This week, GTS sat down with the Creative Director of Threadless - Sean Donohue. We talk about bagged lunches, Sean's NY roots and the upside of being kidnapped by yetis. On with the show...

GTS: Hey there folks, Gettin' The Skinny is back and we've got Threadless' Creative Director Sean Donohue in the interviewee seat. How's it going Sean?

Sean D: Not bad, just finished some lunch and grabbed a cup of coffee.

GTS: Ah, nice. Did you bring a bagged lunch or did you go out for it?

Sean D: I bring lunch almost everyday. Usually leftovers.

GTS: Mmm...leftovers. Sean, please tell the GTS readers what you do as Creative Director.

Sean D: Sure. I handle a lot of the interface design for Threadless.com, The SelectSeries.com, TypeTees.com and ThreadlessKids.com, I work with Ross, Speedy Joe, Craig, Bob, Charlie and the other Sean D. to make sure all of the tees, videos and promotions come out perfectly. That's the short story anyway.

GTS: As Creative Director, what challenges did you face when Threadless recently launched Threadless Kids and Threadless Type Tees?

Sean D: With Type Tees I think the biggest challenge was and still is, what features we should build into the site to make it the best experience possible. We pay a lot of attention to feedback on the blogs for this. We made an update recently that everyone seems to like but there is always room to improve and refine. With KIDS the challenge was keeping the look of the site very Threadless and really accessible for parents who were looking for something fast. I have a little dude of my own and I know when my wife and I are shopping online for stuff he's usually pulling on your arm or something. So, we wanted to keep kids really simple and easy to use. I worked on our new Kids store too, that was a really big challenge as well.

GTS: If I may, I'd like to propose a suggestion for the type tees site.

Sean D: Shoot

GTS: A finely tuned slogan search engine that sloganeers can use to see if a potentially similar slogan has been done before.

Sean D: yes. for sure. search across all of our sites is going to be big for us this year.

GTS: Sweetness! Where did you work before you came to Threadless?

Sean D: Lots of places. Interactive and ad agencies mostly. In New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Right before Threadless I worked at a big agency in chicago called BBDO. I worked on stuff for all of Wrigley's different gums, including Altoids, stuff for Jim Beam, Starbucks...lots of different things.

GTS: Very cool. How does Threadless compare/contrast to a standard agency environment?

Sean D: Threadless has a pretty intense pace since we release new tees every week. We all have a really good work ethic and know what needs to get done though. It's tons of fun. Everyone gets along and loves what they do. Agencies can be tough. They're always playing catch-up to new technologies and trends etc for their clients. We don't have that problem here. There's no lag-time, no one waiting days and days for approvals on trivial things. At agencies, you spend a lot of time trying to convince clients that they should be doing things online. Seems strange these days but it's still very true.

GTS: Very true. Aside from site wide searching, can you provide some insight as to future awesome features at Threadless?

Sean D: Ha! There is a lot in store of 2009. So far we've launched Bestee of the Month and Artist Programs, both really great additions to the arsenal. We have some really great Loves challenges in the works and of course, like, 50 other things that I can't mention...yet. It should be a fun year for everyone, I'll leave it at that!

GTS: I'll squeeze some top secret info out of one you Threadless staffers one day!

Sean D: I'll have to keep SpeedyJVW away from you then.

GTS: I did a little digging before our interview and learned that your originally from Yonkers. Being in Chicago now, is there anything you miss about NY?.

Sean D: Yeah, I miss lots of things about New York. My family all still lives in the same hood I grew up in, a lot of my old friends are still hanging around. I love NYC, definitely miss wandering around and taking photos of the randomness. So, yeah, I miss it. But Chicago is a good town, my wife is from Evanston, Il. We live in the burbs now and I get to come to work at Threadless everyday so, it's AOK by me.

GTS: Bringing a little east coast flavor to the midwest is a good thing. Sean, I've got some great questions from my fellow bloggers for you. Are you ready to tackle the masses?

Sean D: sure, let's give it a whirl

GTS: Threadless' own speedyjvw asked: photoshop or illustrator? dont bs and tell me how they do different things, which are you more comfortable in?

Sean D: Photoshop, by a mile. You can't/shouldn't comp-up web sites in Illustrator so I've spent the last 11yrs flingin' pixels in PS.

GTS: GTS veteran Chipmnk posted: Do you have any favorite hobbies that most people wouldn't expect of you?

Sean D: ha, this is an easy one - singing and dancing along to Yo Gabba Gabba! with my son PJ

GTS: Generally awesome blogger littlem asked: what's the most creative thing you've done for a friend on his/her birthday?

Sean D: In college I was an RA in the dorms. I used to draw these giant posters for the kids on my floor in big boxy graffiti letters. They would each get one for their b-day. I'd spend way to much time on them but people really enjoyed them.

GTS: Our next question comes from TheInfamousBaka: What are your favorite kinds of designs? Cute, weird, punny, etc?

Sean D: I enjoy some of the more random stuff like "animals with eyepatches". yesterday i was wearing the Brian Morris select. I really love death and tooth decay from this week. So many good ones but those are ones i wear.

GTS: Blogger extraordinaire jess4002 asked: What is the meaning of life?

Sean D: Coffee.

GTS: Amen! Sean, it's time go right into the danger zone and play Pick One™. Are you up for this?

Sean D:I'm prepared, have my protective goggles on even!

GTS: #1 Big Apple Bad Boy: Frank Sinatra or Woody Allen?

Sean D:Frankie baby

GTS: #2 Parlor Tricks: Billiards or darts?

Sean D:Darts. The more I drink the better I get.

GTS: #3 Pick Your Poison: Scotch or Whiskey?

Sean D:Jameson's Irish

GTS: #4 Abducted: By aliens or by yetis?

Sean D:Yetis for sure. I enjoy the cold and I bet they have fresh meats.

GTS: #5 Let's Go Crazy: Nadya Suleman or Brittany Spears?

Sean D:Spears are cool so Spears it is.

GTS: #6 Color Format: CMYK or RGB?

Sean D:RBG, 72dpi

GTS: #7 Just Joking: Whoopie Cushion or Hand Buzzer?

Sean D:Hand buzzer, I'm a gentleman

GTS: #8 Ad-ttack: Print or Web?

Sean D:Web, I'm OG

GTS: #9 Battle Bots: Transformers or Go-Bots?

Sean D:Transofrmers. Constructocons to be exact.

GTS: #10 Worse Tom Hanks Flick: Joe Vs. The Volcano or The Money Pit?

Sean D:The Money Pit. But I can't remember why.

GTS: Sean, like all good things, this is installment of GTS is just about over.

Sean D:Sigh

GTS: But before I let you go, I need to know who you'd like me to interview next.

Sean D:Dylan Richard

GTS: Okay, Dylan's up next. And lastly, pleas share any pearls of wisdom with my fellow bloggers.

Sean D:Be good and thanks for having me!