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.
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.
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.
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."
Thanks to a roster of generous sponsors, an amazing new location, over 250 guests, two bands, an ingenious DJ and the addition of an official after-party, the Sixth Annual Workshop Derby Party was our biggest, rowdiest, most exciting party yet!
This year, the party moved to Workshop’s neighborhood, thanks to a location sponsorship courtesy of Green Desk and The Dumbo Loft. The new venue, just around the corner from the studio, made load-in and clean-up as simple as syrup.
Speaking of which, WORKSHOP's resident mixologist, Josh, concocted 17 gallons of mint julep. That’s four cases of Maker’s Mark bourbon, 13 quarts of simple syrup and half a pound of fresh mint! Thanks to Maker’s Mark, our Headlining Sponsor, everyone got their fill of the traditional Derby drink.
But juleps weren't the only spirits to liven the party. Alexandra Elman, owner of Marble Hill Cellars, and Doug Holt, also of Marble Hill, were on hand to raise glasses of the excellent wines they generously provided. Sixpoint Craft Ale was also a crowd favorite, served up in custom WORKSHOP Derby cups. Southern snacks, including benedictine, cheese grits, hoppin’ john and mint julep cupcakes were homemade by Josh, Creighton, Jessi and Becca. Good friends and Kentuckians rounded out the menu: Amy Kremer cooked up batches of delicious cornbread, and Dennis Clare provided the essential Derby pie.
As a sustainable initiative, we set up a resource recovery station, including separate containers for recycling, compost and, as a last resort, landfill. All utensils were stainless steel finds purchased from thrift shops. Sustainable NYC graciously furnished the party with sugar cane cocktail plates and cups as well as recycled paper napkins.
Dominique Comacho, owner of Sustainable NYC, also joined our panel of experts for the second annual Hat Contest. Our qualified judges included last year’s champ, the lovely Ellen Haller; “Swiss” hat aficionado, Antonio Furgiuele; our impartial Circuit Court Judge all the way from Kentucky, Uncle Steve Mershon; and the discerning Randy Makiej, who we like to think of as our very own Nina Garcia. Winners earned gift certificates from Sustainable NYC, merch from WORKSHOP and Maker's Mark and custom candy trophies by Papabubble candy-maker Jelly Chavez.
Signs helped with sorting at the Resource Recovery Station.Crazy Legz Mershon and his jockey Chris Roan bestow honor and prizes upon our deserving Hat Contest Winner, Heather Millen.
Master of Ceremonies, Chris Roan, ushered us from live band to hat contest to televised race back to live band seamlessly. Suited in his now-famous custom jockey silks, with this year's addition of a genuine riding helmet, Chris was the most professional and least-susceptible-to-head-injury host ever! He led a rousing round of Derby Trivia, with such popular prizes as mustache disguises by friend Holly McBride at Hammade, posters from our friends Karla and Emily at Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls and a jar of WORMSHOP's finest worm poo.
A quorum of attornies kept the day’s events official. Steve Nakamura, Esq. collected wagers (for entertainment purposes only, of course!) and awarded Mine That Bird faithfuls with their winnings, while Brian Drozda, Esq. methodically tabulated and reported results of the hat competition.
Mellow tunes by Alon's Bluegrass Jazz Trio hit the spot before the race, while Mossy Pine featuring Diane Williams provided authentic Kentucky jams after the race. As the final song played and the last cupcake was eaten, we moved around the corner to reBar where DJ Einstein Q. Rockefeller got the funk flowing and the crowd dancing. Around midnight, after scarfing down the last of the Derby pie, all of us from WORKSHOP headed home. Midnight might sound early to some, but when the party starts at four, that's a full eight hours of hard partying. We’re still overflowing with gratitude for our sponsors and friends who made Derby Party Six so memorable. Now that we’ve had a little time to recuperate, let the countdown to Derby Seven begin!
Thank you to our amazing photographers Erin Hudak and Matt Watson who worked so tirelessly to capture the event for us.
Jessi created some designs inspired by her Mississippi roots. Rather than print them on new shirts, we decided it would be more eco-conscious to print on existing materials.
