http://www.threadless.com/ Sat, 30 Aug 2008 09:16:01 -0500 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:40:29 -0600


I got quite a few, so if any one would like one, please send me an e-mail at my threadless user name at yahoo dot com with a mailing address. First come, first served.]]> Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:22:42 -0600 Springwise:

One of the challenges for charitable organizations large and small is to get potential donors to feel the need for help in an immediate and personal way. By selling t-shirts imprinted with the stories of the specific individuals in need of assistance, Rosa Loves raises the necessary funds while also giving donors a tangible connection with the people they have helped.

Each Rosa Loves t-shirt is created to help a specific person, family or community, and 60 percent of its sales go directly to providing that assistance. The story of those in need is told on each t-shirt through not just a graphical design on the outside, but also a written description of that story on the shirt's inside, just over the wearer's heart. T-shirts are hand-numbered and created in limited runs; once the needed amount has been raised for a particular cause, Rosa Loves stops printing and selling the associated t-shirt. A series of t-shirts over the holidays, for example, was designed to provide holiday meals to 10 families in the St. Augustine, Florida, area, where Rosa Loves is based. In just two weeks, the shirts sold out and Rosa Loves had enough funds to supply the needed meals.

The site's founders explain: "It's usually thoughts like, 'those people over there,' that perpetuate a sense of complacency and lack of concern. Rosa Loves wants to shed light on the stories around us, to give them a real face, a real name."

The Rosa Loves website]]> Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:10:25 -0500
"Presidential Candidate Mike Gravel is looking for a few talented graphic designers to volunteer to lend their talents to the campaign by submitting new designs for logos, t-shirts and other promotional materials. Please email low-res samples to cpetherick@gravel2008.us

Designers, whose submissions are adopted by the campaign, will be given full credit on the Senator's web site. So let's get designing, folks, and help us spread the word!"
Learn More: Gravel '08

You won't get paid, but maybe Gravel will do another video stare-off wearing your swanky campaign t-shirt or button.]]> Sat, 07 Jul 2007 01:03:46 -0500
Some of the questions I was asked included:

1. How did I learn about Threadless and what prompted me to join?

2. What keeps me coming back to participate at Threadless?

3. Would a distribution partnership with a chain store retailer change the nature of Threadless experience or my opinion of Threadless? (theoretical question, guys...)

4. What differentiates my experience at Threadless from other internet chat groups/forums that I participate in?

Zahra and Brian ("the HBS film crew") also tailored questions around my personal experiences, which was really cool (having worked in a lot of nonprofit programs, they were interested in my opinion on political design at Threadless, for example).

The whole interview experience was designed in such a way that made it very hard for me to look like a complete and utter babbling idiot (which is my normal state) -- so if you are in the metropolitan Boston area and have some time, send an e-mail to the team at threadless@hbs.edu.

PS: The HBS crew do need to return to Chicago for one more interview with the Threadless folks, so people from Chicago might want to mention an interest in participating in the case study as well -- it never hurts to ask!]]> Wed, 04 Jul 2007 04:58:56 -0500

Win a BRAND NEW 5.5" by 4" DigiPro Drawing Tablet just by taking the "Which Classic Movie Are You" and "What Famous Leader Are You?" tests at Similar Minds.comand match my results!

Post your results by Saturday, July 7, to be considered for the contest -- remember you must take both tests! List your submission in this way:

MOVIE:
LEADER:]]> Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:08:52 -0500
Tired Joke #1 ("Simon Cowell")


Tired Joke #2 ("Paula Abdul")


Tired Joke #3 ("Randy Jackson")


Tired Joke #4 ("Ryan Seacrest")]]> Sun, 10 Jun 2007 21:57:12 -0500
I'm sure there is a way to create stunning illustrations on MS Paint, but I have yet to see it. If someone can direct me to a site where the use of MS Paint is raised to high art, I would greatly appreciate it.
]]> Wed, 30 May 2007 16:42:25 -0500 Springwise:

Last week, we wrote about uShip, where customers post shipments online and shipping companies bid for their business. A similar approach is being taken by another venture we recently spotted. This time, it's all about design. SitePoint, an Australian media company that targets web professionals, lets companies hold design contests and gain access to the creative talents of the global design community.

How it works? A business owner looking for a new design, be it a logo, website or stationery, describes exactly what she's looking for: what the desired colour scheme and file format are, what the design is for, and which elements to incorporate (for example: “We would like to have the initials PCM and 'Panama City Models' below the initials with a smaller font. But might consider a different approach”). After a prize amount and an end-date have been set, designers start submitting their work for all to see. Once the contest holder sees a design she likes, she can award the prize to buy the design. Alternatively, she can first suggest minor tweaks or request changes.

Designers retain all rights to their submitted work until they’ve been awarded the prize on offer and have been paid in full. On receipt of payment, all rights to the winning design transfer from the designer to the contest holder. To protect themselves, designers are advised to check the contest holder's previous posts to determine their standing in the community, and to ask the contest holder questions about the terms of payment, etc.

While many established designers protest that this type of 'spec' work is devaluing their profession, crowdsourcing is a valid and cost-effective option for small businesses or organisations who can't (yet) afford to hire a traditional branding agency or graphic design firm. Gaining access to thousands of aspiring designers means that a small town pub or a summer computer camp can buy a logo or t-shirt design for USD 100-200. Meanwhile, designers from across the world can tap into a much larger market for their services, while building their portfolio, honing their skills and presenting to real clients.

Both clients and designers seem to like the concept: SitePoint's design contests boast over 2,000 designers who submit on average 420 designs a day, and over USD 80,000 is offered as prize money each month. Businesses pay SitePoint a USD 20 listing fee and set their own prizes, which must be higher than the minimum dollar amount specified by SitePoint for each design category. Since graphic design and briefings are often tied to language and culture, this is definitely one to start in your own neck of the woods. Alternatively, study SitePoint, Threadless, iStockPhoto and other creative crowdsourcing communities, and carve your own niche.

SitePoint Design Contest page]]> Sun, 15 Apr 2007 20:48:40 -0500
Here’s the lowdown: We are partnering with the greenest T-shirt printers on the planet, T.S. Designs, to produce T-shirts made of organic cotton, using 100% water-based, environmentally friendly inks. We are looking for designs that are creative, cute and incorporate the Inhabitat brand some way - either through our color palette, bamboo imagery, or the Inhabitat logo or mascot (Habby the Inhabitat Owl). The winning designer will have their design printed on all of our T-shirts, and will also win a $150 gift certificate to our favorite green design store Branch.

http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/04/04/inhabitat-tshirt-design-competition/]]> Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:19:53 -0500
And yes, skafiend007 and shirtflirt, the hip hop group Fu-snickens is where I got the idea for my moniker, fouchnickens. Which may sadly indicate that we three are getting old -- soon we will be complaining that "they just don't make songs like they used to"...]]>