Raw Ideas

San Diego Agencies: SixteenFifty

This is the first of a series of San Diego agency interviews for you to gain the skinny on what its like on the inside. Figure out what they look for in a resume and gather tips on how to succeed and thrive in this creative industry.

             

 
         

SixteenFifty is a bright, irreverent enclave of intelligent and witty outliers. Located in posh, palm tree and credit lined La Jolla, California, the agency is an airy two-story agency composed of a mash-up of a Harvard graduate, a double major entrepreneur, a valedictorian of the Art Center, a mad genius with a penchant for exotic vitamins and even wilder ideas, a wall of awards, and a mohawk poodle. Needless to say, this saucy stucco cubby is crammed full of the right ingredients to create wild, cheeky and original creativity.

       

                     

              

 

                             

              

You may know of SixteenFifty from its famous Las Vegas clientele, like the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Wynn Las Vegas,  the Palms, Red Rock Resort and the Stratosphere, or from its local work with L'Auberge Del Mar, the Grand Colonial Hotel and its many high-end restaurants. AdAge talks about 16.50 here in "As Vegas Comes Back, Hard Rock Repositions: After Two Years with Flat Ad Budget, CMO Phil Shalala Gets Creative in Branding Hotel's Evolution" by referencing the agency as "ahead of the curve" of big-picture Madison Avenue-type agencies.

 

I recently spoke with SixteenFifty's team about what it is that sets them apart, and what they look for when hiring, as well as the challenges of staying "cutting-edge" in this technological culture, and what performance tips you can implement personally.

                 

 

Set Apart: When you walk through the open front door of SixteenFifty, Jack the mohawk poodle greets you and you are immediately swept into a whirlwind of activity. With a open air plan of two stories, you can hear conversations taking place both upstairs and downstairs simultaneously as computers glow from every direction. It's obvious something special is going on here in La Jolla.

When talking to the team at 16.50, you notice that they work towards a strategic focused goal in record time. Stories trickle by of full, commercial quality projects done in 3 days from start-to-finish. Their action-oriented culture allows them to move freely with purpose without the encumbrance of red tape. As a witness to their agile meetings, they are quick and decisive, and most meetings take place standing up before they briskly move on to make it happen.

From naming a restaurant to completing its full look from logo to windows, textures, reoccurring visuals, silverware and chef/waiter uniforms in days, they make client meetings happen faster than you can say "lickety-split". Seriously, its impressive. An agency not for the faint of heart, they have the best from the top schools and are not afraid of profanity or the outrageous. SixteenFifty flies in the face of the mundane, as naturally as the local La Jolla gulls soar into the ocean tempests. From the adept eye of their expert designer, Wendy Belt, a former valedictorian of the Art Center, here is what an example of a detailed visual creative brief done for a high-end restaurant in a radical turnaround includes:

• ·         Inspiration/Pattern 

• ·         Reflections

• ·         Pattern Evolutions

• ·         Photography/Mood

• ·         Colors

• ·         Fonts: Primary/Secondary

• ·         Tone/Messaging

• ·         The Story

• ·         Elements

• ·         Spreads/Ideas

• ·         Old + New

• ·         The Experience

• ·         and, of course, a personal Thank You.

         

The way they say they work is with a "Wow", and it's true. From their gorgeous visuals and strong concepts to the targeted 360 satellite marketing, their execution is dependable and their turnaround is nimble and quick. The clients are happy, and they add new clientele to their expanding roster monthly.

                        

             

              

 

Robert Earl Wells, the brilliant mastermind who weaves this smart team together, has been featured in everything from Fortune Magazine to InStyle, and often stars in many of the agencies more humorous pieces, is quick to point out that one key in every project, whether it is a core brand redesign or a commercial, is to provide differentiation. What is that key thing that makes the client different? From that strong positioning and research, they proactively deliver every time. When asked what their goal is, they seriously answer that it is "to be gnarly at the gnarliest level".

                     

                              

         

When Hiring: When SixteenFifty looks to hire someone, they keep a sharp eye out for something special. In your resume, make sure you show your added value. Put "something cool in your cover letter", whether that is something about yourself that would make them want to know more, or a personal handwritten note. Another piece of advice is to always go above and beyond. Be excellent. Be gnarly.

