Ellinor Stenroos is a Calgary-based entrepreneur in the custom Jewelry business. She previously worked for a Jewelry company in Calgary before parting ways and starting her own company, EVS, two years ago with great success.

1. How do you technology in your day to day business as a jeweler?

I create custom high end jewellery and on a daily basis use a CAD design program to draw out designs for casting. In addition to the computer aided design work I do, I rely on my computer to do anything between photo editing to printing, regular admin work and book-keeping.

2. What are the devices you use the most and why?

I use my iMac mostly, on which I run bootcamp, as my design software only is PC compatible. In addition to my iMac I use a macbook pro, printer as well as connect my Canon 5D MKII to either of those computers.

3. Which devices do you hate and which do you adore?

Currently I am hoping for a printer/scanner upgrade in the near future, but aside from that I am very happy with all of the components I use in my work. I wish I didn’t have to use bootcamp for my design program, but it’s easier and less cluttered than having to operate two altogether different computers.

Pictured: Ellinor Stenroos
Photo courtesy of Ellinor Stenroos

I wouldn’t be able to create the photo-realistic drawings that I do draw up for my customers if I didn’t have my iMac and bootcamp. I edit all digital photos that I take for my website on my iMac and therefore need a powerful enough computer to run CS Adobe Photoshop while still keeping a other applications running.

5. Which web-based services or desktop programs do you use on a regular or daily basis? Why?

I use Lightroom, Photoshop, Mail, Dropbox, iCloud, Microsoft office and Numbers all the time.
For web-browsing I am a dedicated Safari fan.

6. Do you create regular backups? On-site or off-site? Which off-site service do you use, if any?

I regularly do backups through time-machine. I back them up to an external hard drive on-site. I do also use dropbox for some photo back-ups and storage as well as iCloud.

7. What are some of the frustrations you face with your technology in your business?

I’ve been very fortunate to not have to deal with a lot of complications nor issues when it comes to technology. When I upgrade computers I prefer to not install the bootcamp partition myself, simply because of I run out of patience with instructions… but that is hardly the computer’s fault!