else?

Cutting my own hair. I’ve done it since 1980 and I have saved countless hours and thousands of dollars. The downside is you end up with ridiculous-looking hair like mine.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Good, Inexpensive, Fast: Pick two.

Anything else you want to add?

I highly recommend the book Influence: the Psychology of Persuasion. It taught me to recognise when someone was trying to manipulate me, and how to prevent them from being successful.

We’ve asked a handful of heroes, experts and flat-out productive people to share their shortcuts, workspaces and routines. Every week we’ll feature a new guest and the gadgets, apps, tips and tricks that keep them going. Want to suggest someone we should feature or questions we should ask? Let us know.