We charged Jessi's mom and best friends with scouring the thrift stores of Northern Mississippi to see what they could find that we could print on. We used Martha and Danny's kitchen to print the inventory and then took the wares to Starkville's Cotton District Arts Festival.
Would event goers respond to the idea of wearing recycled goods? It was a slow rainy start, but by the time the sun came out, the booth was a hit! Favorites ended up being the "more crawfish, please" design printed on bibs sewn by friends from old sweatshirts and the Mississippi star design printed on just about anything. We're not sure if people were loving the great prices (items were under $10), the green approach, or the distinctly Southern style, but we ran out of several sizes. Plans are in the works to offer the designs online and at the Canton Flea Market this October.
A big thanks to Martha, Laura, Laura, Emily, Marcie, Amy, Danny, Jason, Marc and Uncle Howie for all their hard work, and thanks to everyone who purchased!
WORKSHOP's founders are home from some much needed time off, where we relaxed in lovely Sayulita for a week. We'd love to say our week long Mexican fiesta was a learning experience, so maybe we will. Here are some lessons learned:
- Internet cafes with beer and ocean views: dangerous or glorious, depending on your point of view.
- Daring the sun to burn you: not advisable as nature always wins.
- Washing up on the shore naked: acceptable side effect of body surfing.
- Canned olives con jamón jamón y queso azul: delicious only if you're Ben Nabors.
- Smash ball: excellent beach workout.
- The Mexican Pacific: filled with flecks of gold.
- Scorpions: contrary to popular myth, quite easy to kill, but nonetheless scary.
- Baby Lucy in the pool: endlessly entertaining.
- Motivating Josh to hit "the club": futile.
- Paved roads: over rated.
- Jungle paths: under rated.
- Moonlit waves: captivating.
- Sayulita: we miss you.
Thanks to Becca and Alex for holding down the fort. We're back, so bring on the work, and let's get ready for the Derby!
What a thrill to learn that something we designed for one purpose, once it's no longer needed for that purpose, can be turned into something else entirely, keeping it out of the waste stream.
Our friend and client, Dominique Camacho, just sent over what will be the next life for banners we originally designed for Sustainable NYC's compost-themed window display. With the help of Revinylized, a company that makes accessories from recycled billboard and banner vinyl, Dominique can now offer these super cute bags for sale in her store. We love how each bag is unique and shows a different element from the original design. Plus, these bags make a statement: banana peels and used coffee cups are compostable and chic.
If you haven't already, visit Sustainable NYC on Avenue A between 8th and 9th Streets. Dominique and her friendly staff do a wonderful job of stocking this store with wonderful gift items, beauty products, and footwear as well as every day necessities (bio trash bags, gDiapers, baking cups, etc.). They are working hard to provide eco-friendly alternatives to almost everything you need.
We've said we're not above dumpster diving, and we jumped at the chance to prove it when we discovered a pile of scrap wood in our building’s refuse pile. With a few coats of zero VOC paint, some nails and a little elbow grease, we now have a white picket fence to hide all the wires under our desks.
But where would a fence be without something greener on the other side? Our desks themselves, not to mention our conference table, chairs and kitchen cabinets, are all built with salvaged materials gathered at Build It Green! in Astoria, NY. While there, we also discovered an eclectic collection of doors that we transformed into an entryway wall.
Martha Taylor, Jessi's mother and visiting handy-woman, built additional storage, rearranged furniture and installed new lighting fixtures. Our newly improved office is organized, cozy and bright. We can't wait for clients and friends to drop in to say hello!
Here's a sneak preview of our latest project, identity and packaging for Uncle Funky's Daughter. Working with company founder Tonya has been a real treat. We knew we'd love her as soon as she told us her favorite colors were those of appliances from the 70s. The labels we designed for her signature product line, specifically for curly, kinky and wavy hair, are in keeping with that retro vibe. They are all-natural, packaged eco-consciously, and made right here in the good ole' U.S. of A.
These are photos of the comps, not the actual thing. Check back often as we should have the real line soon (currently 5 different products in the works) and a new e-commerce site.
