WAGE ISLANDS: EKENE IJEOMA

Working Not Working September 15, 2015

WAGE ISLANDS: EKENE IJEOMA

WNW Member #6318 Ekene Ijeoma is a creative technologist, currently a designer-in-residence at Orbital. Ekene has a new interactive installation called Wage Islands, which is currently being exhibited as part of the series Measure at Storefront for Art and Architecture in SoHo NYC through September 19th. The installation was recently featured on Vice's The Creators Project.

Wage Islands expands New York City’s “tale of two cities” by revealing the geographies of access throughout the city based on housing costs and wages. The project is a three-dimensional map of the city where elevations are based on median monthly housing costs from $271 to $4001.

The map is submerged in water, depicting the peaks of New York as islands of access for minimum wage. When an 'included' button is pressed, the wages slowly increase, showing the area of the islands growing towards the base. When the button is released, the wages slowly decrease, showing the area of the islands shrinking towards the peaks. There’s also an LCD display which illuminates the wages and specific areas.

Ekene hopes this project can expand the relationships between housing and accessibility and wage and affordability in New York City.

Creating projects that call for social change is not new territory for Ekene, who previously co-created The Refugee Project, which tackled refugee migration around the world. That project was published in MoMa’s Design and Violence and nominated for Design Museum’s Designs of the Year 2015.

If you're in the NYC area, we strongly recommend checking out Wage Islands, which reopened today at Storefront for Art and Architecture, and will close this Saturday, September 19th.

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DESIGNING INSPIRATION: NICOLE LICHT

Working Not Working September 11, 2015

DESIGNING INSPIRATION:
NICOLE LICHT

Need some motivation? You're in luck. WNW Member #7446 Nicole Licht designed five days of inspirational quotes by five different women for AIGA's Quoted Series, and the results will undoubtedly get you moving.

As the collection shows, Nicole visually honors both her own artistic voice as well as the voices of each of these women. Nicole spoke to Free Range to discuss her creative process for this project: "I aimed to make each a tribute, but as these women make amazing things themselves, I chose to interpret the spirit of the quote rather than referencing the quoted woman too directly."

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How did you get involved with the AIGA Quoted Series?

My former coworker and friend, Melissa Deckert (who is also a WNW member), created some truly beautiful designs for this series and then super kindly recommended me to the Eye on Design Blog editor.

Did you follow it before?

Yes, it is always fun to see more personal work and I love the site’s design (by WNW Member Leta Sobierajski.)

How did you select these women to honor? How did their words inspire you?

When selected to participate, you are actually offered quotes to choose from. While looking over the list provided, I realized that I was equally interested in honoring the people whose quote I’d be illustrating. I wanted these to be personal.

Kate Bingaman-Burt (WNW Member!) is a powerhouse and one of the most authentic and warm designer/illustrators that I’ve ever met.

Thank everything for Miranda July’s weirdness (also the crowdsourced art project Learning to Love You More is still one of my favorite things ever).

I attended a Debbie Millman talk in an intimate setting (maybe 20 people in the room). She talked about her beginnings, failures, and shared her personal work. She made me cry. I had to run to a bathroom stall as soon as it ended. It was embarrassing.

I chose Kim Gordon because Kim Gordon, and the quote I found seemed like the perfect mantra to quell my own freelance fears.

Iris Apfel gives women something to look forward to. Her quote is a tricky one. I felt like I was choosing a side (in design) with it but really, to be honest, I do tend to like a 'lil something extra.

How did you go about designing each of these quotes? Did you have your subject’s personality and style in mind?

I aimed to make each a tribute, but as these women make amazing things themselves, I chose to interpret the spirit of the quote rather than referencing the quoted woman too directly. Well, except for Iris Apfel’s. For hers, I knew that I wanted to make something necklace-like. After all was done and live, I happened upon an image of Iris super decked out in turquoise jewelry and was elated that there was a little lucky match there.

Of the quotes, which is your favorite and least favorite message?

My favorite quote is “Commit to the Crazy”. It speaks to my fine art background and to seeing an (any) idea through. My least favorite is “Avoid compulsively making things worse” because that shizz is hard.

What moment in your design career so far has made you proudest?

I worked at Etsy starting in 2010 and was a founding member of the in-house design studio in 2011, and worked on the brand design team until this past June. When Etsy won the National Design Award for Corporate & Institutional Achievement in 2014, it was amazing to share in the collective pride beaming from everyone there at the time. It was super crazy and humbling to see a video featuring my work play at the awards ceremony. Whoa.

What are you working on next?

I’m wrapping up a commissioned paper-crafted stop motion for a design and animation studio now, and I’m about to start on a dioramic illustration for an exciting new ladiez newsletter (I can’t name names just yet). I’m really happy working on new challenges through commissioned and project-based pieces (hashing out directions with clients and then pouring a whole lot of focused energy into the project) and would love to get more of this kind of work.

Besides Kate Bingaman-Burt, who are some other creative women on WNW whom you admire?

Keetra Dean Dixon:Her conceptual art and design work is stunning and inspiring.

Jing Wei: Another former coworker. Jing’s is an amazing mix of grace and extreme talent. She is as lovely as her work is.

Let’s just throw in one guy here, Branden Collins (The Young Never Sleep) – I love the vibrance, full costumes and set designs, the mix of art and design.

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HOW TO FEED YOUR CREATIVITY A BALANCED MEAL: BRANDEN COLLINS

Working Not Working September 10, 2015

HOW TO FEED YOUR CREATIVITY A BALANCED MEAL: BRANDEN COLLINS

After a stint at Savannah College of Art & Design as a 3D animation major, WNW Member #6527 Branden Collins realized a need to alter his trajectory. Branden now sees this moment as a turning point, and we couldn't agree more. He has since led an incredibly successful career as a designer, in the broadest sense of the word.

Branden runs an interdisciplinary collaborative studio named The Young Never Sleep, but it could just as easily be titled "Branden Never Sleeps," since he has already conquered so many different roles. "I think the way our society is structured, in this overly-competitive way, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that there’s room for everyone to be successful if they work hard at crafting their own individual voice."

We spoke to Branden, who recently moved to San Francisco, about his different creative outlets, how he grew from his experiences at Adult Swim, and what he has his eyes set on next.

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Who is Branden Collins and how did he get here?

I’m an artist and designer from Cleveland, Ohio. I recently relocated to San Francisco after living in Atlanta, GA for about 6 or 7 years. I was born and raised in Cleveland and spent a lot of time moving throughout the South in my teenage years. Post high school, I attended the Savannah College of Art & Design for about 2 years as a 3D animation major before dropping out. My experience at SCAD really changed the trajectory of my life and what I saw myself becoming in the years to come. The most valuable things I took from my college adventure were the people I met and a better understanding of the work that I actually enjoyed creating. It was not 3D animation. After leaving SCAD, I started collaborating with several college friends, establishing an art and music collective called The Big Up. Even though the collective was short-lived, it provided a lot of insight and inspiration for my interdisciplinary collaborative studio, The Young Never Sleep.

Adult Swim offers such unadulterated and unbridled creativity. Its output is sometimes completely off-the-wall insane, but never tame. What do you take away from your time there? How did your experiences there inform your creativity, and the eclectic paths you explore now?

What’s interesting about working at Adult Swim is, although many of the things they produce on the surface seem unpredictable, there is quite a bit of thought and planning that goes into everything they create. I learned so much working at Cartoon Network/ Adult Swim. The wide diversity of projects I was involved in constantly, from event design to print, illustration and product design had a big influence on how I navigate my personal creative work. The 2013 Adult Swim Singles covers I created gave me a taste of how rewarding it could be to really art direct a series and see it come to life across multiple platforms. The process of concepting, constructing sets and costumes, directing a shoot, adding motion then seeing it all come to life in print and web was an “aha” moment for me. It was like, “yea, this is the kind of stuff I want to be doing”.

It’s difficult to pin a single creative role to you, as you’ve branched out into diverse fields like costume design and created short films. Do you feel most at home in one realm in particular? And when inspiration strikes, how do you decide which creative hat to put on?

I can’t really say I feel more comfortable in one role in particular. I seriously enjoy them all. I will say, there’s something special about getting physical with a project, hand-illustration, set design, costume design, and crafting it all into a final series of images. It’s fun to see things come to life across disciplines. Which creative hat to put on depends a lot on the type of project and the team I’m working with. I’m always collaborating, and in this way it allows for others to add strengths to the process in places that I’m lacking. For example, I work a lot with artist/stylist Madeline Moore, and when we work together I take on more of a concept-driving role where she acts more as a quality-controller. She has a real talent and aptitude for dialing in the fine details and making sure the things we produce, especially any tangible work, is the best that it can be.

What’s one creative role you haven’t yet explored that you’d love to dive into in the future?

Growing up, I sang in several choirs, played trumpet and still fiddle around on the piano from time to time. I’m always talking about making music of some sort, an EP or album, and it’s something I want to make happen at some point. I’m also excited at the prospect of getting into interior design. A long-term dream has been to do visual direction of some sort on a short or feature-length film.

You formed the studio The Young Never Sleep. What do you see as the pros of solo work vs. the pros of collaborative work?

The pros of working solo or collaboratively, to me, can also be the cons. It’s great, to a degree, to be in complete control of a project but it’s also very important to have outside input. More so than having outside input, I think it’s important to understand and gauge whose input is valuable and whose isn’t. Listening to the right people makes a big difference. In the same way, doing collaborative work has the benefit of a diverse base of perspectives and input. However, it’s really easy to slip into a “too many cooks” scenario, so balance is so essential to that process.

Do your parents understand what you do for a living?

I was raised for the most part by my mom and she’s always been super supportive of my work. I don’t think she really UNDERSTANDS a lot of it initially, but she understands me and whenever we get into a conversation about what I do or the ideas behind what I create, it makes a lot of sense to her. I think she and other members of my family recognize that I find a lot of self-value, identity and even companionship from the things that I make, so even if they don’t fully understand the what’s or why’s, they’re happy to see me making.

What moment or project in your career so far has made you the proudest?

The project so far that’s made me the proudest is the apparel and accessory series I produced for Cartoon Network. It was a self-initiated project and my very last while working full-time at the network before leaving this past spring. I sought out to connect Cartoon Network with Print All Over Me, whom I’ve worked with on several previous occasions, in a way that would bring some new life and a fresh perspective to the network’s consumer products. I designed the apparel and accessories, then had them produced through Print All Over Me. I developed the concept and directed the shoot, styled the models and constructed a set to compliment the clothing. It was a pretty involved endeavor and took a lot of work to pull off, but in the end it was totally worth it. My experience at Cartoon Network was incredibly rewarding, so to leave with this as a final project was sort of a way of saying “thank you” to everyone on the creative team there.

What do you do when Not Working?

I’m usually working haha. If I’m not working when I’m not working, I’m usually reading some article about quantum physics or biotechnology or social injustice. Either that or watching really bad movies like Tremors or some other B horror movies from the 80’s - 90’s. I also like to dance. A lot.

Who are some other WNW members you admire, and why?

Joseph Veazey and Chris Golden. I know them both personally and have worked with them in the past. They both have wonderfully unique visual styles and create high-calibre, cross-disciplinary work. It’s awesome watching them grow as creative peers and I always feel constantly challenged by the work they produce. I think the way our society is structured, in this overly-competitive way, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that there’s room for everyone to be successful if they work hard at crafting their own individual voice. So it’s rewarding to have this healthy competitive/collaborative relationship with Chris and Joe. It’s exciting to see them succeed and grow.

What song always gets you in the creative zone?

"Fate" by Chaka Khan

If you weren’t a designer, what do you think you’d be doing instead?

Something in science. Biology, astrophysics, teaching. I wanted to be an aeronautical engineer when I was in elementary school.

Any tips or advice for fellow creatives?

I’m not sure I have much in the way of advice for other people. We’re all learning and take unique lessons from our own paths. Trust yourself, trust your own journey. Stay constantly immersed in the kind of work you want to see yourself creating. Define and continue to redefine your own meaning of success and seek that. Those are some things I constantly tell myself.

BONUS ROUND!

Two Truths and a Lie

Near-death experiences can be explained by new research on the abnormal functioning of dopamine combined with the extreme fear of dying and the loss of oxygen and blood flow to the eyes. The ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ and out-of-body experience are due to the combination of chemically induced hallucinations and preconceived notions.

I like burritos.

Astrology.

Last 3 things You Googled

Choppa Style

Wrap Magazine Issue 11

Mega Bus from San Jose to San Francisco

Top Pop Culture Influences

Cities you’ve lived in, summed up in one word

Cleveland: home

Atlanta: friendship

San Francisco: refreshing

Things you would tell your high school or early twenties self

You’re going to fall in love a lot. Be patient.

Save your money dude.

Anything else you’d like to add that we haven’t asked?

I think that’s all. Check out my blog?

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HOW TO PITCH: PR PROS TELL ALL

Working Not Working September 4, 2015

HOW TO PITCH: PR PROS TELL ALL

If the term "self-promotion" makes you cringe, listen up. Being a creative these days means you have to get comfortable with selling your work, and selling yourself. Whether you're seeking exposure for a recent campaign or side project, launching a business, or simply getting your name out there, familiarizing yourself with PR is a must. To help step up your comms game, we sought out the best of the business to share their advice on the do's and don'ts of pitching. All Working Not Working member agencies, each of them has extensive experience in getting work talked about. One of them was was even named to this year's AdWeek’s PR Industry’s 30 Under 30.

While there is an art to the pitch, here's the good news: it's not rocket science. "You can get your work out there and written about. All it takes is some common sense, courtesy, and a little homework. Good luck!"

Marianne Stefanowicz, Droga5

Marianne Stefanowicz is the Global Head of Communications at Droga5. She has managed in-house PR for agencies for almost 15 years on three different continents and in global roles at both TBWA and now Droga5. Originally from the U.K., Marianne now lives in NYC.

My favorite Droga5 campaign:

Under Armour's "I Will What I Want" featuring ballerina Misty Copeland for its efforts to redefine a category and inspire millions of women with her story.

My advice:

I've been pitching marketing stories, agency news and creative work for close to 15 years. I don’t think I fit the stereotype of a PR person. What you see is what you get. I can't tell even a teeny tiny white lie. I wear my heart on my sleeve and if that’s not enough, my facial expressions will give me away every time. This has served me well over the years. As the journalists I work with hopefully recognize, the more I genuinely believe in something, the more effort I put behind it. I couldn't do this job without a passion for the business I'm pitching. With that in mind, here are a couple of tips from me to you, if you're trying to get your work written about or are wondering how to better work with your PR friends.

1. Invest time in building relationships. Whether with your PR team or directly with the journalists, take your time to get to know them, what they like to write about, what they don't like to cover, and generally, what their interests are. It's a 101 tip but crucial. Nothing is tougher than pitching cold to someone with whom you've never before crossed paths or sending story ideas on topics to which you know him/her is opposed.

2. Respect the journalist’s editorial rights. Just because you, your roommate and your mom love your latest film, that doesn't mean everyone does. What gets published is at the discretion of the journalist. They don't have to and physically cannot publish every single thing sent to them. So even while they may love your work, there may be bigger or better news that day. It happens. Be okay with it. There are no guarantees!

3. Get the credits right the first time. The biggest bugbear to PR and journalists alike is asking to make changes to campaign credits. (Offenders: you know who you are. Stop it!)

4. Be helpful. Chances are the people writing about your business are doing only that, versus actually working inside that world. They can feel like they are on the outskirts, so taking the time to give them extra information, a backstory, set the context or explain the relevance of the story will pay dividends. They will write a better story, and even if they don't use your material, it can still inform how they write about a topic.

5. Know your stuff, and believe in it. Don't pitch something you know nothing about. Inaccurate answers to a journalist’s questions will result in an inaccurate article. If you don't know, fess up. Find the answer and bring it back. Fudging it will do neither you nor the writer any good. And if you believe in and have passion for your story, it will show. The most natural sales pitches are the ones that you don't have to force.

It’s not rocket science. You can get your work out there and written about. All it takes is some common sense, courtesy and a little homework. Good luck!

