“Now that’s what an Ocelot sounds like” Bob Brodie said definitively, playing a sound clip he found in a lord-knows-what corner of the internet. “Sorry, Sean,” I said. “Maybe you don’t sound like an Ocelot after all.”

It’s a typical exchange here at the SUMO Heavy office. Between healthy doses of sharing videos, quoting internet memes and just plain busting each other’s chops, we work hard to produce work that not only satisfies our clients, but makes me damned proud to be a part of.

I’ve been a Project Manager at SUMO Heavy Industries for about three months. While any transition to a new job or position takes time to work out, Bart and Bob made me feel comfortable right away. I guess they pretty much had to, seeing  that I was their first full-time on-site contractor and the fact that we were all working out of their apartment at the time (Yes, they tidied up before I got there). Far and away the best part of working here is the welcoming atmosphere. Since day one, I’ve been included in all client meetings, budget reviews, revenue expectations, discussions of past failures and future plans. While all of this was overwhelming at first, it instantly made me part of the team, and I was invested.

Also, they have an open ‘nap’ policy and unlimited coffee. What can I say, I’m a woman of simple pleasures.

Sean, Bob and Jessica at the new SUMO office.

In the three short months I’ve been here, we’ve grown quite a bit. We’ve begun leasing an office and hired Sean, our full-time local developer. As we grow, SUMO still remains a place where all of our opinions and input are valued and never discarded. When looking at offices, the whole team (schedules permitting) went to look at potential spaces. It was a decision we were going to make together and if any one of us hated the space, then it wasn’t the space for us. This is something that’s only possible with a smaller company, but it exemplifies the family nature of SUMO. Having the ability to provide input makes me intrinsically want to do great work. I want to help make this a great place to be and to help shape a great company, even if it means working harder or longer hours when necessary.

I know SUMO will experience a great deal of challenges as we grow, but since the core values and ideas are held steadfast in place, I know it will continue to be an excellent place to work. Besides, where else would I have the opportunity to learn so many things (like how an Ocelot sounds)?

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Creepy Valentines

The Amazing Bellbot!

The Amazing Bellbot.

Fresh Impressions on Brandmarks (by a 5-year Old)

Art Sandwiches

Future Hipsters

The Friday Five is curated and written by John Suder, SUMO Heavy’s Head of User Experience and Minister of Propaganda. If you’ve got a story idea or see something feature-worthy for the Friday Five, contact John at john@sumoheavy.com. 

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You can’t miss the giant SUMO icon once you walk into our new office.

When we first looked at the space, the first thing we agreed upon was that the wall on the stairway to the loft should feature our logo.

Before: Blank wall. Yawn.

After doing some measurements and screen mock-ups, we decided instead to use just the SUMO icon. Instead of painting the logo, we went with a large wall decal from LTLPrints.

The great thing about their wall graphics is that the material LTL uses allows you to reposition or move your decal. Try placing a large decal on a wall and you’ll quickly appreciate this feature.

Pantone-matched paint!

We color matched some paint at Lowes, and after Bart applied about 137 coats of paint, the wall was ready. Then, it was just a matter of eyeballing the position and marking the spot (that’s the blue tape). The decal is die-cut on glossy paper, so once you get it started, it’s just a matter of smoothing out the bubbles as you go along.

Positioning is key. We used the blue tape to mark the spot.

Just smooth out as as you go. The material makes it easy to reposition and remove air bubbles.

We also got a set of client logos for the right side wall. Instead of die cutting them, I positioned the logos within a 12″ square box with rounded corners. That way, no matter what shape the logo is, the presentation would always look uniform. We positioned the logos starting from nearest the entrance, so we could add new client logos down the wall.

We still have about 20 feet to go, so Bart has to get out here and sell.

Client logo decals on the transfer paper.

After: SUMO icon and Client Wall in our office entrance.

After: Office entrance and loft stairway.

Thanks again to LTL Prints for a great product.  Check out LTLPrints.com for more information.

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Since his hiring, there has been some confusion as to how to pronounce our newest web developer’s name. (Hint: It’s not as obvious as it appears.)

To help with this problem, our crack team of cinematographers at SUMO Heavy Films have produced this instructional video.

Enjoy.

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Super Bowl Party Etiquette

Epic Advice from Grandma

‘Confessions Of A Designer’, What Goes On In A Designer’s Mind

Organ Transport Lunch Cooler

I guarantee that no one will ever steal your lunch again. Available at ThinkGeek.

