Troy Lachance is one of interactive's biggest fans. He discovered the Web's potential for delivering rich, multi-faceted stories while working on a history degree. It was the starting point of a career that took him first to the Smithsonian and finally to RTP Interactive.

01.17.07

Exploring A Boulevard (Without Leaving Your Chair)

What's currently your favorite site? I visit quite a few on a daily basis. ESPN.com, WashingtonPost.com and TheFWA.com, to name a few. But, among my favorite sites of the past year would have to be Curating the City: Wilshire Blvd, the architectural and historical exploration of LA's famous Wilshire Blvd.

What's so great about it? Where do I start? The interactive tour of Wilshire Blvd is so intuitive that I found myself spending way too much time exploring the many different buildings and areas.  It also made me more than a little sad for all the historic buildings that had been demolished, like the Ambassador hotel—where Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated.    

What would you say is it's best technical feat? The tour map filter is a great feature; every single transition is seamless and adds to the visitor experience.     

What would you change? I wonder if the Memory Book couldn't be integrated a little more seemlessly to the interactive tour.     

What's your job? I'm an interactive designer for RTP Interactive.

If you have a degree in what field is it? BA and MA in History.

How did you get involved in this industry? The Center for History and New Media, a program within George Mason University's History Graduate program, helped expose me to the Web's potential for delivering rich, multi-faceted stories. After graduation, I landed a job at the Smithsonian working part time as a photo clerk/Web designer. Ultimately, I liked design better than being a photo clerk and, gratefully, the folks at the National Portrait Gallery liked my work enough to let me do that full time.  

What's your biggest Web design turn-off? Super textured backgrounds that distract from the site's storyline or core assets.

Who, in this industry has been your biggest inspiration? I'm probably one of the industry's biggest fans. I love discovering great new work and following some of the industry's best design firms. Big Spaceship is definitely one of my favorites. But, in the beginning, it was work from firms like Second Story and Terra Incognita that inspired me to get into this field.      

What do you do in your spare time? What's that? Actually, living in Colorado has its advantages. Depending on the time of year, I ski, hike, bike, read and play soccer.

What music are you listening to right now? Ki:Theory, Army of Me, Unkle, Postal Service, Keane, Death Cab for Cutie, U2.  

What product/gadget can you not live without? My MacBook Pro. It's kind of sad, but I'd be lost without it.  

What's your dream computer set-up? A laptop as sleek as my MacBook Pro but as fast as my G5, and a huge LCD screen to plug it into.