Mark Pytlik, Stinkdigital

Canadian-born Mark Pytlik is the Founder and CEO of the global creative agency Stinkdigital. Since its launch in January 2009, the Stink offshoot has grown to 100+ full-time staff members and been responsible for some of the world's most recognized digital and integrated work.

A former journalist, Mark is the former Associate Editor of the advertising publication Boards, the author of the Bjork biography Wow & Flutter and a longtime contributor to the music website Pitchfork. He is currently based in New York.

My favorite Stinkdigital campaign:

My favorite Stinkdigital campaign changes on an almost weekly basis. This week, it's our most recent work for Spotify. "Taste Rewind" takes three of your favorite current artists as inputs and outputs dynamically generated playlists that suggest what someone with your tastes would have been listening to in the 00's, 90's, 80's, 70's and 60's. It's not only beautifully designed and presented, it's immensely intelligent: I've discovered tons of new (old) music since it launched.

My advice:

1. Distill your proposition into one simple sentence, and lead with that. It doesn’t matter how good the work is; spend too much time on exposition and you’ll risk losing your audience. A sentence that neatly explains why your project is interesting will not only set it up to travel on social media, but it’ll give you an opportunity to get out in front of how people are going to think and talk about your work.

2. Show your work, warts and all. You’ve spent months sweating the details of your project, so it makes sense that you should want your final presented case study to look every bit as considered and crafted. There’s only one problem: actual process is neither considered nor crafted. For people to truly understand what you bring to a project, they need to understand your approach, messiness and all. So don’t be afraid to highlight the wrong turns, dead ends and screw-ups that no doubt mottled your process — they only serve to give you a helpful narrative arc which might further underline what a triumph the finished product really is.

3. Avoid cliches. Imagine you’re sitting at a bar with a stranger. He looks at you, says “This reminds me a story…” and then proceeds to yammer on about a targeted digital marketing campaign for designer nutrition bars. That’s a shitty enough story that one might suggest this stranger isn’t much of a storyteller. Are you sure that you are? Better to avoid cliches. Don’t live at the intersections of things. Talk about your work in clear, direct language. Be a real person. Do whatever you can to help your audience see you as a human being doing actual work, rather than as a marketing-obsessed robot who eats word clouds for breakfast and poops influencer lists before bed.

Krisana Jaritsat, Wolff Olins

Krisana Jaritsat is the Global Head of Content Strategy at Wolff Olins. A born-and-bred New Yorker with a five-year stint in Las Vegas, Krisana has lived in three major US cities and two international cities.

She's dabbled in film, journalism, fashion, talent management and advertising across those cities with the through line being people, "It’s been less about industry and more about people. I’ve been stubbornly and aggressively adamant about surrounding myself with people much smarter than I am... then marinating in their brilliance…then hoping they don’t notice when I steal from them verbatim."

My favorite Wolff Olins campaign:

I have too many favorite projects from Wolff Olins–basically the main reason why I chose to work here–but a recent project out of our Dubai office called Salma I think is incredibly special.

The team worked with Emirates royalty to create a brand that helped put halal food in the hands of Muslim refugees. They named it Salma, which happens to be name of the first Emirati nurse, and is really an innovation in terms of design and concept in how it tackles the typical sterile, burlap-sacked vision of food relief. The team approached the project with so much empathy, positivity, and sensitivity and it shows in their phenomenal outcome.

My advice:

In no particular order, here are three things I think important to keep in mind when pitching a journalist. Just to preface, I’m by no means the expert and am guilty of omitting some of these principles when pitching. But I try my best to stick to them and find that when I do, I get a much more positive response.

1. Skip the Jargon. Fancy words = Fancy project? No. People are quick to slip into industry jargon and super-size their words in an attempt beef up what they’re pitching... Keep your language simple and sincere; have faith in your project that it’s good enough to stand on its own. Think of it like this: how would describe it to your friends or parents?

2. Research & Respect Your Target. Journalists are getting pitched on a daily basis. Give them the respect to not clutter their Inbox with pitches on topics they won’t be interested in. Research them. Read their past articles, scroll through their Twitter feeds to see, check out what they’re Instagramming. Take note of their writing style and tone of their articles. Make sure they’re still at the outlet you’re contacting them at, as journalists move around often.

3. Keep it Real. Take a step back. Ask yourself: is this really interesting? We can often get caught up in the creation and execution of projects and unfortunately sometimes, that’s more interesting than the end result. It's important to step back and evaluate at the finish line how impressive is the result, really? And if you’re afraid of bias, ask a friend for an honest opinion. If your friend can’t give you a thumbs up, it might be unlikely a journalist would. You don’t have to be a chef to know something tastes good.

Meagan Phillips, 180LA.

Meagan Phillips is the Public Relations Manager at 180LA. Her first job out of college was the reception desk of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. Over five years, she navigated my way up to managing the agency's communications via new business development and public relations. Through college, she hosted and produced "Rooftop Radio", a program on San Francisco State's KSFS radio. At night she worked as the news and traffic producer at Clear Channel Radio for Northern California.

My favorite 180LA campaign:

Expedia, "No Excuses". Sometimes I fit into the exact demographic our campaigns are made for. These ads, they speak to me. Take for example Expedia's "No Excuses".

Let's talk about this spots' music. I remember the first time I saw Grimes perform she had this baby voice but was wearing a hat with the big letters "PUSSY" across it. She was a polite young woman who still managed to punch you in the face. Which brings me to my next point: the female protagonist in this spot. INTJ, ESFJ, where ever you think you fall on that spectrum, I've learned there's a danger in defining yourself by "introvert" or "extrovert". A few years ago I read Susan Crains' "Quiet Revolution" and it rocked my understanding of where power comes from. This timid woman is afraid to travel because "I don't want to travel by myself", "I usually just go back home to see my parents with my family", and "Where would I go?" Wah, wah, wah.

She eschews her doubts— because screw it— she wants to have an experience. I also need a vacation.

My advice

1. Format your text. If you're copying and pasting your email pitches please, please, remove text formatting. It's so sad to see a salutation that's a completely different size and color then the rest of the email. It's like watching a good story die. And God help you if you get the name wrong.

2. Beware the BCC. One time I ignited a spectacularly awry email thread by confusing the "BCC" and "CC" lines. There's nothing like the thrill of a BCC gone wrong. I wish the Google Chrome "undo send" option existed then.

3. Consult your clients. Another big no-no is promoting commercial work without consulting the agency or brand. I’ve seen people send in spec ads, “preferred” cuts, pitch work, all kinds of unofficial content. There’s a fine line between asking for permission and begging for forgiveness. Understand the risk you are taking when you send work around that doesn’t belong to you.

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

HOW TO HUSTLE: ZACH HILDER

Working Not Working September 3, 2015

HOW TO HUSTLE: ZACH HILDER

From his beginnings as a music journalist for MTV to his days at Publicis & Hal Riney, where he built a portfolio on the fly, WNW Member #3715 Zach Hilder has always embodied the hustle necessary to build a career as a creative. Now, Zach has helped launch an agency from the ground up, fittingly titled Hustle. Their founding client? Beats by Dre.

Zach takes us through some of his biggest accomplishments, such as the #STRAIGHTOUTTA campaign, Call of Duty's "The Replacer" short films, and the "Fuck Photoshop" pencil. As Zach Hilder says, "HUSTLE is really more than a name. We move fast and we work hard. You have to if you want to move at the speed of culture."

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You started your career as a music journalist for MTV. What was that like? How’d you make the transition to copywriter?

I covered the Chicago music scene for MTV.com. It was the late 90's. The Pumpkins still had some heat. But Chicago wasn’t exactly a hotbed for music back then. I would get backstage and interview bands at local shows like The Double Door or the Elbo Room but also on the big tours when they came through like HORDE Fest and Lilith Fair. Strangely enough I got to be close with Barenaked Ladies – and it was right when their “Chickity-China-the Chinese-Chicken” song blew up. It’s too strange and embarrassing to make up… unfortunately. But that’s where I learned to write. While I loved it and was way into music, I always felt like I was reporting about people being creative instead of actually being creative myself.

My Mom knew someone who worked at Publicis & Hal Riney at the time. Every other agency told me I had to go to Miami Ad School to build a portfolio because I didn’t have anything but my MTV writing samples. But Riney took me in as a production intern. I managed to weasel my way onto a couple of briefs and started writing ads for them. Some of my work helped them win a pitch for a retirement home of all things. They hired me as a Jr. Copywriter in the fall – without a book. It’s crazy to think about now but I spent the first 5 years of my career building my portfolio, taught myself Photoshop, and would stay late creating fake ads as if I had went to ad school.

HUSTLE has a certain amount of mystery surrounding it. Can you pull back the curtain a bit and give us some background: what it is, when you started, who's involved, and what you’ve been working on?

HUSTLE is an offshoot of R/GA with Beats by Dre as its founding client. And what an incredible founding client to have. We now have HUSTLE shops in both London and Shanghai in addition to our LA office. This city is going through quite a renaissance these days. It feels like LA is where entertainment meets tech meets everyone who’s sick of New York. That combination makes for some really interesting opportunities.

It must be tough to name an ad agency. How did you guys choose HUSTLE?

Honestly it was really hard. It’s kind of like naming a band. No one can agree. All the good names are taken. And your chance of picking something you regret is pretty high.

So what it came down to is we wanted to pick a name that we could live up to everyday and that for us was HUSTLE. It captured for us both our spirit and our desire. HUSTLE really is more than a name. We move fast and we work hard. You have to if you want to “move at the speed of culture.” We shot, edited and finished a two-minute Marcus Mariota Beats film in 5 days to have it on air for the NFL Draft. That takes teamwork and a lot of honest conversations with ourselves and our client. Yeah it takes dedication, but it’s very rewarding when the plan comes together. We had four of the first five players in the NFL Draft take their phone calls from their new teams live on ESPN in a pair of Beats headphones. The same first round that was sponsored by Bose. That’s the kind of work that defines HUSTLE.

What’s been the biggest challenge in starting HUSTLE?

We haven’t had the luxury of time. We’ve grown by 40 people in the last year. So for us, the biggest challenge is creating culture. That’s not something you can fake or manufacture. It has to be true and your team from top to bottom needs to believe it. For us, it starts with honesty. My partner Will Esparza and I try to be as transparent as possible with our guys. We also want everyone to have a point of view, creative or not. We also have a saying, “entrepreneurs, not employees.” For us, this speaks to always looking for an opportunity, not just doing what’s expected. We want people to come to HUSTLE to do the work of their lives. And that’s a shared responsibility.

The "Hear What You Want" campaign for Beats By Dre redefines the idea of noise-cancelling headphones. You’ve featured a lot of athletes, how do you decide who to work with?

Hear What You Want has always been a reflection on what’s really happening in culture. We do a lot of research. We become experts on these athletes. We talk to these athletes, their agents and their families on the phone, in their hotels and in some cases go to their homes to get their stories. We want to know what really drives them? What keeps them up at night? We want to tell a personal story only Beats can tell. So for Hear What You Want, it has to be true. The athlete needs to be surrounded by noise, which could be from a big moment like Richard Sherman in a playoff game or it can be brought on by their personality like Draymond Green. But it has to be true and we work really hard to make sure it is. That means not every athlete can get a Hear What You Want film.

Who do you turn up to cancel all the noise?

WU-TANG, again and again. Ricky Rozay aka The Teflon Don aka The Fresh David Koresh. Also been way into the new A$AP album.

Did you have a feeling the #STRAIGHTOUTTA campaign was going to blow up like it did?

No one knew. I know I didn’t. I think that’s because I had such a personal connection to the album. I would listen to Straight Outta Compton on repeat in my parents’ basement in Glenview, Illinois when I was 13 years old. I knew all the words to every song and I didn’t know why at the time, but I really connected with the album. Now I realize – after seeing the response to the campaign – that a lot of people connected to the album like I did. It was so raw and so true, that it didn’t matter if you had ever been to or even knew what Compton was. It was an emotion these guys put into a song to be proud of your hometown. And everybody could get behind that.

What was your reaction to the public’s response to #STRAIGHTOUTTA?

It was pretty awesome to watch what they did with the meme. They took the meaning and twisted it completely. It went from being from somewhere to being out of something. All of the sudden, all of these culture jabbing memes popped up from 50 Cent being “Straight Outta Money,” to Cosby being “Straight Outta Quaaludes” to Kobe being “Straight Outta Teammates.” Then the White House dropped the now infamous “Straight Outta Uranium” meme on Iran. Damn Obama, that’s cold…

Which project in your career are you proudest of?

I don’t think I have a proudest moment. I think the whole thing has made me proud and it continues to. I’ve given so much of my life to advertising, but it’s given me back so much. I’ve made so many friends, met my wife and traveled the world because of advertising. Yeah there are tough days but at the end of the day, this is a pretty rad job.

What was it like to tell LeBron’s story about coming home to Cleveland?

When we started working on the assignment, LeBron was still in Miami. We had different creative in place and we’re working his people to find a place to shoot him – Florida, Brazil and even China. Then suddenly he announced he was returning to the Cavs so we immediately rewrote the film to tell his coming home story. We shifted the entire production and two days later we were on the ground with LeBron in Akron shooting him in his high school. It was a project that LeBron was so involved in, he told us things that he had never talked about publically, like watching his childhood home being demolished in front of him when he was 2 years old. While we were editing we would fly back to Akron to meet with his Mom to hear more of these really emotional stories. We even shot his flashback scenes in the actual apartment he grew up in Spring Hill as a teenager. But yeah, I’m a Bulls fan.

You subverted the role of promotional merchandise by fixing the following two words onto pencils: Fuck Photoshop. Are you still getting “Fuck Photoshop” pencil checks in the mail?

The “Fuck Photoshop” money has petered out a bit. I sold probably 3000 of them across the world, which is insane when you think about it. Who knew that many people hated photoshop? Or used pencils?

You were a writer on the Call of Duty campaign "The Replacer". What was the behind-the-scenes like?

The guys at 72 have killed it on that franchise. I was lucky enough to work on it for a bit on “The Replacer” films. Easily the highlight for me and pretty much my lifetime was playing JB Smoove at ping pong. We were recording pick-up lines and JB said he had game. I do own my own ping pong paddle so I wanted to see what kinda game he had. He was good for not playing in a long time. Eventually the recording studio shut us down because JB was shouting too much and I was probably sweating too much.

What advice would you pass on to your high school self?

I probably would’ve told myself to be taller.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

It’s weird. I don’t think I ever wanted to be anything, which maybe makes me perfect for advertising? I always said if advertising didn’t work out that I’d want to be a cable guy. There’s something very freeing about riding around all day in a van, wearing a jumpsuit, hearing what I want.

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INNER LIP TATTOOS DON'T COUNT

Working Not Working September 2, 2015

INNER LIP TATTOOS DON'T COUNT

As part of our Tattoo Series, we interviewed WNW Member #1217 Vincent Iadevaia, a London-based UX/IA designer with quite the collection. He has dedicated several limbs to celebrate the stories of his hero, comic book artist Jack Kirby. "All of my tattoos are things I’ve been obsessed with since I was a kid: dinosaurs, Star Wars, and comic books (mostly comic books.)"

While Vincent may be running out of space, he's not planning to slow down anytime soon: "I have to fly to New York in September for my sister’s wedding. I’m literally getting off the plane and going straight to Three Kings Tattoo to finish up my Fantastic Four sleeve with Myles. I’m really not looking forward to wearing a tux with a swollen arm."

Vincent offers some advice for those thinking of getting some ink. Just remember: "Inner lip tattoos don't count."

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How many tattoos do you have and how'd you decide on them?

At this point I’d say I have 8 tattoos, which doesn’t sound like a whole lot, but a few of them cover an entire limb so I’m quickly running out of space. All of my tattoos are things I’ve been obsessed with since I was a kid: dinosaurs, Star Wars, and comic books (mostly comic books).

