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Website

admin — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:02:30 +0000

Aside from Jessi in real life, the blog is the primary face of Lucky So and So. It was designed, developed and is maintained by WORKSHOP. Visit the site.

Many of the details of the site reflect Jessi’s unique style. For example, her tendency to dress in multiple colors at once made a rainbow tag necessary.

The site features photography art directed by WORKSHOP and shot by a variety of friends.

Lucky So and So

Secret Society for Wha?

admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:54:11 +0000

Josh and Jessi worked on their days off to build a site for the Secret Society for Creative Philanthropy.

It's live, and it's already being linked to from the New York Times and Forbes.

Read more about the SSCP, an amazing grass roots effort to get people past their hang ups around philanthropy, founded by our friend Courtney Martin.

The site took 3 days to build and cost a whopping $100 (this is the magic number for the SSCP). We could share more details, but then we'd have to kill you.

February 9, 2010

Our New Digs

admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:48:13 +0000

We started the new decade in a brand new space. Don't worry, we're still in DUMBO, but a few blocks can make a huge difference.

This space has some major perks: incredible views since we're right on the water, extra desks that we're subletting to some super talented designers, and neighbors to die for! We couldn't be happier now that we're nestled into our little urban oasis.

January 15, 2010

Compassion Goes Live

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:53:36 +0000

WORKSHOP is pleased to announce that the Charter for Compassion launches today!

The Charter is the culmination of Karen Armstrong’s TED Prize wish to return compassion to the center of morality and religion. It may also be known to friends and family of WORKSHOP as “the project we’ve been working on since May.”

It’s the reason we couldn’t come to your birthday party or your band’s gig, and the reason Creighton couldn’t meet you at the pub after soccer practice. It’s the reason we’re sleep deprived, and the reason Josh wanted to kill the rest of us.

It’s also the reason we’re now friends with some wonderful people, including Amy and Casson of the TED Prize team, and Liz Danzico who guided us on interaction design. It’s the reason Jessi’s taken up yoga and was invited to speak at the AIGA. It’s the reason we now know first hand how to set type in Hebrew and Arabic, and the reason we know how patient Neil Redding, our steadfast technology strategist, truly is.

It started as a web project, but it grew into so much more. It became strategy and tool kits and banners and a video project produced with our friends at Captain and the Fox. It forced us to grow and define ourselves and function as a team. It invaded every corner of our lives, changing what we imagined to be normal life, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

We’ve spent months looking at everything through the lens of compassion, and it’s powerful. We were growing weary of having our desire to do right constantly challenged by inconvenience, expense and the conventional wisdom of nice guys finishing last. Having compassion as a guiding principle has been liberating. “Yes, this will be difficult” becomes easier to say out loud and to a group when you have a Charter set forth by the world acknowledging that compassion won’t always be the easy path, but it is the path to a fulfilled humanity.

Thank you to everyone, not just our moms but especially our moms, who helped us, had patience with us, and believed in us over the course of this project.

November 12, 2009

Moving Windmills Information Graphic

cr8ton — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:19:48 +0000

William's story of how he constructed his first windmill is so incredible. We felt an exploding diagram of the windmill along with supporting pieces of the story, such as items powered by his original windmill and a timeline, would give readers a better perspective on William's achievement.

Moving Windmills Project

Band Art

jessi — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:28:03 +0000

The Lemon Drops of Death, Poison Ink, Free Advice and Dracula's Dollhouse are just a few of the SIXTEEN bands Jessi worked with last week.

Never heard of them? They're the summer camp bands of Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls. Jessi's duty: introduce campers, ages 8 to 17, to the idea of logos. But not just any logos, logos for rock bands! She was on hand to give a slide show presentation and then offer the bands encouragement in developing their own art. But little encouragement was needed by the prolific artist rockers! They got right down to business expressing themselves with logos they printed on t-shirts, drew on buttons, and markered on posters promoting their show.

The band merch was worn and sold by campers at their end-of-week Showcase. Willie Mae completely packed the Bowery Ballroom where impressive guitar riffs and drum solos could be heard during songs like "Female Llama Empowerment" and "Pseudo Friends." The younger girls couldn't wait to get on stage while the teenagers were cool as leather-studded cucumbers. No one left disappointed, and it was hard to fathom that only a week ago, none of these bands even existed.

Sample Lyrics...

She wore a pale yellow dress with her family crest
He wore a blue striped tie that brought out his good eye
In the background, the band played kazoos
The bridesmaids all wore neon shoes
- by The Oxymorons

Don’t forget I regret all the things you did to me.
If you do, then I will be nice to you.
I’m really sorry, I forgive you. I regret everything
I said. Don’t forget to always forgive.
I hope you will be my best friend again.
- by Brain Freeze Disconnected

Next week Jessi will take on the grown-up version of the camp. But this time she won't be a volunteer. She's gonna give it a go as a camper! That is, IF she can decide which instrument to take on. What do you think — guitar, drums, bass or vocals?

Dracula's Dollhouse created a type treatment and an illustration worthy of their name.

Simone gives a screen printing demo so campers can create screens and print their own band merch.

A poster by Brain Freeze Disconnected promoting the showcase reads, "Thanks for shivering."

July 17, 2009

Uncle Funky's Daughter Packaging

alex — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:45:05 +0000

When Tonya contacted us to design a series of labels for her hair-care products, she gave us instructions that were music to our ears – create a design with a seventies funk vibe, using a retro color palate. We got the funk jams cranking and the retro inspiration flowing!

WORKSHOP designed a curvy, script logo and a unique photo illustration of Tonya. Curly-cues in different colors unify the bottle and jar designs across the line. Favorite funk lyrics and humorous copy by WORKSHOP add a lighthearted touch to the package.

Uncle Funky's Daughter

Uncle Funky's Daughter Website

alex — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:36:10 +0000

WORKSHOP carried the Uncle Funky’s label style through to the website with welcoming, warm textures and vibrant, funkadelic colors. Large song lyrics from the golden age of funk accent several pages; a touch that aims to make visitors smile or maybe even sing out loud!

Uncle Funky's Daughter

TEDGlobal Gift Guide

alex — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:29:14 +0000

Drawing inspiration from the TEDGlobal Conference 2009 theme, “The Substance of Things Not Seen,” WORKSHOP's design for the event's gift guide reveals information as the viewer unfolds the piece. A line about the environmental sustainability of the paper is "hidden" within the diagonal lines, like an eco-Where's Waldo.

TED Conferences LLC

Moving Windmills Website

alex — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:14:27 +0000

The Moving Windmills website is a hub for all projects William Kamkwamba: from his personal story, to the working feature-length documentary, to his book, to community initiatives in William’s village of Wimbe, Malawi. A clean layout, designed and programmed by WORKSHOP, allows for ease in navigation and donation. Open Moving Windmills in a new window.

Moving Windmills Project