                

                 

The Cutting Edge: As AdAge said, this agency is "ahead of the curve". From implementing scan  technology that provides the user exclusive experiences to programming interactive social media hubs, they believe in "designing things on brand to the tiniest details". With the work they did for the classic L'Auberge Del Mar, they are literally on the cutting edge of design. Check out these cutting boards they did, as well as this case study:

 

 

                

            

Jay Cruickshank, a double major and entrepreneur nominated for top people under 40 in the San Diego Business Journal and San Diego Metro Magazine, has an active hand in the marketing and brand strategy of every project, as well as the social media of the agency. From starting JunkMD and naming 30 outlets, to grilling people in their Docubites, Jay not only produces video (also nominated for a Shorty Award, written up in Fast Company and has numerous ADDYs) but also edits the rough cuts while dexterously juggling everything else in midair. As a modern day renaissance man, he encourages you to:

• ·         Be a great listener

• ·         Be a strong communicator

• ·         Be involved in social media to fully understand it

• ·         Have a unique point-of-view to share

• ·         Always be learning and improving

 

         

           

Superior Performance: When asked what constitutes superior performance, SixteenFifty immediately holds up a calloused hand and lists five qualities and skills for you to work on:

1. Think 5 steps ahead.
2.  Work hard.
3. Be driven.
4. Have passion.
5. Go above and beyond.

                

                                        

 
  

Breakfast: Last, seeking to learn what fuels the fire of this cheeky agency, I had to ask: What'd you eat for breakfast? Mr. Rob Wells had a fiber smoothie with ice, flaxseed oil, a banana and psyllium husk along with two cups of green tea. Mr. Jay Cruickshank had three eggs, an avocado and water. We didn't get a chance to ask what the Harvard grad and Art Center valedictorian had, so we'll save that for another time.

                   

                   

At times extravagant, hysterical, impetuous, bold, and elegant, SixteenFifty's work reflects a consummation of its team's perspectives from Harvard, the Art Center, double majors, and the school of hard knocks through their spirited execution of original ideas. How gnarly.

You Totally Rock

Dearest You, 

               

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the links and publicity of the notes I took of Nicholas Felton's awesome Master Class last week. They were rough and not touched up, a raw intimate outpouring of mental processdoodling and visual grey matter jaunts and journeys.

            

                

One of the remarkable things about clearing one's mind and just writing/drawing/outpouring onto a large, blank sheet of paper that stretches out before you is how the senses sharpen. You can sense the give of the moist sharpie tip on the stock of paper terrain, you can hear the speaker clearly and totally as their voice reverberates down from your brain and distills into your capable finger tips and out through your moving pen, you feel free to run after and chase the visual butterflies that flit through your mind in association to the words heard, noting each fabric layer of the air that carries the promise of a blank page and your visual connections to it. Most of all, its just about having fun... and drawing rocket ships. 

             

 

Your support, tweets, RTs, tumblr love and blogs have blown me away this week. Benjamin Franklin once said, "Never confuse motion with action." Thank you for finding value, taking the action and sharing Nicholas Felton's great teaching in the form of my notes with others. I appreciate you! I hope the notes help you take away some key points for your designs and inspire you in your creative journeys of Doing and Becoming. They are yours to do with whatever you please. If they happen to inspire similar notedoodle taking of this Master Class, please send me yours! I'd love to see them.

In fact, I challenge you to listen to the Master Class and do your own notes-- I'll post them here. It'd be great to see your processdoodles! If you do so, most of all, have fun with it and be silly. Carpe sharpie.

             

            

Last, a big thanks to one of my design heroes, Mr. Nicholas Felton. Thank you for teaching the Master Class course on how you do what you do that has delighted millions over in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Wired, Fast Company, Real Simple, etc... and the Feltron Annual Reports. You also may know his style as it inspired the stats on Foursquare. Most of all, merci, Mr. Felton for your kind words and support.

You rock my information design world.

   

San Diego Networker

If you're new to San Diego, looking to network in the industry, or want to get involved in the community, here are a few local associations worth checking out:

    

                  

              

San Diego Ad Club offers some fantastic networking events, as well as learning opportunities from industry greats like Alex Bogusky, Dan Wieden, Jeff Goodby and Mike Hughes. Their events are always top-notch, as are Sheila and Cindy. I also love their designer the last two years for their yearly big Ad Auction and Gala... maybe you've heard of her. *cheeky grin* If you're a young professional or recent graduate, check out the active San Diego Ad2. There's always something good going on with the Ad Club, like the Addys Raid and Derby. - San Diego Ad Club on Twitter -

          

                                       

                        

AIGA San Diego is a phenomenal resource for designers in the community. From portfolio reviews to  a breakfast club, they offer a variety of events that cover graphic design, web design, social media, interactive media, print screening and the yearly local Y Conference. AIGA SD offers a lot of meaningful opportunities to get involved and make a difference alongside some really cool people.   - AIGA San Diego on Twitter -

              

            

                                     

San Diego American Marketing Association is helpful for those interested in marketing. From luncheons to education bootcamps and networking mixers, they offer some insightful events that can help you get connected to those in the industry. The main AMA site, Marketing Power, is quite helpful- check out their Resource Library. If you join, their monthly print subscriptions are great.  - San Diego AMA on Twitter -

             

                                                 

PRSA San Diego offers a fantastic mentoring program. I did mine with Fleishman-Hillard to learn more about the PR side of the industry we work in and it was invaluable. The mentors are high level professionals from top PR agencies and they are held accountable by the association to cover certain key topics during your time together. The PRSA also has some great roundtables, happy hours and, of course, the Bernays Awards.  - PRSA San Diego on Twitter -