1. Right Rib Cage: Stegosaurus Skeleton

2. Right Inner Arm: Rorschach & Night Owl Watchmen Panel

3. Left Rib Cage: Imperial AT-AT Walker

4. Left Inner Arm: Doctor Manhattan Watchmen Panel

5. Right Arm: BPRD sleeve

6. Left Thigh: Jack Kirby’s New Gods

7. Right Leg: Batman Family / Justice League Sleeve

8. Left Arm: Fantastic Four Sleeve

Fantastic Four Sleeve

I love everything Jack Kirby, the King of Comics, has ever created but the Fantastic Four are easily my favorite. I collect a lot of silver-age comic books and one of my goals is to collect the original run, issues 1 through 102, so I thought it would only be fitting to sleeve my arm with my favorite superhero family.

Who's the tattoo artist to whom you entrust the task? Do you give a lot of direction?

I’ve only ever been tattooed by Myles Karr. I met him my freshmen year of college and we’ve been friends ever since. He’s my favorite artist, and I’m incredibly grateful to have his work on me. I completely trust him and know whatever he’s going to create will be incredible so I don’t really give him any direction other than the characters I want.

What does your mom think? Or are we outing you on the internet right now?

My mom, of course, cried the first time I came home with my ribs all bandaged up. The next day when she actually got a look at it she said “Oh that looks really great” and hasn’t complained much since. I’m lucky to have her because, at the end of the day, she couldn’t care less about how many tattoos I have as long as I’m happy, and I’ve got health insurance.

B.P.R.D. Sleeve

Mike Mignola is another one of my favorite comic book creators and the B.P.R.D. is one of my favorite creations of his. I think at some point in everyone’s lives they feel like a monster that no one understands so I ended up sleeving 3/4 of my arm with some of my favorite ones.

What was the process like? Painful? Any funny anecdotes of the process?

I kind of like how it feels, which is going to make me sound like a bit of a masochist. I originally thought it would be a lot worse, but at this point I’m used to it. It’s that good kind of pain that you know will all be worth it once it’s over.

So far my kneecap and inner thigh have been the most painful. The kneecap doesn’t have much padding so you can imagine it’s not a lot of fun. The inner thigh is just a bit too close to my junk, so I’m glad I know my tattoo artist really well.

Do you have any new ones planned or in the works?

I have to fly to New York in September for my sister’s wedding. I’m literally getting off the plane and going straight to Three Kings Tattoo to finish up my Fantastic Four sleeve with Myles. I’m really not looking forward to wearing a tux with a swollen arm.

A presidential portrait of Zaphod Beeblebrox is hopefully in my near future.

Batman Family / Justice League Sleeve

I had an appointment to get some sort of Batman tattoo. Myles drew me Batman as a dragon owl on the spot which was the coolest thing I had ever seen and we just kept adding DC characters as mythological beasts until it sleeved my entire right leg.

Any advice for those considering getting a tattoo?

1. Do some research, it’s even easier these days since there are a ton of tattoo artists on Instagram.

2. Don’t be cheap! If you’re going to be cheap about something you’re going to have for the rest of your life, then you’re an idiot and probably shouldn’t be getting tattooed.

3. Go big or go home.

4. Inner lip tattoos don’t count.

Bonus Round!

What did you want to be when you grow up?

A dinosaur, then an Archeologist, then an astronaut. I’m really not sure how I ended up as a Product Designer.

Last things you googled?

Dog Backpacks, Mothman, Fantastic Four #45

Top pop culture influences growing up?

Dr. Alan Grant, Han Solo, and Peter Parker.

What’s in your backpack right now?

My laptop, some pens and a D20.

Best social networking site?

Tumblr. It’s where I met my girlfriend.

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ON VANCOUVER: CARSON TING

Working Not Working August 28, 2015

ON VANCOUVER: CARSON TING

After working at agencies for over 15 years, WNW Member and Vancouver-based creative #6643 Carson Ting has ventured out on his own, navigating the freelance world in a city where the freelance community is still getting its footing. While the creative scene may be laid back, there is still a vibrant mix of creative award shows, art shows, creative crawls, and more if you know where to look. Luckily, Carson's here to help.

For those on a budget, this pricey city is fortunately surrounded by gorgeous scenery. Carson tells us that doing something outdoors is valued over the typical post-work cocktail: "It's important to break away from shop talk and actually live a life. As creative people it's important to stay in touch with the outside world. Otherwise, we'd be creating work that only speaks to ourselves."

Carson gives us an inside look into the creative scene and outside world of Vancouver. He also created the series of original illustrations, below.

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your creative background.

I was born and raised in Toronto (some consider it to be centre of the universe - ha!) and moved out to Vancouver over 8 years ago to work for my then dream ad agency, Rethink. Now I'm a father of a 15-month-old daughter named Audrey - the funniest person I know to date. My wife Denise, whom I met back in Toronto, helps me run our illustration company, Chairman Ting Industries. We've done work for adidas Originals, Microsoft, Kidrobot, Infiniti and more.

After busting my butt for over 13 years as a full-time advertising art director I decided to go freelance so I could mix up the type of work I get. I now do illustration work, murals, photography work, app design and of course, advertising art direction. I love the variety of work I get as an independent and I also feel so much more creative being able to work in so many different mediums and roles.

What are you currently working on?

I'm currently working on an illustration project for TEDx West Vancouver, an illustration project for a Mercedes Benz print campaign with the guys at 123w, a mural for the Vancouver Economic Commission, a mural for a coffee chain in Calgary called Phil & Sebastien, and am also freelancing at DDB Vancouver.

Any dream projects?

My dream project right now is to produce a collection of personal paintings and finish up a mini documentary film I've been working on since 2013. Commissioned projects are great, but I really want to spend more time on personal work so I can stay fresh creatively. I've always believed in the importance of side projects.

What are you into these days? What are you reading, watching, etc.?

I'm not entirely sure. I've been working around the clock for a very long time and the only thing I want to do with my spare time is chill with my family. I wish I could say I'm into some obscure indie drama show from Japan or something cool like that. But I don't watch much TV. I always feel left out in conversations when people talk about shows like Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones.

When I'm deep into my illustration work, I usually listen to Radio Lab. It's a podcast series from NPR. It's absolutely fascinating stuff and I can't get enough of it. I'll even listen to reruns when there aren't any new ones.

What's your favorite thing about living in Vancouver?

It's cliche to say this, but my most favourite thing about living here is being surrounded with such gorgeous natural scenery like the mountains and the ocean. The city is also very small, so it's very walkable and convenient. In terms of challenges, I think the advertising and design community is really small, so there isn't a lot of room for creatives to move around - compared to the Toronto market. People tend to stay longer at agencies here, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but as a freelancer I would definitely like to see the agency pool expand.

How did you find your way to Vancouver?

Through a recruiter. An opportunity came up to work for Rethink. I wanted to work there for the longest time and had tried to get into that agency for years and when the recruiter called about the opportunity, I jumped on it. I've been living here ever since.

Have you lived elsewhere? Tempted to move and if so, where?

Toronto. I've only lived in two different cities in my entire life. I've always been tempted to live in Amsterdam or Berlin because I hear there's a lot going for both cities in the arts and design scene. I still think about it from time to time, but it's hard to leave Vancouver. Both my wife and I love it here.

Vancouver is...

...a magical place with a big price tag.

What’s something we'd be surprised to learn about Vancouver?

Adbusters is based in Vancouver!

Favorite neighborhood spots?

My favourite spot has to be Stanley Park and the sea wall. It's just minutes away from my place and it's got one of the best running trails I know to date. I always start running from my neighbourhood in Coal Harbour and go around the sea wall which is almost a perfect 10k distance and swing out of English Bay for a coffee. My wife and I love walking around the west end and chilling out in English Bay.

We're hungry! Where should we go?

My absolute favourite cafe is in the west end called Green Horn Cafe. It's fairly hidden inside a quiet residential area so it's less busy and they also make a killer cortado. The owner is a fellow named Walter. He's super friendly and always loves to chat about his collection of motorcycles. Vancouver has such an amazing culinary scene so naturally, I have a lot of favourite spots. My top three places are Blue Water Cafe in Yaletown (hands down, the best sable fish dish I've ever had), Les Faux Bourgeois, a causal French restaurant in the Fraser area (killer scallop dish!), and lastly, I'd say Don't Argue!, a pizzeria in Mount Pleasant. It's not fancy but I get really excited every time I go there.

Give us the inside scoop: any hidden secrets about the city?

There is this hidden pathway in east Vancouver near my studio. The path goes right through these old train tracks and underneath the Sky Train overpass. The path is hidden because it's a very industrious area and no one ever goes through the area by foot. I love that spot because you'll always find interesting graffiti work on the walls of these two abandoned buildings. It's also a great spot for a photoshoot because you have the train tracks and the Sky Train above you. It's a great mixture of the old and new in one spot.

There's also a back alley by my studio at 1000 Parker where you'll find a collection of the most densely graffiti'ed walls in the city. It's a little creepy at night because there's a mannequin tucked in a corner and another one hung from above.

What is the creative scene like?

The creative scene in general is fairly laid back. There isn't a lot of after-hour get-togethers among the advertising community where ad guys go to hang out for drinks. Everyone here just goes out to do outdoorsy stuff like biking, running, kayaking and etc. I personally much prefer it this way. It's important to break away from shop talk and actually live a life. As creative people it's important to stay in touch with the outside world. Otherwise, we'd be creating work that only speaks to ourselves.

Although the creative scene is fairly laid back, one can still find a pretty active and exciting creative scene if you dig deeper. We have our monthly Creative Mornings talk, Lotus Awards (which came back after a one year hiatus), the annual Eastside Culture Crawl, Pecha Kucha and at one time we had the Cheaper Show (a fun collective art show featuring 200 artists around the world) and of course, there's the popular indie art blog, Booooooom.com that my friend Jeff Hamada runs out of Vancouver.

Any organizations there helping foster the creative community?

My friend Jeff Hamada, who runs Booooooom.com, is always actively fostering the creative community here, whether it's getting a bunch of people together to build tiny boats out of twigs and setting them free on a lake or getting people to submit drawings of stories from their past. Jeff is always thinking of new ways to engage with the creative community. We also have fantastic art colleges like Langara, IDEA School of design from Capiliano University and Emily Carr that hosts portfolio reviews for their arts and design programs.

Any WNW members whose work you admire? Why?

Lara Palmer. I've admired her work for a long time. I remember seeing her work in award annuals since I was in art school and have continued to see her work evolve over the years. I finally got to meet her when she freelanced at Rethink and she's equally as nice as she is talented.

Carson's Work

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HOW TO RUN 1003 MILES IN 37 DAYS AND NOT DIE

Working Not Working August 27, 2015

HOW TO RUN 1003 MILES IN 37 DAYS AND NOT DIE

WNW Member #1303 Jonny Santos is batshit crazy. One day he got it into his head that he was going to run from Le Puy, France, through the pyrenees all the way to Galicia, Spain. For those in need of a geography refresh, this is a lot of miles. 1003 to be exact. And he was going to do it in 40 days.

To be noted: Jonny wasn’t going through a midlife crisis, responding to a breakup or being set up by Vice. He simply opened his mouth one day and declared: I’m going to do it. So he had to.

Running his mouth led to running shoes and somehow Jonny found himself singing Gregorian chants to the monks, to the snails and whatever fellow masochist that would come his way. Foraging for food and shelter, nursing injuries along the way, Jonny kept going. And going. As he says: "Jonny SANTOS, not Jonny CANTOS." We spoke to Jonny about how he made this modern pilgrimage (with little training!) and what it did to him physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Oh, and he did it in 37 days.

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When did you realize you were crazy?

Yeah I know this whole thing sounds crazy from the beginning but you live in New York long enough and you start to think you can do all sorts of stuff. This just kinda made sense to me.

Is this how you approach work/life?

Ha! Usually I try to solve my problems, improve my life and clear my head with a lot less mileage. Things just started to build up and this popped up as an idea and I kind of just ran with it. I did try and plan this like a producer at first and get as much info as I could but I soon realized that every person's journey is different and there was no real way to plan for it. I just put myself in a position where I didn't have much of a choice but to succeed.

What was your training regiment? Had you run marathons before?

I’ve never run a marathon though I did run in high school and in college so I knew what I needed to do to get into shape. That being said, I started this very much out of shape and did very little running. I did try to get in super awesome shape at first but the DJ and freelance gigs got in the way. A few of my friends saw what was going on and started to worry that I wouldn't be able to do this at all. From the time I decided to do this which was around November until January, I barely ran at all. From January to February I ran a bit more, about once or twice a week and that final month I don't think I ran a step. I figured I'd start from zero or as close as I could to zero and make it a science experiment. Don't do what I did, FYI.

I now run almost every day because I learned my lesson.

What food did you eat along the trip? What was the first thing you ate once it was over?

I lived on a steady diet of Sardines, tangerines, tubes of condensed milk, beer and a pilgrim menu which would usually be pasta, soup, and some sort of protein. This was not a gourmet experience but you haven't lived till you're squirting pure sugar into your mouth on top of a hill. I had a couple of dope meals in France and really enjoyed the snails when I got the chance.

First thing I ate when I got done was Octopus. I'm in love with the Pulpo.

Highest high on the trip? Lowest low?

In a journey of a 1003 miles you end up with a ton of highs and lows. It really does become a metaphor for life - you have good days and bad days but you have to keep going. I had a couple of scary moments where I ran out of water and was low on food/money. I also lost a bunch of weight really quickly (from 165 lbs to 152 lbs in a little over a week,) and I was running/trekking injured the first 10 days. I stopped at this monastery in Conques - probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen - and the monks taught us this song called "Ultreia " which means "go further" in Latin. I had a really tough day with two twisted ankles and a knee that wanted to quit and found myself chanting "Ultreïa ! Ultreïa ! E suseia Deus adjuva nos" which means “Go further go further with God's help go further.” The last five grueling miles of the day of course were mostly uphill. It was kinda crazy, you get into a really weird zone but I managed to get through the miles and found a place to eat and sleep that night.

Whenever I think about quitting or slacking off on anything, even now, that day comes to mind. It was a low point but a high point at the same time because I began to realize how much pain I could handle. So that was cool.

While crossing the Pyrenees a couple weeks into my journey I realized my body was finally getting stronger and my mutant powers were coming back. After a couple of weeks waking up in total pain it was nice to feel like I had a little something extra in the tank. Seeing wild horses on a mountain was cool, getting briefly chased by a boar gets your blood pumping and when you finally see the old End of the World from a distance you can't help but cry a little.

Who was the most interesting person you met along the way?

Since I was doing this at a quick pace I didn't really get to talk to a lot of people but when I did decide to take a break or walk with someone who was having a hard time it was great. The cast of characters included:

Dave from England who was on his 9th Camino and encouraged me via the magic of Instagram throughout the trip.

Kirsten - a lawyer from Denmark who lives in a commune and who I caught up with in Cajarc randomly. We had met in Conques and I didn't think I'd see a familiar face again so it was awesome seeing her.

Pietro - a retired contractor from Italy who rebuilt the Lamborghini and Ferrari manufacturing plants.

Becca and Ben who were traveling the whole world together.

Debbie, who despite being ditched by her traveling companion early in the trip, got through the Camino by foot, by bus and by train. I ran into her 3 times throughout the 1003 miles and it made my day every time. We would sit and chat over some tangerines or octopus and encourage each other.

It seems you experienced a tremendous amount of personal growth on this trip. Besides your ability to actually complete this journey, what surprised you about yourself in this experience?

I was surprised at my ability to not let getting lost or having to go through tough terrain bother me. No matter how much pain I was in, I would just focus on the task at hand and worry about the rest later. I also got really emotionally attached to snails. You go through a roller coaster of emotions while doing this and I'd find myself getting genuinely sad when I saw a squished snail on the path - like - why you gonna step on a snail? It's trying to do its own path and cross the road and people gotta go and step on ‘em. Just didn't seem right. That being said, they are delicious.

Your ability to push yourself is astounding. How did you mentally/physically/emotionally guster the courage to keep going? Did you ever get close to quitting?

I tried to find some quit in me but couldn't. Honestly at this point I had run my mouth so much and had so many people counting on me to finish that whenever the thought of slacking off crossed my mind I would think of my friends. My mother would call me every day and check in on me. She didn't realize what I was doing until I was doing it and was not stoked that her son was trekking through Europe all willy-nilly. When I would complain she would simply tell me that no one asked for me to go do this and to tough it out and finish.