PlaceKitten

Need placeholder images, but don’t have any spare kittehs? PlaceKitten to the rescue!

The Friday Five is curated and written by John Suder, SUMO Heavy’s Head of User Experience and Minister of Propaganda. If you’ve got a story idea or see something feature-worthy for the Friday Five, contact John at john@sumoheavy.com. 

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We’re happy to announce that we’ve just signed a lease on new office space.

Our new home is at  525 South 4th Street, Suite 593, in the Foremost Building. We’re just a half block from South Street (4th and South), right on the border of Society Hill and Queen Village.

It was just a few weeks ago that SUMO Heavy was part of an Inc.com feature about businesses started from home (11 Businesses You Can Start in Your Pajamas).

While we strive to run a lean business, we stumbled upon an opportunity for a place that was too good to refuse. The price was right and the location is just about perfect for everyone. We also realized that it was time to make a move. While we loved working together in the Pine Street apartment, once we hired our newest developer (Sean Kennedy), we were officially out of space. We needed a place that we could grow over the next 6-12 months. And at the pace we’re growing, we’ll probably max out this space sooner than later.

The truth is, having a physical office makes our company more attractive to potential hires. To bring in good talent, you need to offer more than a seat on a couch and free coffee. And while it’s not the most important thing, we now have a space where clients can meet with us. (Also: parties!) Plus, we’re steps away from the legendary South Street. The area has had its up and downs the last 20 years or so, but it’s still a thriving scene for arts and music. And within walking distance of our office we have access to some of the best (and weirdest) bars, restaurants and music venues in Center City Philadelphia.

Once we get settled in, we’ll be posting pictures of the new digs (Sean can only build so many bookshelves in one day).

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A roundup of ecommerce, retail and design news you may have missed:

[RETAIL] [ECOM] Facebook Commerce Holds Promise for Retailers

[RETAIL] Top retailers saw big holiday traffic gains thanks to Facebook marketing

[DESIGN] What Does The Perfect Mobile Interface Look Like? (Don’t Ask Siri)

[RETAIL] [MOBILE ECOM] Shopkick: We Helped Drive More Than $110M In 2011 Revenue For Brands And Brick And Mortar Retailers

[ECOM] E-Commerce Site For Household Goods Alice.com Raises $3.6 Million

[DEVELOPMENT] 10 Signs Your Team Isn’t Really Agile

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The GMail Logo Was Designed the Night Before It Launched

via The Atlantic

Forgotten Bookmarks

Forgotten Bookmarks

Tae Kwon Do Finger Guy

Control+Alt+Delete Coffee Cups

Available from ThinkGeek

Pizza + Beer = PizzaBeer

It all started with a surplus of tomatoes, a bag of garlic & an idea that started early in the spring when they planted their garden herbs. According to the site (which looks a GeoCities design from the early 90′s),  “Pizza Beer is a Debris-free product. The Margarita pizza is put into the mash & steeped like a tea bag. A whole wheat crust made with water, flour & yeast is topped with tomato, oregano, basil & garlic. The essence of the pizza spices is washed off with hot water and filtered into a brewpot, where it is boiled for a long, long time. During the process, we add hops & spices in a cheesecloth type bag & filter the cooled liquid into a fermentation vessel. (big glass 6 gallon water jug). After a week or two, the beer is good to go. Keg it or bottle it.”

Mamma Mia Pizza Beer

The Friday Five is curated and written by John Suder, SUMO Heavy’s Head of User Experience and Minister of Propaganda. If you’ve got a story idea or see something feature-worthy for the Friday Five, contact John at john@sumoheavy.com. 

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Every Presentation Ever: Communication FAIL

The World in a Drop of Water

German Photographer Marcus Reugels captures mindblowing photos of water droplets refracting an image of a planet behind them, making them each appear to contain a teeny tiny world. (via Geekologie)

Movies Reimagined for a Different Time and Place

Graphic designer Peter Stults reimagines and remixes classic movies and movie stars.
(via Behance)

Hide Your Identity Specs

Wear these to hide your identity from the press and the paparazzi.
From Ideas Man Shed Simove.

Countdown to Apocalypse

…in case you were wondering.

The Friday Five is curated and written by John Suder, SUMO Heavy’s Head of User Experience and Minister of Propaganda. If you’ve got a story idea or see something  feature-worthy for the Friday Five, contact John at john@sumoheavy.com. 

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