       

                     

         

For those of you in San Diego county, Incitrio agency produces an awesome resource for locals in the industry. I try to keep up-to-date on what is happening each month with the AAF's Ad Club and our AIGA chapter, followed by the AMA and PRSA, but all of the associations can be a test of dueling acronyms in your planner. Incitrio puts all of these associations, events and more together in a Herculean feat of a monthly newsletter, along with job openings and award submission deadlines. They have events from over 15 local associations! The newsletter looks like this:

Incitrio is run by the talented Angela Hill who you can talk to @incitrio and has won awards like the American Web Design Awards, took the gold in Neenah Paperworks Contest, and has work in the LogoLounge Master Library of Initials & Crests book. To sign up for the newsletter to stay on top of all of the events in San Diego, there's a link off their main site on the right side.

        

                                  

Last, just for the fun of it, check out this cool site I stumbled across today:

                                  

LiveSurface Layered Image Library offers stock images to put your projects on with all of the .psd layers already done for you in perspective. It's a brilliant idea for a comp to a client or for your portfolio if you're in a time crunch on an awesome project. It's got shoes to billboards to buses, oh my!

Nicholas Felton's Master Class

Screen capture of Nicholas Felton's website

I missed the live Print Magazine and HOW DesignCast by Nicholas Felton this week, but I logged in late last night here and watched the brilliant hour long presentation by the country's preeminent information designer. From interesting insights on how the Feltron Annual Reports evolved to active steps on how to create your own data visualizations, Felton shares how more concentrated, engaging detailed data leads to more interesting, trustworthy stories and memorable narratives. 

 

These were my rough notes I took from the class without touch-ups, that I quickly shot to share with you. It's worth logging into and learning from! Don't take my word for it, take my notes:

       

       

              

             

           

                     

           

                

           

Everyday Etiquette for Creatives

Etiquette expert Elizabeth Post passed away this week. This post is in honor of that brilliant and wonderful lady who continued in Emily Posts' footsteps to pioneer a kind, generous attitude and  "Etiquette for Everyday". We in the creative industry can sometimes use a little re-etiquetteducation.

 

Etiquette and social conduct does not and should not be stuffy or pretentious, but instead seek to find the best in everyone while actively showing respect and kindness with common sense and courtesy. We are in a time where due to the prevalence of digital technology and modern culture, social mores can be extremely relaxed. Yet to some, their social and professional skills are so loose and unpracticed that they have become flabby. To state it in layman's terms, their etiquette muffin top runneth over. To tone up and exercise one's etiquette, here are two resources to whip one's (not yours, of course) manners into tip-top shape.

     

Say "Thank You" on Electronic Stock

The Jetson's would be proud. Netted by the Webbys today featured a site that allows you to send a "hand-written" note on fine stock electronically. I was so impressed by it that I wanted to share it with you. It might be an interesting option to consider for when you are following up, having a green industry event, are seeking a budget-friendly option for your fete, or prior to sending your first personal snail-mail thank you note. It's not to replace your fine stock notecards all of the time, but to provide a relief for them when you may have just sent a card, need an economically friendly option for a large quantity of invites or announcements, or are looking to become more environmentally conscious. It's called Paperless Post.

 

Paperless Post has the PR kudos from The New York Times, InStyle, W and Body + Soul magazine, along with Zac Posen, Diane Von Furstenberg and Eres.

 

Down-to-earth Elegant Etiquette Twits

Last, I put together a Twitter list on Etiquette Experts today to visit and look in on. I purposely passed up a chivalrous-looking fellow holding up armour of a knight, and a few talented women who lamented on chewing gum manners and whether shoes or loafers were "quite appropriate" for an occasion, to pick the lovely ladies who partake of beer and the down-to-earth gentlemen who understand we are in the 21st century. I hoped to create the list to allow you to peek in from time-to-time and learn something new (and perhaps hilarious). I DID learn today about "subway etiquette" from the list by New York graphic designer Jason Shelowitz; be sure to check out the images- they'll crack you up. Literally.

Image courtesy of New York Daily News; click on image to see article.

      

To sum etiquette up, be open-minded, fair, respectful, kind, flexible and proactive. And if you don't always cross your t's or dot your i's, happen to purport a social faux pas, or perhaps say someone's name wrong, a sincere proactive apology is most often welcome to the aggrieved party. Lapses like misspellings and grammatical errors WILL occur once in a great while; even at the most important times, swallow and own up to it and engage to fix it. If the person is not receptive, that is okay, but be one to do the right thing and be known for your character. Most of all, remember to send your thank you cards, make others feel comfortable, and demonstrate good manners all while being seen and heard... but please, don't get too carried away with manners. That's just plain scary.