I would also think of my favorite routes and count off the km that way. For example - I have one White Rock Lake and a couple of Williamsburg Bridges to do and I'm at the next town. I would also sing Disney songs - in particular "It's a Jolly Holiday With Mary" from Mary Poppins - out loud - very loud and often. When I'd go up a difficult mountain I'd yell at myself to keep going - to be a Jonny Santos and not a Jonny "Can'tos". Honestly, you come up with every trick in the book from thinking of heartbreaks to imagining yourself running through a wall to the smile on your friends' faces and people you love. It's really neat.

What’s next for you, personally and professionally? What are some dream projects of yours?

I'm about to start working over at Sylvain Labs which I'm stoked about. I basically came back wanting to find a place where I could use my very diverse background to work on some meaningful projects and this looks like a great place to start. As far as dream projects, I'd like to run the length of Cuba soon and document it a bit better by taking someone with me. It's 770 miles and you don't get a lot of chances to trailblaze in this life so that's something I'd like to do. I think if I stay in shape, I can get it down in three weeks. I had the pleasure of working on a Northface campaign a while back and it got me stoked about outdoor companies so maybe there's something there as well.

To see every step of the journey, check out Jonny's Instagram and #caminorun2015.

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HOW TO MAKE A MAGAZINE: JACKIE LINTON

Working Not Working August 21, 2015

HOW TO MAKE A MAGAZINE: JACKIE LINTON

WNW Member #6216 Jackie Linton is the publisher of the blossoming magazine Bad Day, a biannual arts and culture magazine that focuses on direct dialogues with the international creative community. Bad Day showcases some of the intimate commonalities we all share in our routines, perspectives and working practices. We spoke to Jackie about the origins of Bad Day and how it grew from Toronto-based side project to covering the global creative scene. With a recent feature on Kim Gordon (of Sonic Youth fame), Jackie couldn't be happier: "I'm proud any time I see the magazine on a newsstand. Even more so is when it's a surprise—like an unexpected bodega downtown, or when someone texts me that they saw it at an airport in Sweden. It's at the point now where the magazine has taken on a life of its own, and that’s the most satisfying for me."

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What led you to start publishing Bad Day, in addition to working as a copywriter? Give us a little background of how it all got started.

Bad Day was founded in Toronto, and began as a fun side project to try to speak to the global cultural community while building a conversation around Canadian artists, musicians and creatives. Ultimately, I think it was a fun opportunity to work with friends to catalog our tastes, and produce something really distinctive that we love.

Bad Day is focused on the community around creativity. You also combine a variety of disciplines in the same conversation. What's the benefit of cross-pollinating these generally separated topics?

I think the idea of being “creative” goes in a many different directions—and that’s good for a magazine. For us, seeing the ties that bind across a variety of disciplines can be exciting, whether it’s an 80 year-old Italian furniture designer, a mid-career filmmaker in California, or an upcoming fine artist working in Bushwick. For me, working in advertising during the day, I look to different aspects of commerce and culture to help what I do, and I think that’s the same for independent artists, musicians and writers. As I think these categories are becoming increasingly fluid.

What's been your proudest moment during all of this?

The cheesy answer is that I'm proud any time I see the magazine on a newsstand. Even more so is when it's a surprise—like an unexpected bodega downtown, or when someone texts me that they saw it at an airport in Sweden. It's at the point now where the magazine has taken on a life of its own, and that’s the most satisfying for me.

What was it like having Kim Gordon in the most recent issue? (That's amazing!)

Thank you! I think it was a dream come true for us. Kim Gordon was always someone on our ultimate “wish list" for as long as we’ve been making the magazine—and I think the timing couldn't be better. She has really “re-emerged” this year.

How did your collaboration with Levi’s Made & Crafted come together?

It was an awesome experience to work with Levi’s Made & Crafted. We teamed up to make a custom “Bad Day” look book for them to promote their collection for Autumn / Winter 2015. They wanted a loose “punk” theme to coincide with their inspiration for the season, which was fun to play around with. Personally, with the agency work I’ve done, it was cool for us to produce our first print ad campaign, which is an extension of one of the fashion stories in the issue.

How do you see Bad Day evolving in the future?

Great question. We’ve been so focused on fulfilling our goals with the print magazine. And we’ve really deliberately kept our digital presence to a minimum over the years, just so we can make sure we’re giving the print project the most of our attention. I think if we evolved, we would approach more digitally-based projects from a different point of view—as opposed to just producing written content online. I think video is an area I can see us doing more.

As a publisher of an arts and culture magazine, you must have your finger on the pulse of a lot of cool scenes. What are you most into these days in terms of music, film, television, books, visual arts?

As far as print magazines, I am excited about the latest issues of WAX, as well as the debut issue of Talk Magazine. I’m reading novels by James Salter for the rest of the summer. I just stream whatever is popular on Soundcloud. Some visual artists I’m interested in right now, or actually, most of the time, include: Sara Cwynar, Yto Barrada, Leanne Shapton, Laura Owens, and Linus Bill.

What are the venues, theaters, and museums you most frequent in New York?

My favorite venues in New York City for art and print culture include Printed Matter, Picture Room, and Karma. As far as theaters, probably The Kitchen.

Any helpful tips for freelance creatives?

Be persistent, and as polite as possible. I can be quite shy, and really, the best thing to do as a creative is to curb that tendency as much as possible.

Who are some other WNW members whose work you admire?

I always love the art direction of Elizabeth Dilk and Ashley Jones. I'm blown away by the scope of projects that Mary Dauterman has done. I recently worked with Steve Caputo, whose work I really admire.

Anything else you’d like to add that we haven’t asked?

Thank you for having me!

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Design In Unusual Places: The Taxi Fabric Project

Working Not Working August 12, 2015

Design In Unusual Places: The Taxi Fabric Project

Imagine stepping into a taxi and being transported to another world. WNW Member #5027 Sanket Alvani has done just that. He created an initiative that gives designers a platform to tell the stories of their cities through the unusual medium of... taxis. Because the perception of design as a profession is rather marginalized in India, Sanket was eager to demonstrate the impact it can have. A former engineering student, Sanket took the courageous step to pursue a path undefined, and finding his way as a designer in Mumbai opened his eyes to the opportunity to elevate it.

What started as a simple blog is now a full-fledged platform for designers in Mumbai to showcase their work on a taxi seat cover. Although a lot of attention is given to each taxi by its driver, to make it stand out from competitors, very little thought is given to the fabric used on the seats. The designs that cover the taxi seats are often dull and forgettable.

Sanket told us, “We put two and two together and started connecting designers with taxi drivers - turning seat covers into canvasses for young Indian designers to show off their design talent and storytelling skills. Each taxi is fitted with an identity label which tells anyone who rides in the taxi the designer behind the Taxi Fabric, the story of the design, and also how to get in contact with them for collaborations or commissions." The project was featured as a Kickstarter Staff Pick and exceeded Sanket’s fundraising goal. Excited to see how it grows and where Sanket takes it next!

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What's your background?

I studied engineering and happened to learn design on my own. Software and computers were new and almost like a trend at the time so I began to teach myself. While studying engineering, I started freelancing as a designer. Post engineering school, I went to a communications college and switched to advertising. I spent about four years in Mumbai as an Art Director and am now at Wieden + Kennedy in a more design/art direction role.

What did your parents think when you didn’t pursue engineering?

No one has ever asked me that! [Laughs.] They didn’t really understand... not sure if they do now.

It's very Indian to have a safe profession. I’m not sure I was fully aware of what I was doing then, to be honest. They always backed me up in what I wanted to do, and that is the only reason they were okay. They thought I would probably learn from my own mistakes.

I’m still deeply interested in technology, it’s just not what I thought engineering would be. It was a lot to do with information technology. I don’t think I was really interested in the theoretical. Art was always my hobby. It was more of a mistake to take engineering but better late than never.

How did you get the idea for The Taxi Fabric Project?

I started a blog taking pictures of the covers. It was a basic instinct as a designer and then started to evolve and develop over time.

What is most meaningful to you about this project?

The conversations I had early on with these taxi drivers. I realized that nobody is actually having a conversation with them about the seat covers that are being supplied to them. It meant that they weren’t really made for them, it was just passed on. When I engaged the drivers, they suggested what they would like. It was so simple and so ripe for designers to have that conversation. The full dialogue that has now started to happen with the designers and the cab drivers has been really interesting for us. I keep talking to the drivers and find the way they give feedback really interesting.

How is their feedback versus say, a client's?

Way happier! The feedback is plain, it’s simple. It’s just how they feel about it and that’s it. They don’t get into the details. It’s just how they feel.

What's been the most challenging thing about this project?

The durability and functionality of the fabric; keeping it clean, mending it. We have a six month expiration date for the fabrics though we're working to improve that. All of us are working on this as a side project but our producer gives a lot of her time since she’s the one actually in Mumbai.

Any favorite designs?

The beauty is that they are all different and that each designer brings something new and fresh. No favorite but we tend to be surprised every time we collaborate. You don’t expect designs to speak to you in that sort of environment but they do.

What advice can you can give to other members considering crowdfunding?

It’s really hard. The idea that you can simply put it on Kickstarter and it will get funded is absolutely destroyed in my head. That’s really not how it works. You have to push it outside of Kickstarter. When and if people start talking about it, that’s how you get it. One thing I want to mention is about the guidelines from Kickstarter: they give a lot of guidance on how to maintain a clean campaign. If you follow it, it helps a lot. Instead of listening to just anyone’s experience, listen to Kickstarter.

What's next for you?

A lot of people have asked where else I’m bringing this. I have that in my mind - I think it could work anywhere! Though the purpose of doing it in Mumbai would be different, I think it could work in London or New York.

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

MEET #7716 VANESSA MCKEOWN

Working Not Working August 6, 2015

MEET #7716 VANESSA MCKEOWN

Illustrator • London, UK

WNW Member #7716 Vanessa Mckeown is a newborn freelancer, having just left Fallon last week. The London-based art director/photographer divulges some delicious insights into her ongoing series playing with food, and reveals some of her pop culture influences.

Vanessa also shares advice she'd give to her high school self: "If you're moving into the art/design world, grades aren’t important. It’s the work that counts. Do what you love and everything will have a way of working itself out."

Also, sprinkles make her happy.

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How long have you been freelancing?

I just started this week! I was working full-time at Fallon last week.

Is there a time or place that you feel most creative or have the best ideas?

It’s always when you least expect it. Like when you’re on the loo or when you're falling asleep. Basically when you can’t write it down!

What's your ideal Working:Not Working ratio?

I take it as it comes so it’s always changing.

Do your parents understand what you do?

I don’t think so, they are very old school.

What scene from a movie makes you laugh just thinking about it?

It’s not a movie but Snuff Box makes me laugh so much. Especially these scenes.

If you were stranded on a desert island, with your computer, what three websites would you take with you?

Youtube - For entertainment

Google - It has all the answers

Tumblr - Keep my blog updated :)

What do you do when Not Working?

I usually work on my own stuff and try new things out. If I’m not doing that I usually go running, or watch repeats of The O.C.

Do you have a hidden talent?

Getting really good cheap holidays. I get really obsessed and search the whole Internet. So I guess I could be a very talented travel agent…

Any tips or advice for fellow freelancers?

Meet lots of people!

What's your favorite thing on the Internet this week?

I love this Instagram - it really makes me laugh

Any WNW members whose work you admire?

I love Aleksandra Kingo's work.

Where did the inspiration to work with food come from?

I think it comes from it being so visually appealing and I guess I tend to go towards what I think looks pleasing. I love strawberries and bananas.

Any favorite pieces of yours?

I liked the Good Gone Bad mushroom where it looks like a sprinkled doughnut. Sprinkles make me very happy.

Jessica Walsh posted one of your pieces on her Instagram recently. Did you know her before?

I’ve always been a fan of Stefan Sagmeister since art school, and I love their work together. I came across it by mistake and when I saw it, I had a celebratory cup of tea and cake at 10pm. Ha!

It made me really happy that someone I admire would like my work. It’s cool how she posts other people’s work. More people need to share the love : )

Bonus round time!

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A lawyer. I thought I was really good at arguing. I’m not any more!

Two truths and a lie:

1. Once I made gingerbread house that was A3 sized.

2. I accidentally used eyelash glue in the shower.

3. I’ve got a cat called Yoghurt.

Last things you Googled:

1. Daily Mail (don’t judge me! )

2. Tumblr

3. Tesco Groceries

What’s in your bag right now?

Moisturizer, two hard drives, a t-shirt, keys, tea bags, USB sticks, and hair grips.

Top pop culture influences growing up:

The Simpsons, Fresh Prince, Friends.

Cities you’ve lived in, summed up in one word:

I’m from Wolverhampton, summed up in one word would be "sketchy."

Dream place you’d like to move:

I would love to move to California! I love San Francisco and Palm Springs.

Current music obsession: what do you have on repeat?

Death Cab for Cutie! Reminding me of being 17 again : )

Best social networking site:

I love Instagram

Favorite quote:

I love Steve Jobs quotes :D

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” I love this one. It’s a bit extreme but I think it’s important when showing work. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks because one day we won’t be here so you might as well just go for it.

And this one Alain de Botton wrote: “Anyone who isn’t embarrassed of who they were last year probably isn’t learning enough.” I'm happy to say I'm very embarrassed of who I was last year.

You gotta love quotes.

Advice you would give to your high school self?

If you're moving into the art/design world, grades aren’t important. It’s the work that counts. Do what you love and everything will have a way of working itself out.

Anything else you'd like to add that we haven't asked?

Everyone should read Show Your Work! a book by Austin Kleon. It’s life-changing.

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FROM COMMUNE TO COPYWRITER: ETAN NECHIN

Working Not Working August 4, 2015

FROM COMMUNE TO COPYWRITER: ETAN NECHIN

WNW Member #2960 Etan Nechin grew up in an artist commune in Israel. He started his career as a musician but after getting injured in a surfing accident found himself writing. Less than a year later, Etan packed his bags and headed to London. And thus, a copywriter was born. Etan describes his upbringing as "Fellini-esque" and marvels that his entire village could fit in one subway car. Being the son of an artist, and one who straddles the worlds of art and commerce, Etan has strong words about the source of creativity:

"I think the most important lesson is that creativity is not a gift, it is a skill. My dad raised three kids with his art. It is not about finding that moment when the muse hits. Fuck the muse! She’s a fickle one. Always gone when you need her, always there when you brush your teeth two minutes before you go to bed. Creativity is simply a way of looking at the world from different angles. The more open you are, and the more you work on it, the better creative you’ll be."

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Tell us your story! Who is Etan Nechin and how did you get here?

If I could describe where I come from in one word, it would be Fellini-esque. I grew up in an artist village in the northern part of Israel, and when I say a village, I mean that in my regular New York morning commute, there are more people on one subway car than in all of my village. Professionally my first creative gig (music) was with a fringe theater group that years later I also did sound design for. I was 7 and performed on the flute in one of their shows. Even got paid!

I was a professional musician before I started writing. I got injured in a surfing accident and couldn’t play for a year, so I thought to myself, “What the hell else can you do?” So I started writing. My first paid writing gig was for a blog about baby names!

I went to art school in London, concentrating on writing and film. There I wrote for magazines. One of my editors always criticized me because my headlines were too pithy (which I guess was a sign.) When I finished my degree, I met a producer in Berlin who brought me to New York to write a film. That’s how I met fellow WNW member Nathan Avila, who was a Creative Director at a small shop in the city. For some reason, he hired me as a freelance copywriter. That was the first time I was in an office. I was 28.

Advertising was a weird and foreign world to me, but I liked it. After creating a campaign for the movie Ted, they let me go and I started to look for another gig. But I had no real portfolio to speak of. So I found a recruiter at m cgarrybowen online and sent her a postcard I found in a junk shop. I can’t remember what it said, but it was on a cheesy postcard from a Sheraton in Helsinki in the 1970’s. To my surprise I got a call two weeks later. I was at mcgarrybowen for a year and a half, working on campaigns for Verizon, 7up, Droid, and was on the team that won Maserati (yay fast cars!)

So I guess I’m creative by default. It’s like if you come from a family of bankers, or republicans—you just can’t help but becoming one yourself.

How did you start freelancing?

I left mcgarrybowen in December 2014 and have been freelancing ever since. I love freelancing because it allows me to work in amazing shops and do big campaigns, as well as projects that are not advertising-related. I published short stories in literary magazines, which led me to a summer graduate program at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. This year I took some time off advertising to work on a script for a performance-installation piece for the Slovenian Pavilion at the Venice Biennial. It was amazing!

I guess that's what makes me creative, and that’s why I love freelancing so much. Freelancing is not a job—it is a state of mind. It’s getting excited every time you step into a new unknown office, not really sure what you’ll be working on, not really knowing the culture of the place, not knowing who your partner is. It keeps me on my toes, and lets me challenge myself creatively. That’s how I find inspiration: by meeting new people, discovering new ways of thinking, and finding new ways of communicating to different audiences, from car enthusiasts to upper-middle-class Chinese families (I worked on a pitch for a Sony handheld camera for the Chinese market.) I can’t fathom going full-time ever again.

With your artistic background, how does advertising fit in?

Advertising for me is a great hybrid of creativity and communication. It is a challenge to find that right balance between being insular or too broad. That is what I try to do in my work.

What are some of your favorite things you've worked on?

I am always looking for the next project that will excite me. My two favorite advertising projects couldn’t be more dissimilar. The first is a sound installation I did for Maserati, and the second is a campaign that was a spoof on the Winter Olympics starring Kevin Hart.

Enough of the professional stuff, what do you do when you're not hustling?

When I’m not working I surf, travel, grow tomatoes on my roof, and try to learn new languages. At the moment it’s Spanish. It’s going muy mal.

What lessons can be learned from growing up in an artist village? Any particular stories that shaped you personally and professionally?

I think the most important lesson is that creativity is not a gift, it is a skill. My dad raised three kids with his art. It is not about finding that moment when the muse hits. Fuck the muse! She’s a fickle one. Always gone when you need her, always there when you brush your teeth two minutes before you go to bed. Creativity is simply a way of looking at the world from different angles. The more open you are, and the more you work on it, the better creative you’ll be.

The downside to an artist village is that it's a small-ass place and everyone gets into everyone else’s business. Secondly, artists can be self-absorbed, small-minded egomaniacs. In one gallery opening, I swear I overheard someone saying to their friend, “The art’s shit, but the cheese plate is amazing!” That’s how you spot a real artist. They won’t be admiring the pictures-- they'll be hounding the free wine.

After you got into a surfing accident, what was the impact of not being able to play music?

That was a pretty dark time. When you no longer have the main tool for you to communicate with the world, you shut down. I simply severed my connections to my musical past, worked in bars, and did nothing. After a year of just meandering, I came up to visit my parents. I stayed there for almost a month just reading, swimming in the ocean, and started writing again, this time with the intent of making something out of it. I went back to Tel Aviv, somehow applied to schools in the UK (till this day I don’t know how…), and was accepted into this really great art school. I took out a loan and left Israel four months later. I haven’t played professionally since then but recently I was thinking of kindling that part of my life again.

How did your family react to you leaving for London?

I was living in Tel Aviv at that point and basically I just up and left. I had to get some distance, find my own voice, as a writer, creative, and person.

Which films and filmmakers have most influenced you?

Oh wow, ok. So when I was growing up in Israel, there was only one channel on TV. 100% rating! Every Friday night they showed a movie, usually a classic. Also, we had like ten video cassettes we would watch over and over again. So basically I grew up on The Marx Brothers, Mel Brooks, all the epics (Charleston Heston is the man.) In the past few years I really got into Kusturica, who tells stories like no other.

In your nomadic life, where do you feel most “at home”?

I think I feel most at home wherever I manage to build a small community of friends, when you are past that “let’s get together for drinks” phase, and can just call each other in a moment’s notice, just to hang out. That said, last year while in Iowa, there was a war in Israel. The tranquility of the Midwestern air just strengthened the feeling of being so far away from my family who still live there.

Bonus round time! Two truths and a lie:

1. I dropped a tray of champagne glasses in front of of the Duke of Edinburgh (the Queen’s husband), while working as a bartender in London.

2. I was bitten by a viper, was allergic to the anti-venom and was in an induced coma for almost a month.

3. While shooting with Kevin Hart, I saw he was wearing a really dope sweater. As he was doing one of the scenes, I noticed the sweater just lying there. So I grabbed it (Kevin, if you are reading this, yes, I DO know where your sweater went!)

Last things you Googled:

1. New comment shortcut on Microsoft Word (Microsoft Office, you are the worst!)

2. What Zeppelin album “Kashmir” is from

3. Neckbeards (I did not know so many people walk amongst us sporting that awful awful look)

4. Things to do in Beacon (My parents were in town. They were on vacation which meant that I was on duty.)

Other WNW members you admire and why:

1. Yomar Augsto - motherfucking talented illustrator. I love his energy. He’s always on, positive. I think he sleeps an hour a night.

2. Mark Lowe and Russell Heubach - These cats, along with Mark Koelfgen (Mcgarrybowen CCO), took a chance on me, challenged me to be better, to really think not only about what I thought was cool, but also to listen to the client, and guide them to where you think they should be. Also, they always pick up the tab!

In one word, describe each city you've lived in:

1. Ein Hod, Israel - Feral

2. Tel Aviv - Kaleidoscope

3. Washington, DC - Why?

4. Berlin - History-channel-with-a-techno-soundtrack (I know, I know.)

5. London - Pints

6. New York - Tinnitus

What advice would you give to your high school self?

Take what comes naturally, focus, and fuck what everybody else thinks. Also, that girl who you think looked at you during lunch but you're not really sure because your friend told you that she likes some other guy? Yes, she did. So get a haircut and go talk to her!

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MEET #6586 GUILLERMO TORRES

Working Not Working July 31, 2015

MEET #6586 GUILLERMO TORRES

Designer • London, UK

Originally from Valencia, Spain, WNW Member #6586 Guillermo Torres is now a freelance designer operating out of London. Guillermo lets us in on his creative process: "I have to be focused and working to create, so rather than looking for random inspiration I prefer to put my hands on a notebook or do research about the project itself."

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1. How long have you been freelancing?

I have been freelancing for almost 4 years now, with a one year gap working in a London design studio.

2. Is there a time or place that you feel most creative/have the best ideas?

These days, place is not as relevant anymore; apart from having a desk with a good computer, you can work almost anywhere. And about time, as the famous quote says — "One percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration." I have to be focused and working to create, so rather than looking for random inspiration I prefer to put my hands on a notebook or do research about the project itself.

3. What's your ideal Working:Not Working ratio?

I would say 65/35, trying to keep the balance between work and free time, everybody needs some mental and physical rest in order to be more creative and enjoy the work they are doing.

4. Do your parents understand what you do?

Well, I think they do know, not in all the complexity of what is an Art Director/Designer but after 10 years they are getting there. From time to time I try to show my parents what I've been working on lately to share with them a bit of my professional live.

5. What scene from a movie makes you laugh just thinking about it?

I always loved Little Miss Sunshine, and particularly the beauty contest scene, almost at the end of the movie, when Olive jumps on the stage and starts performing in a "Superfreak" striptease style that she learned from her grumpy grandfather. An amazing societal criticism in a beautiful and satirical scene.

6. If you were stranded on a desert island, with your computer, what 3 websites would you take with you?

Extremely well-curated design blog: http://www.thisiscollate.com/

Reality through a camera: http://time.com/photography/

Some Fun! http://poorlydrawnlines.com/

7. What do you do when Not Working?

It depends on the time of the year and the weather, but mainly discovering new beers with friends, cycling, travelling, reading, enjoying gigs, doing some exercise and watching movies or TV shows.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?

After years practising maybe I can sing any phrase you can say in any existing style. Quite fun at the beginning and so annoying after a few!

9. Any tips or advice for fellow freelancers?

I guess I'm gonna say the most common advice but also the most important, keep the passion for what you do and the hard work, the rest will follow. Sometimes being a freelancer is not the easiest but for sure will be worth the effort.

10. What's your favorite thing on the internet this week?

People of the internet never stop amazing me, and the Greek Bailout Crowdfunding has reached almost 2 million euros.

11. Who are some other WNW members whose work you admire, and why?

Friends and really good designers like David Navarro, for his eye for detail and we are from the same city — Valencia, and Genis Carreras a passionate designer who I've worked with in London.

12. Anything else you'd like to add that we haven't asked?

My favourite meal, my Mum's Arros al Forn (Arroz al Horno — Oven baked rice). Guys, if you happen to be around Spain, please try to have it, of course not my Mum's ;-) but try in a good restaurant, it will blow your minds!!

More of Guillermo's Work

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HOW SHANE GRIFFIN MADE PHARRELL WILLIAMS HAPPY

Working Not Working July 29, 2015

HOW SHANE GRIFFIN MADE PHARRELL WILLIAMS HAPPY

WNW Member #2782 Shane Griffin teamed up with Pharrell Williams and Penguin and Putnam to create the striking neon cover for Pharrell's upcoming book "Happy". The book, which hits shelves October 6th, brings the beloved song to the youngest of readers across cultures, celebrating what it means to be happy. Shane opens up about the process of designing the cover of "Happy", and Pharrell's main request: "He wanted the image to evoke a ‘feeling’, he wanted it to feel happy, rather than to be a big obvious smiley face." We also aimed to find out what happiness means to Shane, and if "Happy" plays on repeat in his happy place. Happy Wednesday!

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Are you a big Pharrell Williams fan? Did you play "Happy" on repeat while you designed this book cover?

Pharrell is an inspirational dude, for sure, I mean the guy has been one of the most influential figures in pop culture for years. I was close to working with him on an Adidas project last year which unfortunately fell through, so it was great to get a second chance to work with him on this. Safe to say I’m a fan. I didn’t bump "Happy" when I was making this, though. Sorry, Pharrell.

How'd you come up with the look and feel? Was Pharrell involved in the process?

He was involved, but he’s a very busy guy, so not overly. His only main comment on the look of this was he wanted the image to evoke a ‘feeling’, he wanted it to feel happy, rather than to be a big obvious smiley face. I had a pretty clear idea from the guys at Penguin as to where they wanted to bring it; they wanted a lowercase childish font, but created in a modern bright space. They also were set on yellow as the key color.

Did you go through a bunch of different looks, or did you know the direction you wanted to go in right away?

Like every project, my first direction was probably miles away from the final piece. Creating a yellow neon on a white wall is no easy task, especially in print form. Nothing glows more than white, so you always fight with the background being a lighter tone than the neon. I went through probably 20 iterations of the cover, different wall textures, different floors, many many different neon looks.

What was the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge was making the type legible when it’s tiny. It’s nearly impossible. Neons are tricky when they’re small, there’s a lot of detail and light spill crammed into a small space, it can get very busy. Balancing the colors is tricky also, so I had to test it on several screens / color spaces / print formats. We even experimented with fluorescent inks. What looks good on screen doesn’t always look good on paper!

This book is all about celebrating what it means to be happy. What does happiness mean to you?

Just to see people making the most of their life, fulfilling it with whatever they’re passionate about.

Where's your happy place?

On the beach with the dog.

Of all the amazing projects you've worked on, which one makes you the most proud and why?

The Sneakerball Sculpture for Nike was fun, I’m proud of that for a few reasons. Firstly, it was actually a very tight turn around, so I’m proud of what Nike and I accomplished in that short space of time regarding the modeling and design of the sculpture. Everybody went above and beyond to make it happen. Secondly, the social interaction was cool. I was watching the Instagram feed for the event, and it was a great feeling to see people enjoying the sculpture and taking photos with it. The final piece really felt one of a kind.

Besides "Happy", what's another song that gets your spirit up?

I’m really enjoying that new Tame Impala record Currents at the moment.

Anything else you'd like to add?

I’m Drake's ghostwriter.

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DROGA5 CCO TED ROYER ON HOW TO MAKE IT IN ADVERTISING

Working Not Working July 23, 2015

Interview by Claire Wasserman

Someone once said, "It’s not advertising if you haven’t been kicked in the balls seven times.”

Ted Royer isn’t going to make you feel better. The Chief Creative Officer of Droga5 doesn’t mince words when it comes to his industry: "this is a shitty, difficult business." But Royer has prevailed against the punches, now throwing some of his own against agency in-fighting, award shows, and jingoism. In an industry that in his words "breeds self-loathers" the question becomes — How does one survive? And perhaps the better one — Why?

Raised on a steady diet of Gilligan's Island reruns, Royer learned at a very early age the power of escapism in storytelling. Upon discovering that everything was a choice made by someone — even the sign at a gas station was deliberate — Royer realized that he too could have an effect. He could be funny. A Little Caesar's ad was a turning point and thus, an ad man was born.

Yet, the industry is a tough one. According to Royer those that survive, and thrive, are those that believe they can do it better. With that firmly in mind, David Droga and Ted Royer set out nine years ago to create the sort of agency where big ideas and great creative would eclipse office politics and ghetto accounts. And so they have: Droga5 consistently creates work that racks up both awards and views — from the stirring Misty Copeland spot to their most recent win of Independent Agency of the Year. The more meaningful achievement, though, may be their thriving company culture, or as Royer puts it, "The Cult of Droga."

We spoke to Royer about ways to develop company culture beyond a weekly happy hour and how they safeguard the cult as they grow (Droga5 is almost doubling in size every year). In a candid interview, Royer tells us how he hires, when he fires, and a few of his pet peeves. Hint: don’t ask for the juice bar.

CW: Do you hang out with only ad people?

TR: Ha. I was bitching about Facebook the other day that there were so many ads...but then I realized that all I know are ad people! A lot of my friends are in advertising. I’m not sorry to say that because I love my friends, they’re really funny people. I can speak in a shorthand with them when I’m pissed off about something at work. But those are also the people I tend to meet. And I do think a lot of the people in our industry are funny and fun to be with and are really nice people. So I don’t lament that a lot of my friends are in advertising. Having said that, since moving to Brooklyn, I have made a bunch of friends who aren’t in advertising.

CW: Everyone is trying to achieve that whole work-life balance thing. How's that going for you?

TR: I’m getting really good at going home at 6pm. I love to put my son to bed. That’s my role. As if anything going on here is going to stop me from seeing my kids if I really want to see them. Sometimes I have to stay here like I did last night but mostly no, I want to get home and play with them, put them to bed, read to Max. And then, I just get back online at 8:30 and I can work again. I can watch anything, I can get on the phone with anybody, I can talk to clients. I usually talk to clients that late. But that time is super fucking valuable to me. The weekends are really valuable to me too. I’m not a believer in working for working’s sake.

CW: Have you had that balance your whole career?

TR: Oh god, no. I got hooked up kind of late so throughout my thirties and early forties, I was the guy at the agency on the weekends and I was working late all the time. My social life and work life completely blurred. I would drink with the people I worked with so yeah, I was working way, way more. You’ve sort of got to earn the right to not hit it all so hard.

CW: I read that you won the most One Show Pencils of anyone in their first year. How does success early on affect you?

TR: I have no idea if that’s still actually true. I got thirteen One Show Pencils in one year. It can swell someone’s head up to a degree where you become a totally insufferable asshole. To me it just brought a little relief. All it did for me was make me think, “Okay, maybe I can do this. Maybe I don’t suck.” And anyway a lot of that work was being the junior art director to some really, really great people like Paul Hirsch or Kara Goodrich. That year, they did most of that work. I helped out, I concepted, I wrote some stuff, but really I was just working with some fantastic people. So [winning the pencils] didn’t mean that much. It just showed me that I could at least play in this game, that I’m not a complete, total hack, that maybe I can do this job. So maybe that’s the good thing about awards; if you win them, they just calm you down. It’s when you start getting too obsessed with them and you’re doing scam ads and you’re doing this stuff for the rest of your life, that’s kind of ridiculous.

"It showed me that I could at least play in this game, that I'm not a complete, total hack, that maybe I can do this job."

CW: Do you watch your own work?

TR: Anytime I look at anything I’ve worked on, all I see are the flaws. It’s not fun to watch my own stuff. I don’t watch our own stuff after we finish it, I just get full of angst and hatred.

Ted's early work: An ad for Royal Peacock Hotel by Saatchi Singapore, 1997. — Ted's early work: An ad for Royal Peacock Hotel by Saatchi Singapore, 1997.

An ad for Raffles Cambodia by Saatchi Singapore, 1996.

CW: After cleaning up at The One Show, you left to work in Asia. Tell me about your move to Singapore.

TR: I moved there my second year in advertising. I was 27. And single. In Asia. Oh my god, it was so much fun! I’ve been a history buff all my life and I’d read all about Asian history so all of a sudden to wake up and find myself there was stunning. It was a blast. If anyone is reading this and interested in moving abroad, do it. Do it right away. Because your senses are heightened, your sense of self changes, you start questioning things you thought “well that’s the way we always did it...” It’s exciting and it’s fantastic and you become a better thinker and creative for it.

CW: Being the outsider: how do you recognize it and use it to your advantage?

TR: In Japan, China and Thailand, I’m this huge hairy guy walking around. I love it! I thought it was really great because you have to have an attitude of, “This is your country, I’m open to the way you do things and I’m really, really happy to be here, I’m not here to fuck anything up.” I remember guys who go there and say all these things about how America is the best, and I’m like: “Why the fuck THEN aren’t you in America?” Because we’re in Asia and I’m more interested in their culture! I don’t understand that weird, knee-jerk patriotism. Dive into wherever you are. I see it in people who move to New York from another country, they look at this city with fresh eyes and great attitudes.

Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore creative department, 1998. Spot Ted! (Hint: he has a goatee)

CW: Given that you're an exporter of pop culture, do you ever feel pressure to represent America?

TR: No. The only way I want to represent America is to be a smart, polite, open-minded, nice person who isn’t some jingoistic asshole. And I think a lot of people consider Americans just that. I’ve had a lot of people throughout my life say I’m not like most Americans, or I’m not what they expected. Why? Is it because I’m actually considering what you’re saying? I’m listening? Informed? That I’m not cheering the bombing of some country? I remember going to Buenos Aires - we were having some conference in a hotel there. I walked down to the front desk and there was this American couple there, yelling at the concierge. They were saying, “We just want to find a juice bar! Where is a juice bar?!” The concierge doesn’t know what they are talking about. I went over to them and said, “You guys. You are in Buenos Aires. This isn’t fucking California. There are no juice bars here. You know what there are? The greatest cafes in the world. Go find one. There are no fucking juice bars.”

"This isn't fucking California. There are no juice bars here. You know what there are? The greatest cafes in the world. Go find one. There are no fucking juice bars."

CW: Did you actually say that?

TR: Yeah, I said that to them. They stopped yelling at the concierge.

CW: Do you have the desire to move back abroad?

TR: I’d love to. I went to Singapore this year and I’d move back there in a second. It’s super modern, comfortable and it's the center of Southeast Asia so travel-wise, you can pop over to India. My wife and I will probably move back to Sydney since she has a huge family there and they all fight over taking care of our kids.

Phuket with fellow ECD's Steve Elrick and Rowen Chanen, 1996.

CW: With David [Droga] and your wife both being Aussies, what's your take on Land Down Under?

TR: If California and England had a baby, it would be Sydney. It's gorgeous, has sunny weather, really optimistic people and beautiful beaches, but there are pubs everywhere. It’s a real pub culture. I love both those things. California weather and pubs? It’s fucking awesome.

CW: Have you ever experienced the impact of your work when you’re traveling?

TR: When I was over in Singapore I had this group of people from Japan come up and say, “We love the Newcastle work.” And I’m like, “You guys saw that?” That stuff is really fun. But they were in advertising... All I hang out with are ad people so I’m not really sure how far it goes. I do remember, I was talking to some German girl and when I asked how she got into advertising and she said that when she was five, she saw a TV ad for Hewlett Packard with these martians and I’m like, “Wait, what?” That was my ad! They had re-run it in Germany and she said she liked it so much she got into advertising. Which is sad. But she didn’t believe me for an hour! I had to pull it up on my phone and show her. I’m sure anyone with a good reel has met people who have been inspired by them. Cliff Freeman is the reason I’m in advertising. There was a Little Caesar's ad he did with a focus group and I remember being at home and seeing that and going, “Okay, that’s what I want to do. Those jokes are hilarious.”

Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore, 1998.

CW: You’re so lucky you realized at a young age what you wanted to be...

TR: And all I did was watch TV. I watched so much fucking TV.

CW: That means you have to let your kids watch TV.

TR: No! Because I’m out of shape and lazy and way too focused on my stupid job and that small world I live in. That’s why I want to move to Australia so they can become surfers and scuba divers and world adventurers.

CW: Do you have rules around screen time at home?

TR: Yep, an hour a day. He’s 2 ½ and he’s already obsessed. If you take the phone away from him, he’ll scream. He threw a temper tantrum a few weeks ago so since then, an hour a day, max. You’re not going to become like I did. I came from a divorced family and it was back in the 70’s when no one was watching the kids so we watched TV all the fucking time. It was terrible.

CW: Or was it liberating that you didn't have helicopter parents? I mean, you had the freedom to create whatever world you wanted.

TR: But I squandered that freedom by watching TV all the time.

CW: But it was your education!

TR: It was, there is that. I remember getting smart about TV at an early age. Like I was the first one to realize that we were watching shows in reruns. My sister thought Gilligan’s Island was on every day and I realized no, they were running on network TV and now they were running in reruns. I was the first one to figure out how TV worked. I started when I was three years old - that was back when there were six channels. I would watch anything. I would just sit there and watch the worst fucking thing.

A young Ted, around 1972. Watching commercials, taking notes.

CW: What was so mesmerizing about it?

TR: The constant bombardment of stories and jokes. Real life didn’t compete that well. I mean I could sit there and think (and I would draw a lot); I could go out and make my own fun - and I did - but TV was always this pull. With divorce, my family fought a lot and it was a nice escape. I don’t want this to turn into a therapy session.

CW: I have a bad habit of turning interviews into therapy sessions, sorry. Let’s move on to something lighter, like dating. I know you’re happily coupled up but did you like dating?

TR: I loved it because it was almost like a game. Who can charm whom more? It was like a funny audition. It was soul-crushing and depressing for sure but I also found it to be a pretty fun way to spend an evening. But I do not miss it.

CW: Did you ever do online dating?

TR: I did. Not apps but I was on Match.com. What I loved about it was - first of all, let’s be honest here, I have this weird giant head and a huge jaw and I don’t think I make a sexy first impression.

CW: Quentin Tarantino-esque?

TR: Did I tell you that?! Some guys came up to me in Malaysia and mistook me for him. I couldn’t convince them that I wasn’t Quentin Tarantino. So finally I gave them an autograph. So somewhere some guy has got my autograph version of Tarantino.

Back to online dating: meeting girls in bars was really tough. It’s hard to go up to a girl and I was never really good at it. However, Match.com comes along. So I’m home wearing my disgusting bathrobe, smoking a joint, and I sit down and write a really good first note. I’d read someone’s profile and write a destroying letter that would get me a date. I could finally get laid using my brain.

"So I'm home wearing my disgusting bathrobe, smoking a joint, and I sit down and write a really good first note. I could finally get laid using my brain."

CW: You had an unfair advantage being a copywriter!

TR: I say, finally a level playing field. This nerdy brain can finally compete a little bit. And like two hours later I would have a date after I’d been eating a burrito, dropping sour cream on my chest. It was fantastic.

CW: But then they meet you...

TR: With sour cream on my chest.

CW: How did you meet your wife?

TR: I met my wife in Cannes. It's about as ad-y a story you can get, it’s so ad-y.

CW: Would you ever work together?

TR: No fucking way! I love her to death but there’s no way I can do that. I don’t understand the couple that can concept together and then go home and like, make dinner. It just seems like way too much for one person. However, it isn’t a terrible thing that if I have something going on that I have to do, she totally understands it. And when I do want someone to bounce something off of, I love her opinion. It's good for when I need her to be in advertising but it’s also very easy for us to just be a couple. Actually, it's pretty great. We have this sort of unspoken rule that we talk about work for like 5 or 10 minutes if we need to, and then we don’t. Or if one of us has to work, we’ll go over there [gestures to the corner] and work.

CW: Enough personal, let’s get professional. What is advertising, to you?

TR: Someone said, “It’s not advertising if you haven’t been kicked in the balls seven times.” It's a constant string of disappointments. You've just got to toughen up and get over that. For example, we’ve been arguing with and presenting ideas to this client for a year. A whole fucking year. You have to have tons of patience. It's a really difficult, shitty business. Someone also once said, “One out of ten things lives and goes on to be good.” That means you either have nine things that didn’t sell or bad executions or whatever. So you have to be totally used to horrible disappointment. That means when something goes well, you have to really celebrate the highs. That’s why I don’t think of Cannes as something douchey. Like when creatives get to go there, they should drink their face off and have a great time because it’s a fucking ridiculous business. Or when we do win a pitch, we should all go out and celebrate and we should cheer because the lows are low and constant. And the highs, when they come around, if you don’t celebrate them, no one is going to celebrate them for you.

"The lows are low and constant. And the highs, when they come around, if you don't celebrate them, no one is going to celebrate them for you."

CW: When I met you, we joked that with every award show, we’re like: “Another one of these?!”

TR: I don’t mean award shows. I mean if something good happens for the agency or the people you’re working with, you shouldn’t be afraid to go, “Hey, at least that was good,” because again, the bad outweighs the good in this industry. There are more shitty days than you have great days. So when you have a great day, you should take a moment and be happy about it.

Award shows and accolades: that’s a whole other thing. We are the most self-congratulatory industry, it's ridiculous.

Ted's Polaroid ad for Leonard/Monahan, 1995

CW: Why do you think that is?

TR: Because we have a deep insecurity that what we do really doesn’t matter and so we have to make up for it by throwing awards at each other. It's incredibly competitive, bitchy, and jealous. That’s just sort of the nature of creative people, I think. Someone said that “Jealousy is the highest praise you can get from somebody.” That means if you make somebody jealous, they actually think it really is good. You don’t want nice praise like “Oh that was really nice”; that means they aren't threatened by your shitty ad. So I think we are kind of a bitchy industry. I mean, our highest achievement still isn’t movies or music or big cultural huge wins. Our highest achievement is a really good ad or a really good platform. So there’s a level of self-loathing. We’re all like, ‘eh.’ At the end of the day, it’s just advertising so how excited can people really get?

CW: Sometimes it seems a lot of people I meet in advertising are wannabe writers, filmmakers, etc. If it’s “just advertising”, why not do something else?

TR: That’s great if you want to write a book or a movie or something, no one’s stopping you. I was one like that where I thought, why haven’t I done something else? Nobody is stopping you! So my thing is if you’re complaining that you’re not doing it, then it’s your own fucking fault. A lot of my friends are writing books, short stories, and becoming directors. If you are this ad creative who is filled with self-loathing and you really want to be doing X, then do X. Just don’t bitch about advertising so much because you don’t want to be doing it. This is a well-paid industry and an industry that’s easy to do an okay job and to have a nice career. I think the middle to bottom of advertising, you can come in and do your job and be fine. So I think people are stuck in these jobs because you make a decent amount of money and think yeah, I can do that job.

"We have a deep insecurity that what we do really doesn't matter. At the end of the day it's just advertising, so how excited can people get?"

CW: If I want to be Ted Royer when I grow up, what would you tell me? What might you warn me about?

TR: We already covered the whole disappointment thing. This is a business that kicks you in the teeth a lot. Again, the highest praise you’re going to get is your aunt telling you she’s seen your ad. There can be huge fame, but not for most of us. There’s good money to be had. You just have to like it. If you want to get up to the CCO level or even start your own agency, you have to like the business. If you don’t like it, don’t do it. Because there’s so many people in the industry that hate it and bitch about it all the time and my attitude is, get out of the way because there’s a lot of people who do want to do it. You have to believe you can genuinely do better than what’s out there. That’s the big thing that fuels me and the people I know who are really good: they believe they can do better than what’s currently being done.

CW: Last year we sent out a survey to all of our members, asking what companies they’d go full-time for. Wieden + Kennedy and Droga5 were mentioned an overwhelming number of times. Why do you think that is?

TR: I have nothing but immense respect for Wieden. I mean they are what, 30 years old and still doing it year after year. And the people I know who have worked at Wieden have a lot of the qualities we’ve talked about: they love the work, they have a strong belief they can do better than what’s out there... It’s a company where creative clearly comes first. Sometimes it’s hard for them to fit into the rest of the world after coming from Wieden because it has such a wonderful culture for creatives that a lot of agencies don’t have even close to that. I think David [Droga] would agree with me that we both immensely respect Wieden and hold it up as one - if not the - greatest agencies in the industry. And when Dan Wieden got his Lion of St. Mark award at Cannes, he is the one guy who can get the room to stand up and go crazy. Universally he is loved and respected and what he’s done for the industry far outweighs any giant holding company's reach or scalability. They’re fantastic. And the people I know there now are fantastic. So I hold Wieden in huge, huge esteem.

CW: Droga5 is frequently cited as an agency that everyone wants to work for. Why do you think that is?

TR: I think the people who work here are great advertisements for why you work here. I think the people who work here are happy and they feel they are in an environment that champions the great ideas. Some of the people who have come here and thrived have been like, "You guys have delivered on what you’ve promised and I hope I’m delivering on what I’ve promised you." That’s a conversation I often have with people in their reviews. I think we’re an agency that tries its hardest to let you be your best. It’s also really fun. It’s a really fun agency, everyone has a great time. Our parties are awesome, people love hanging out with each other. There was ski trip last weekend and like 50 people went - it’s just a great environment.

CW: How have you seen it change over the last nine years?

TR: It's been hard because we’re over 400 people. Anyone who knows David Droga knows that he did not want to have a small agency. We want to be big and strong and great. We don’t want to be big just to be big. We sold a minority stake to WME [William Morris Endeavor]. They are so respectful they say, “We don’t know how you do what you do, we just want you to keep on doing it.” It’s not like, say a WPP or an Omnicom who would come in and start telling us how to run our business because they think they need to get their share price up and need to pay ridiculous CEO bonuses. We have a parent who respects what we do and we respect what they do. Our areas of expertise don’t overlap.

CW: Did you expect to grow so fast?

TR: We expected to grow fast but this has been really fast. In this last year alone, I think we’ve doubled in size! It’s been crazy. When we were small, we never wanted to just be a small agency. We wanted to be a mid-size agency and be really great. Now I think we’re considered mid to large and we want to be a great network. We talk about where we could open up next and what we would do. Now we have these clients who really want us to have an international presence so again, I think Wieden is a fantastic role model for a small network that is performing pretty consistently over all the offices. You always see interesting work from a Wieden office. We want to have a fairly robust presence. Robust enough to be able to tackle any client in the world, but we don’t want to be some massive giant with 800 offices everywhere because that’s just sluggish and weird. We want to play with the best and biggest accounts in the world. We don’t have a huge car account - we have great car business but we don’t have an $80 million dollar account. I think GE is like $90 million dollars, Microsoft is like $100 million in fees. Our biggest fee is what, $10 million, you know? So we’re still dealing with those size accounts. We want to move up to that next level. The way we do that is by constantly showing how good we can be each time we get a bigger and bigger client.

CW: I once read that you said removing obstacles reduces office politics. But when you scale, aren't politics sort of inevitable?

TR: Well I think the character of an agency comes from the top down. And so again, I’ll point to David. He has absolutely no fucking time for politics, let’s say the typical fight between account services and the creative department. Now I’ve worked at a lot of other agencies where account services hated creative and creative hated account and that just seemed like the normal way to be. There is absolutely no fucking time for that here and that is a stupid, boring conflict. It’s ridiculous. So one of the reasons to start a place like this is to not have the same stupid problems that other agencies have.

CW: How do you make sure that doesn’t happen?

TR: Because everyone is lined up behind the work. And everyone knows that everyone they report to, that there is none of that fucking bullshit. People who complain about other people are called out immediately on it like, “Why are you fucking blaming other people?” If it’s your problem, it’s your problem. I have zero patience for anyone coming in trying to sell someone under the bus. It’s things like this - they come from the top. It’s who David is, who Sarah is, who Jonny is. We don’t have time for politics, we don’t have time for stupid conflicts, we don’t have time for stupid shit. Because we want to keep running as fast as we can to be about the work. So again, all of us have worked at other agencies and seen how not to do it. I’d rather have new problems to solve than the same, old, dumb industry problems that are just boring.

"I'd rather have new problems to solve than the same, old, dumb industry problems that are just boring."

CW: When you scale so fast, how do you maintain the company's culture?

TR: If the work is good across the board, isn’t that the culture? That’s what people know what they’re doing here, what they stand for. I always get wary of companies that try to ‘create culture.’ Like, “We’re doing a bagel bar! Happy hour Wednesdays!” There’s nothing wrong with that but that’s not culture to me. The culture is when everybody gets really psyched about a piece of work, they’re loving it and laughing about it. Or the culture is when the environment is so good and everyone is on the same mission, like when we were in ad school. If everyone feels that they’re with their peers that they love and respect...they all go skiing together because they just fucking love being with each other.

CW: But you first have to express the company's mission well. It’s funny because everything you’re saying is "obvious" but other agencies can still struggle with it.

TR: Because I don’t think other agencies truly believe it. I think they give that stuff lip service but when it comes down to money, or some decision, they will go for the share price. Or what the holding company wants, or what the CEO thinks will get his bonus. We are a creatively led place with a creative leader who truly does believe in all this shit. And then everybody gets in line behind it. Because it’s real. We have resigned accounts that are causing us too much pain and aren’t worth the effort. We don’t want there to be ghetto floors. I’ve worked in places where there would be whole floors that no one visited because the account was so bad they were like, “Don’t go down there.”

CW: That’s depressing.

TR: A lot of agencies have that where the new CCO comes in and it’s like, you, no, new guy, you can’t touch that business. It’s running fine, it’s running on it’s own, don’t get in there and try to change it. Well, that’s a ghetto account that just lowered the ceiling on its aspirations so low just to keep the money coming in. We’re never going to be a place like that. And everyone who works here knows that.

CW: I’ve read in many cases when a company goes public, not much good comes out of it, at least from an employee perspective.

TR: WME is private. Sure, money changes everything. When you go public you’re longer the cult you were before; you are now beholden to shareholders and stockholder meetings. Sure. Maybe we’ll see.

At the Droga5 office. Anyone want to guess what they're reacting to?

CW: I've got to ask: what do you think of millennials? Do we seem totally entitled to you?

TR: I think a lot of the stereotypes are true. I do. I think that millennials are a very, very optimistic generation, they believe they can make anything happen. Whereas my generation is pretty cynical. I don’t like to think of myself as part of that but I guess I am. I’m super cynical, super “fuck that, it’s bullshit.” That’s just what Generation X was. It was very jaded. While millennials are like, “I’m going to be a CEO at 26, my app is going to take off!” And the thing is, they’re surrounded by proof that it can happen. How many people do you know whose app has taken off? With social media, the feeling is that everyone is crushing it. I sometimes find it hard to hire when someone has just gotten $500k for their app from funding or whatever. But I don’t share the complaints that most creative directors do that millennials are self-absorbed. The people who are in that generation here are fucking awesome. They bust their ass and they are very smart and really cool. I’ve actually been at conferences where creative directors complain about this generation [millennials] and I don’t really agree with them.

CW: Do you think those creative directors complain because they just haven’t hired the right people?

TR: Sure, isn’t that a thing you always have to worry about? Hiring right? [At Droga5] we’re pretty careful about who we hire. We fire pretty quickly if we think somebody isn’t going to work out. But we are - I like to say this - we are a cult. And you have to believe in this cult and you have to believe in what we’re doing and we expect you to work really, really hard when you’re here when it’s time to work. And I think everybody gets that. A lot of good creatives love that, they want to work hard - it’s great for their careers, they’re going to make work that gets famous, so it's a very beneficial relationship. This company can do a ton for them, to get their work famous, to get them famous, but also they can do a ton for us like helping us concept fantastic ideas. People here understand how that relationship works. And we deliver. I like to say that we’ve made a lot of people’s careers better. I’m proud of that. When people go on to get salaries that I can no longer match, I feel good! I’m like, “Good. Great! You just got how much more!? Fantastic, go take it.” Well done. I’ll just go train the next group.

"You have to believe in this cult and we expect you to work really, really hard when it's time to work."

CW: What do you think motivates the people that you’re hiring at Droga5?

TR: I think there’s a genuine belief that you can do really cool stuff. I think being creatively led from David Droga all the way down, there is a genuine respect for great creative and a genuine desire to do great creative. So I think everyone feels that and they feel, “Shit, it's really possible here.” Someone was telling me they went to an ad school where they were constantly told, "Thats not realistic, you can’t do that." Then when she came here we were like, "NO! Do more of that!” She couldn’t believe it. It's like we’re more freeing than ad school was. Maybe ad schools are worried about their work being realistic whereas we’re the opposite. We want the craziest stuff ever. It's my job to encourage the craziest thinking ever and then reign it back and make it fit into what we’re actually going to be able to make. I remember a creative director once said she hated it when young creative directors came up with unrealistic ideas. That’s EXACTLY what I want from them! I’ll be the one, with my cynical jaded self, to pull it back and try to hammer it into a more realistic shape. But I’m inspired by that. I want the craziness. I want the huge ideas because now we have raw material.

CW: The use of the word ‘cult’ is interesting.

TR: I say it all the time, "Be part of our cult!" It’s not a terrible thing. There’s clear leadership, there’s a clear attitude - everyone here loves to have fun. [Executive Creative Director] Kevin Brady just bought a bar cart and is going around serving drinks.

CW: How does the cult get manifested here? How would I experience it?

TR: Well we really believe that people have a huge amount of responsibility. No one skates by. And if we see politics and bullshit and crying in the bathroom, goodbye. When people are political, when people are shitty and backstab, when they cause problems like that, we usually end up removing them. Because we care too much about the work environment and how much people are feeling and performing here to let someone who is detrimental to the culture stick around. I don’t know. It’s a hard thing to say how a culture is represented.

CW: A bar cart? That’s awesome! Don’t be surprised if we’re now working out of here...I can take the ferry right to you!

TR: You do know that ferry is like 50% Droga employees. People now schedule ferry meetings.

CW: How does that make you feel, knowing that people do that?

TR: I love it. Because I was really worried that when you move from the Bowery [to the Financial District] that being down here would make people not want to come in. But since we are bunch of skinny jean wearing hipsters and they all live in Williamsburg, the ferry is like the greatest thing. It’s a really nice way to get to work, with the views of Manhattan, it’s pretty stunning. Yeah, it’s actually done a lot for the culture.

CW: Are most people under a certain age who work here?

TR: If you’re asking me if I feel very old, then yeah. I think there are like six or seven people in the whole company who are older than me so yeah, I feel really fucking old. [Laughs.] Actually it’s probably keeping me young. All I do is goof around all day with people in their twenties and early thirties, it’s great! It’s a really fun job.

CW: I know you’re also on the board of The One Club. Tell us why you’re passionate about its mission.

TR: When I was in ad school, The One Show was the book that everyone fought over and looked at and loved. It was like the compass point of where to go; whenever you opened it up, you were like, “This is awesome.” It was funny and tasty and great and I actually remember bringing it home - because my mom never quite got what I was doing.

CW: What do your parents do?

TR: Well they are both gone now but they had their own business in Lancaster [Pennsylvania]. Nothing creative. My mom also trained dogs. She thought, “I guess what you’re doing is interesting.” And when I’d come home with the book from The One Show and say, “This is what I’m doing, these are ads and look, they’re funny” and she would go, “Ah..” She sorta got it. You know I’m sure a lot of people have trouble explaining to their families what they do.

CW: When we interview WNW members, we usually ask if their parents understand what they do for a living. More often than not, their parents don't really get it until they win an award. I guess it's because it's something recognizable?

TR: The One Show was always the best barometer in America. Now obviously we have Cannes and D&AD is obviously an excellent award to win and really tough to win. I feel a debt to them because that annual was what got me really excited about advertising when I was in school. I love that it’s not-for-profit and that everything goes back to scholarships and creating things like Art & Copy that are supporting the industry and I really like that about it. It’s a little group that’s working really hard for our creative community, our creative tribe. They are real champions of it. Again, I’m on the board with a bunch of really cool, funny, nice people whom I respect a lot. Every time I go to a board meeting, there are always some interesting, intelligent opinions. Jose Molla is our chairman of the board and he’s an awesome guy. I’m proud to be in a group like that who care about the industry, you know? We’re in such a fucking cynical industry that a lot of people shit on all the time. I actually like standing with some of the people who care for it and want to give their time back to it.

"We're in such a fucking cynical industry that a lot of people shit on all the time. I actually like standing with some of the people who care for it and want to give their time back to it."

CW: Organizations like ADC and The One Club are dedicated to educating and celebrating the industry. Those of us in advertising: what can we do to give back?

TR: I think they’re doing a lot of what they can. We’re always looking for more ways to do it. Art & Copy is a great example. Ignacio Oreamuno is doing a great job of it at ADC. Crab parties where everyone comes over and shucks crabs, or at the Miami Festival where people got their hands dirty and were making stuff. I loved it because it was playtime, and I mean that in the best way. Like, let’s paint! It was really tactile, it was fun and interesting and I think that’s fantastic.

I want to do more with say, high schools for example. Because I think a lot of people have no idea that this job even exists. I mean, I remember being in high school having very little idea that we could do this.

Members of The One Club Board at this year's One Show

CW: I thought you knew you wanted to do this since you were like, five!

TR: No, I mean TV was still just TV and I was looking at it like, I could probably do something with that... But at least I was vaguely aware of this kind of stuff. I taught a couple of classes where they got some inner city kids together at the ADC and when I told them I was in advertising, they were like, "What?" I’d have to say, "I actually make the ads you see on TV." And they were like, "Wow!" I think a lot of people assume that the people who work at the actual company make the ads, you know? So then I start asking, "What are your favorite ads?" And then I gave them a brief and they went off into teams so they could present their ideas. By the end of the day, some of them were like, "I didn’t even know this existed. This is amazing!" It’s fucking fun to get them when they’re that young and to stretch their ideas of what jobs might be out there for them.

CW: It’s sort of ironic that a medium like TV ads is so accessible - yet the industry isn't.

TR: You can see their heads go like this [widens his eyes.] I told them that every single thing you see was a choice made by somebody behind it who was working on a problem. Like, go to a gas station and look at the gas station sign. Someone designed that! That was a choice. Everything is a choice! And that started getting them going, whatever I like or see, I could be the person who does that.

CW: That’s very empowering.

TR: It’s weird. People haven’t said it to them, so they just don’t know.

CW: Final question (and admittedly self-serving). Besides our flasks, what do you like about Working Not Working?

TR: I love the flasks, I love Justin and now I love you! I like the fact that you’ve created something that’s incredibly accessible that also has a very high standard. I love that people have to earn their way into it and that it’s not just a cattle call. You’ve built a relationship platform that I think is really responsive and quick and something we’ve really come to rely on. There are still headhunters out there I like very much and whose opinion I respect. I think the two can co-exist. I’m just very happy this tool exists to give us a shorthand in solving problems in a way that’s not just LinkedIn. What the fuck is LinkedIn? I get LinkedIn requests from people - how do you even know me? It’s just a weird, meat market thing. Working Not Working: you guys understand the business, very much so. You understand what’s important to agencies in finding talent. That references are everything, that having a certain standard is everything. Time is huge, so valuable. I hate that sometimes we’re strapped and we grab whatever warm body floats in front of us. But we’re not above that - it happens too much probably. So that deep understanding of what and how we operate is really, really important and very beneficial. I think it’s also just a smart fucking idea because now you can do it across any industry. The potential for it is enormous. You’re going to get the whole airplane design industry. Architects. I don’t know who freelances as much as we do but the possibilities are sick.

CW: That means a lot because it has been three years of purposefully keeping the community tight, painstakingly going through each portfolio. We don’t automate any of that. And when you have big vision and ultimately want to expand, it requires a lot of patience to grow thoughtfully.

TR: That’s what I mean about understanding. This is a relationship industry. There’s so much bullshit, there’s mountains of it; to understand how to get around that and to make that one of your highest goals is extraordinarily patient and extraordinarily understanding of what we value.

Droga5 Work

Droga5 NYC Headquarters

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MEET #6315 GABRIELA ALFORD

Working Not Working July 22, 2015

MEET #6315 GABRIELA ALFORD

Designer • New York, NY

WNW Member #6315 Gabriela Alford just started freelancing at the start of 2015 after leaving the full-time world. She separated the two different lifestyles with a nice, long vacation. Gabriela's designs are always vibrant and enchanting; they make us feel like we're on vacation ourselves. We spoke to the New York-based creative about the shift to freelancing. Gabriela also shares some freelancing advice that she's quickly picked up along the way: Freelancing is great because you have the freedom to make your own schedule. Take advantage of that, and take time to do you.

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1. How long have you been freelancing?

Not that long - I left a full-time position last October, took a long vacation and came back and started freelancing at the beginning of 2015.

2. Is there a time or place that you feel most creative/have the best ideas?

I find some of the best ideas hit me at the last minute or under pressure, when I have to problem solve on the spot.

3. What's your ideal Working:Not Working ratio?

Probably around 70/30 - I think it’s really important to have a good work/life balance. We should all be taking breaks/vacations at least 3 times a year. Maybe it’s more 60/40...

4. Do your parents understand what you do?

I think so, they definitely try to! They’re very supportive.

5. What scene from a movie makes you laugh just thinking about it?

Bridesmaids - the whole thing.

6. If you were stranded on a desert island, with your computer, what 3 websites would you take with you?

Netflix, NYMag, and NYTimes - specifically the real estate section.

7. What do you do when Not Working?

Travel, see friends, go to museums, explore the city, walk a bridge

8. Do you have a hidden talent?

I’m really good at helping friends justify purchases.

9. Any tips or advice for fellow freelancers?

Freelancing is great because you have the freedom to make your own schedule. Take advantage of that, and take time to do you.

10. What's your favorite thing on the internet this week?

The cheap ticket to Mexico that I just bought.

11. Who are some other WNW members whose work you admire, and why?

My friend Leta Sobierajski and her partner Wade Jeffree are doing awesome things with their Complements collaboration.

More of Gabriela's Work

Refinery29 2014 Calendar

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HOW I QUIT WALL STREET FOR A CAREER IN COMEDY

Working Not Working July 21, 2015

HOW I QUIT WALL STREET FOR A CAREER IN COMEDY

A stint on Wall Street and co-founding (and later selling) a tech startup was enough for WNW Member #6633 Alex J. Mann to realize that his true passion lied elsewhere, in making other people laugh. Given that he grew up in a half-creative, half-business family (his parents own a jewelry store and he has artists and accountants on each side), it made sense for Alex to flex both the left and right sides of his brain. Since we're suckers for the "quit your job and follow your heart" stories, we spoke to Alex about how he made the leap into Hollywood, his creative influences, and why technology particularly fascinates him:

"Popular culture has become pre-occupied with technology in a way it hasn’t experienced since the Space Race. Technology saturates every facet of our lives, from apps that make grocery lists, to a government that eavesdrops and conducts cyber-warfare, to companies like SpaceX dedicated to the prospect of human travel to Mars. The question that drives my work – is our technology serving us, or are we serving it?"

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Tell us your story! 140 characters, max. Just kidding :) Who is Alex Mann and how did you get here?

I studied finance undergrad. My creative pursuits at the time – writing, drawing, painting – were hobbies. I worked on Wall Street for two summers while in college, decided it wasn't for me, and started a tech startup my senior year of college. I raised a venture capital round and moved to Silicon Valley. I ended up merging the company with a company called Trendrr and moved to NYC.

The startup began to feel like a day job – I was bored and unfulfilled. My friend Abbi Jacobson of Broad City was involved with the UCB Theater at the time, so I took an improv class. Improv led to sketch. That led to me performing standup and writing on my own. I started getting paid to write for CollegeHumor, Someecards, Thought Catalog, Funny or Die.

I left the tech startup in 2012 to do "comedy" full-time, although I didn't know what that meant. I had equity in the startup, and the company got bought by Twitter in 2013. During that time, I signed with an agent, wrote on TV shows for Funny or Die and MTV, sold my web series to SundanceTV, acted in a pilot for A&E, and wrote a roast about a Russian billionaire for Jeremy Piven.

My lease was up in NYC about a year ago so I moved to LA. Since moving, I've directed a project for AwesomenessTV, a subsidiary of DreamWorks, and I'm writing a TV series about Food Trucks for Pivot. I also started Space Oddity Films, a production company exploring technology’s impact on culture.

Given that your parents ran a jewelry story, did you have like, diamonds lying around the house? (And for all those almost-engaged people, what do you recommend?)

No diamonds laying around. I wish my house was a Rihanna music video. They're in a safe somewhere which I still haven't cracked. My recommendation: go big, like "Kobe Bryant apology ring" big.

In all your career twists and turns, have your parents been supportive? Do they understand what you do for a living?

The support comes in spurts and is often mixed with worry and dread. They get it. They get it the most when I make money.

Top five pop culture influences on you as a child:

I immersed myself in pop culture as a kid. My favorite show was Pee-Wee's Playhouse – I loved the art direction, design and absurdity. I watched a lot of movies. I probably saw Billy Madison 100 times. My top five influences would have to be:

Pee-Wee's Playhouse

You write all this quite casually but these are huge things to accomplish! What did your tech startup do?

Social media analytics for brands. This was social media's early days – we were scraping public Twitter, Facebook and blog APIs for data (which there wasn't much of) and running NLP algorithms. It worked okay, but "okay" was adequate for the time.

In a sentence:

NYC

Like a clingy ex-girlfriend.

Silicon Valley

Your worst dressed friend.

Hollywood

"No."

I know you met Abbi at Jewish camp. Why Jewish camp?

It wasn't technically a Jewish camp, but it was attended by mostly Jews. I went to public school with primarily Irish and Italians. I was one of about ten Jews in my class of a few hundreds, so I think it was my parents way of making sure I had some sort of social Jewish experience.

Writing unfortunately seems to be one of those mediums that people think should be done for free. When you’re starting out, how do you make sure you’re paid?

My first comedy paycheck was from Someecards. My second was from CollegeHumor. I knew these sites paid their writers, so I targeted them. Sometimes you just need to ask. Othertimes, it's worth sacrificing pay if the credit will be helpful in getting future paid work.

So many people have the dream but not the courage. Do you have any regret about not starting to write sooner?

This thought plagues most creative people. "If only I had started sooner..." I try to crush this type of thinking because it's unproductive, and focus on the present and the future. Can you tell I live in LA?

What were the biggest obstacles you had to overcome when going into filmmaking full-time?

It takes longer than you think. The creative process, and any inkling success.

Best piece of advice to anyone moving to Hollywood to pursue their acting/writing dream.

Don't. Just kidding. Sort of. My advice: Make stuff by imitating the people you admire. It will be bad, but keep doing it and it will get less bad. Eventually, you'll develop a voice and aesthetic. You can then discuss your “voice and aesthetic” with Hollywood friends over kale salads.

How do you make the transition from writer to director?

Write for budget and make stuff on your own. It's uncommon to be hired as a first time director, so the best way not to be a first-time director is to direct your own work.

Let’s go a bit deeper into technology and culture – what’s your primary interest in the subject? What do you think technology is doing to culture?

Popular culture has become pre-occupied with technology in a way it hasn’t experienced since the Space Race. Technology saturates every facet of our lives, from apps that make grocery lists, to a government that eavesdrops and conducts cyber-warfare, to companies like SpaceX dedicated to the prospect of human travel to Mars.

The question that drives my work – is our technology serving us, or are we serving it?

It’s your lucky day..bonus questions!

Current favorite app(s)

Sky Guide. You hold your phone up to the sky at night and it shows what constellations you're looking at.

Who are your creative influences, from film, television, music, literature?

Film – Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, Paul Thomas Anderson, Stanley Kubrick, Nicolas Winding Refn

Television – Nic Pizzolatto, David Chase, Rod Serling, Matthew Weiner, Vince Gilligan

Music – David Bowie, Kanye, Jon Brion, Led Zeppelin, Talking Heads, Brian Eno

Literature – Philip Roth, Jonathan Ames, Bret Easton Ellis, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Check your computer’s history - what were the last three things you Googled?

are there any babies named avocado

does the sunglass emoji have a name

how many a's in the word aardvark

You're a boxer. How does the sport inform the moves you make outside of the ring?

I don't box anymore because I want to preserve my brain. But...I think the key to boxing is not overexerting yourself too early, accepting the long-haul, and punching people you don't like.

Did this really happen?!?!?!

You'll have to ask Bill.

Two truths and a lie.

I partied with Bill Murray. I'm lying. I'm telling the truth.

Who are some other WNW members whose work you admire (and why)?

Maximilian Niemann. I like his low-angle camera decisions on the G-Shock spot.

Brad Hasse. His work balances humor and elegance.

Isabelle Rancier. She designs psychedelic eye candy.

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SPECIMEN: WELCOME TO YOUR NEW ADDICTION

Working Not Working July 17, 2015

SPECIMEN: WELCOME TO YOUR NEW ADDICTION

You can't say we didn't warn you.

WNW Members #2763 Erica Gorochow and #6818 Charlie Whitney are the colorful minds behind Specimen, a just-released app that tests color perception and is crazy addictive. If you like Dots, you'll love Specimen: "To play, simply tap the specimen that matches the background color. As you advance, earn patterned boosters and chroma coins to combat an ever faster clock."

We spoke to Erica and Charlie about how they got the idea for the game (they sit across from each other at work), the impact that incubator NEW INC has had, and why they hate color blind people. Easy to learn but tough to master, download the (free!) game and see if you can beat our score of 1312, knocking us off the global leaderboard. Not that we're counting or anything...

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Why do you hate color blind people?

Erica: Ha! If you’re color blind Specimen might not be your new favorite game, but it doesn’t preclude you from playing. Color-blindness itself isn’t a totally binary thing, there is a whole spectrum of color vision. We really want to find a Tetrachromat to play. Anecdotally, we’ve found that people definitely improve. I think the game is as much about focus as it is about perception. That said, we want to make color-blindness a mechanic. Having a color-blind mode doesn’t make sense but we’re asking: is there a way color blindness might be an advantage? Or can we do something that might engender color blindness empathy? Stick with us for the 2.0.

How’d you come up with Specimen? How did you meet the team and start collaborating?

Erica: The team is made up of Erica, Charlie and Sal Randazzo who is the lead iOS developer at Paperless Post. The music and sound effects were by Upright T-Rex. Sal and I have released other side-project apps before Specimen. We met several years ago while while working on a music video for Rihanna. Sal actually started his career in VFX doing flame. In early 2013 he mentioned that he was interested in making a game to learn new aspects of programming. As an animator, I knew my skills would be an asset.

Charlie: Erica and I have been friends for a little while and actually sit across a desk from each other. I came in shortly after she and Sal started working on this new project. While Erica and Sal were crunching on core game mechanics, I began explorations for how the specimens themselves could look and feel. It was a collaborative process where I would iterate with Erica, but then had to make sure I was working inside of a system that could integrate with Sal's existing code.

How did the museum-led incubator NEW INC help the game come along?

Erica: Charlie and I are full time members. NEW INC was a consistent hub for a side project that had an inconsistent schedule. The incubator helped us to connect with people who gave us advice, which in turn shaped the game. The supportive community was kind enough to put up with our constant play testing. And as we launch it was great to strike up partnerships with others in the space like Print All Over Me. Check out these rad leggings!

What have been the biggest challenges so far in bringing this to life?

Erica: Specimen is a bootstrapped side project. It took a lot of patience and faith that everyone involved would follow-through. Also, making a game is so tough. Trying to pin down what makes something “fun” is a lot harder than it might sound.

Charlie: I’m used to working heads down on a project for a month or so and then launching it. Keeping enthusiasm and attention to detail at a high level over the course of a year is tough. Having friends to hold you accountable is a must for me.

Anything unexpected happen along the way?

Erica: The game originally had a bigger quantified-self angle to it. We found we had to choose between making a diagnostic and making a game. That said, we want to bring back features that more explicitly reveal how you see color.

Have you already reached the highest level or beaten the game?

Erica: I’ve gotten to Zeta, but I don’t think I’ve beaten the most recent version of the game. I’ve played so much that I suspect my brain is somehow different. (I’m hoping for the better).

Charlie: I think I beat Delta once, but we might have made it harder since then. I am very bad.

Any advice for fellow creatives looking to build their own game?

Erica: Prototype until people won’t give you back your phone after you ask them to play.

Charlie: It will literally take at least 5 times longer than you think it will.

Do you have any plans to work on another game, or are you in need of a breather? What’s up next?

Erica: It’s nice to think longer term for once. We want to see how the 1.0 goes and evolve it from there. I definitely need a breather but I’m still excited about Specimen.

What are some of your favorite apps or games?

Erica: Dots, Two Dots, Finger Battle, Plug & Play, Ready Steady Bang, Metamorphabet, Loopimal, Edge, Threes. The Reuters TV app is stunning in how it incorporates motion graphics. I wake up and go to sleep to NYT Now.

Charlie: I don’t use too many apps, but I would like to know what happened to “Bump.” Remember that one? I used to be pretty obsessed with Flappy Bird and Ridiculous Fishing.

Normally we don’t ask this, but what’s your favorite color and color combo?

Erica: I love almost-neon red. Color combos with two desaturated colors and one hot highlight color always does wonders.

Charlie: Green, somewhere right around #75a834

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Wish you had those delicious Specimen caps that Erica and Charlie are wearing above? Head over to Print All Over Me, where you can match your app to a sweet Specimen cap, leggings and of course, tote bag.

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MEET #6435 TANIA LILI

Working Not Working July 15, 2015

MEET #6435 TANIA LILI

Designer • New York, NY

WNW Member #6435 Tania Lili is a multidisciplinary designer from Mexico City, now based in Brooklyn. She's currently an Associate Visual Designer at Code & Theory. Though Tania loves freelancing, she makes a compelling argument for going full-time: the social factor. As much as being independent grants you freedom, it can also isolate you. Tania reminds us of the importance of surrounding yourself with like-minded people. She also has solid advice for fellow creatives: "Don’t let your job situation stop you from creating work you believe in."

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1. How long have you been full-time? How do you weigh the benefits of freelancing and full-timing?

I began freelancing when I graduated from college (about six years ago) in Mexico City, my hometown. I came to New York three years ago and completed my graduate degree at Pratt Institute at the end of last year. I was offered an enticing career opportunity and have been working full time at Code & Theory for the past few months. I LOVE freelancing but full-time has a lot of benefits. I think the biggest one would be the social factor. I love people and I like to be surrounded by like-minded creatives all the time. It is inspiring and fun.

2. Is there a time or place that you feel most creative/have the best ideas?

I think at home. I am usually a night owl and often get struck with my best ideas after midnight.

3. What's your ideal Working:Not Working ratio?

80% work - 20% play. It all depends on the projects I am working on. If I am super excited about a project I don’t mind working on it over the weekend.

4. Do your parents understand what you do?

Not at all.

5. What scene from a movie makes you laugh just thinking about it?

Bridesmaids airplane scene

6. If you were stranded on a desert island, with your computer, what 3 websites would you take with you?

HBO GO, Uncube Magazine, Twitter.

7. What do you do when Not Working?

I spend a lot of time reading and cuddling my cat. I also love exploring Brooklyn with my hubby.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?

I can do pretty crazy stuff with my hands and arms, they are very flexible. Does that count as a talent?

9. Do you have any tips for freelancers and fellow full-timers?

Don’t let your job situation stop you from creating work you believe in.

10. What's your favorite thing on the internet this week?

This Bloomberg feature.

11. Who are some other WNW members whose work you admire, and why?

I really like Leta Sobierajski’s work and style.

More of Tania's Work

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WAGE ISLANDS: EKENE IJEOMA

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DESIGNING INSPIRATION:NICOLE LICHT

How did you get involved with the AIGA Quoted Series?

Did you follow it before?

How did you select these women to honor? How did their words inspire you?

How did you go about designing each of these quotes? Did you have your subject’s personality and style in mind?

Of the quotes, which is your favorite and least favorite message?

What moment in your design career so far has made you proudest?

What are you working on next?

Besides Kate Bingaman-Burt, who are some other creative women on WNW whom you admire?

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HOW TO FEED YOUR CREATIVITY A BALANCED MEAL: BRANDEN COLLINS

Who is Branden Collins and how did he get here?

Adult Swim offers such unadulterated and unbridled creativity. Its output is sometimes completely off-the-wall insane, but never tame. What do you take away from your time there? How did your experiences there inform your creativity, and the eclectic paths you explore now?

It’s difficult to pin a single creative role to you, as you’ve branched out into diverse fields like costume design and created short films. Do you feel most at home in one realm in particular? And when inspiration strikes, how do you decide which creative hat to put on?

What’s one creative role you haven’t yet explored that you’d love to dive into in the future?

You formed the studio The Young Never Sleep. What do you see as the pros of solo work vs. the pros of collaborative work?

Do your parents understand what you do for a living?

What moment or project in your career so far has made you the proudest?

What do you do when Not Working?

Who are some other WNW members you admire, and why?

What song always gets you in the creative zone?

If you weren’t a designer, what do you think you’d be doing instead?

Any tips or advice for fellow creatives?

BONUS ROUND!

Two Truths and a Lie

Last 3 things You Googled

Top Pop Culture Influences

Cities you’ve lived in, summed up in one word

Things you would tell your high school or early twenties self

Anything else you’d like to add that we haven’t asked?

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HOW TO PITCH: PR PROS TELL ALL

Marianne Stefanowicz, Droga5

My favorite Droga5 campaign:

My advice:

Mark Pytlik, Stinkdigital

My favorite Stinkdigital campaign:

My advice:

Krisana Jaritsat, Wolff Olins

My favorite Wolff Olins campaign:

My advice:

Meagan Phillips, 180LA.

My favorite 180LA campaign:

My advice

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HOW TO HUSTLE: ZACH HILDER

You started your career as a music journalist for MTV. What was that like? How’d you make the transition to copywriter?

HUSTLE has a certain amount of mystery surrounding it. Can you pull back the curtain a bit and give us some background: what it is, when you started, who's involved, and what you’ve been working on?

It must be tough to name an ad agency. How did you guys choose HUSTLE?

What’s been the biggest challenge in starting HUSTLE?

The "Hear What You Want" campaign for Beats By Dre redefines the idea of noise-cancelling headphones. You’ve featured a lot of athletes, how do you decide who to work with?

Who do you turn up to cancel all the noise?

Did you have a feeling the #STRAIGHTOUTTA campaign was going to blow up like it did?

What was your reaction to the public’s response to #STRAIGHTOUTTA?

Which project in your career are you proudest of?

What was it like to tell LeBron’s story about coming home to Cleveland?

You subverted the role of promotional merchandise by fixing the following two words onto pencils: Fuck Photoshop. Are you still getting “Fuck Photoshop” pencil checks in the mail?

You were a writer on the Call of Duty campaign "The Replacer". What was the behind-the-scenes like?

What advice would you pass on to your high school self?

What did you want to be when you grew up?

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INNER LIP TATTOOS DON'T COUNT

How many tattoos do you have and how'd you decide on them?

Fantastic Four Sleeve

Who's the tattoo artist to whom you entrust the task? Do you give a lot of direction?

What does your mom think? Or are we outing you on the internet right now?

B.P.R.D. Sleeve

What was the process like? Painful? Any funny anecdotes of the process?

Do you have any new ones planned or in the works?

Batman Family / Justice League Sleeve

Any advice for those considering getting a tattoo?

Bonus Round!

What did you want to be when you grow up?

Last things you googled?

Top pop culture influences growing up?

What’s in your backpack right now?

Best social networking site?

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DESIGNING INSPIRATION:
NICOLE LICHT