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Jul 15, 2017

Bright Bright Great Welcomes Ken Barrios as Front-End Developer

Bright Bright Great would like to extend a warm welcome our new Front-End Developer, Ken Barrios, to the team. Ken will be assisting BBG on our Technology team.

Ken Barrios

 

What is your official title at BBG?

Ken Barrios, Front-End Developer

What got you interested in development?

Three years ago, I came across an online ad for toys that were intended to teach toddlers the basic principles of programming. Seeing that made me realize that it was just a matter of time before coding would become a standard part of learning: just like reading, writing, and arithmetic. I decided I needed to get ahead of curve and dive into coding.

What interested you in working at BBG?

A friend forwarded me the link to the apprenticeship program at BBG. After doing some research about the firm it became clear that this is a design studio that is generating a lot of buzz, winning acclaim, and getting tapped for exciting projects. As someone new to web development and design, I knew that this would be an amazing opportunity to learn from the best.

 

What is your favorite fast food menu item?

The Wendy’s Baconator. If I have an opportunity to Baconate, I Baconate.

What do you hope to learn during your time at BBG?

Regarding web development: I’m hoping to get a better handle on the thought process needed to see a website through from start to finish, and learning to how efficiently organize my code by keeping everything as modularized as possible. Regarding design: I’m hoping to learn to think through a website with the user in mind, while also picking up lessons about how to choose appropriate color palettes, typefaces, and spacing.

What are your hobbies or interests outside of work?

When I’m not at work I’m either: running for an hour or two along the Lake Front Path, riding around the city on my fixed gear bike, or seeing the latest films at The Music Box. I also like follow political and architectural magazines like Jacobin and Metropolis.

Do you have any pets?

Nay. I like other people’s pets, but I don’t want to take care of my own.

What is your favorite place that you have ever visited, US-based, or international?

I’ve been lucky enough to visit a few spots in Central and South America, and I went to France once. But I think that my favorite place was India. I spent a month touring India from Hyderabad, to Bangaluru, to Puducherry. I need to go back to finally see Mumbai and New Delhi.

What’s something people are surprised to learn about you?

During my college years, my comrades and I successfully stopped the military from recruiting on our college campus. I’m also 99% positive that I coined the slogan “Undocumented Unafraid” in 2009.

Posted By
Jason Schwartz
Jun 16, 2017

Bright Bright Great Welcomes Mackenzie Freemire as Art Director

Bright Bright Great is delighted to welcome our new Art Director/Designer, Mackenzie Freemire, to the team. Mack will be assisting with Art Direction.

Mackenzie Freemire Designer

What is your official title at BBG?

Mackenzie Freemire, Art Director

What got you interested in design?

I went into college thinking I wanted to be a photojournalist. When I went in to register for classes, my advisor urged me to take some graphic design classes—and here we are.

What interested you in working at BBG?

As a young designer, I’m constantly hungry to learn and grow and never become stagnant in my practice. The best way I can do this is by observing people and studios that are at the top, pushing limits and taking on innovative design projects regularly. I have so much to learn from BBG—at that challenge was immediately enticing to me.

What is your favorite project that you’ve worked on to this point?

I created a magazine 2 years about called Hush Magazine, which was a passion project for me. Hush focuses on the subject of Time, and how we use it, waste it, feel it, etc. I created about 2-3 original sets of work and design for each of the first three issues, and for the rest of the content I curated photos, poetry, painting, and other mediums that I have artists from all over the country submit to be in the magazine. Not only did I get to collaborate with other artists, but I got to create a piece of art that people can hold and experience and feel in their hands.

What is your favorite Taco Bell menu item?

Chicken Quesadilla, hands down. Who knows what that sauce is, but I’m into it.

What do you hope to learn during your time at BBG?

I hope to dive into the world of digital design and learn as much as I can about UI, UX, and pushing the limits on the way we interact with design digitally for the best experience possible.

What are your hobbies or interests outside of work?

I shoot photography for fun almost every weekend as a way to get off my computer and work with other creatives and friends. I also enjoy decorating my apartment, getting brunch, and dreaming things with friends.

Who are some designers/agencies/artists that are inspiring you right now?
Hey Studio, Instrument, Sagmeister & Walsh, Jimmy Marble, and all my friends.

Do you have any pets?

I’m not exactly an animal person (don’t tell anyone).

What is your favorite place that you have ever visited, US-based, or international?

I have been to Paris multiple times, and it is always as magical as I remember. I think the French language is amazing—the buildings, the art, the shops, and of course the chocolate croissants.

What’s something people are surprised to learn about you?

I have a weird love for strawberry jell-o. It has always been my favorite food, it’s just a weird comforting thing from my childhood. Fun fact: every job I have ever applied to (including BBG) the subject line has been Strawberry Jello.

Mackenzie Freemire Photography

Follow Mack on Instagram.

Posted By
Jason Schwartz
Jun 15, 2017

Bright Bright Great Welcomes Amy Schwartz as Creative Director

Amy Schwartz Designer

PRESS CONTACT
Jason Schwartz, Owner Bright Bright Great
sayhello@brightbrightgreat.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bright Bright Great Announces New Creative Director, Amy Schwartz

Chicago, IL – Tech and design agency Bright Bright Great welcomes new Creative Director Amy Schwartz to oversee all design, user experience, and brand strategy. Schwartz is well-known in the Chicago design community for her work as Design Director at Cards Against Humanity and Vice President of Member Experience for AIGA Chicago.

Already part of the Bright Bright Great family, Schwartz is excited to return home and invest in agency. “I started my design career as an intern at Bright Bright Great in 2011, and I’m thrilled to be a part of the team again,” says Schwartz. “I’m excited to bring the knowledge and skills I’ve gained since then back into the Bright Bright Great team, and to continue pushing the limits of contemporary, effective design work.”

Schwartz’s design style is influenced by the years she spent earning a Masters in Design from the Cranbrook Academy of Art, famous for producing some of the best designers in the country, including Charles Eames and Florence Knoll.

Schwartz previously served as the Design Director at the best-selling party game, Cards Against Humanity. Notorious for their huge, public stunts and generous charitable gifts, Schwartz has directed a variety of large scale design projects for the company including a full-ride scholarship for women in STEM, several holiday promotions, and rebrand for packaging and e-commerce. Before that, Schwartz worked at numerous design-focused agencies in Chicago and Detroit, including gravitytank and Skidmore Studio. Select past clients include Motorola, the NFL, and Google.

Schwartz is noted in the Chicago design community for her desire to uplift and support those she works with, demonstrated in her experience as Adjunct Professor at DePaul University. She currently serves as Vice President of Member Experience for AIGA Chicago and hosts yearly workshops for students in design.

“Effective teams recognize the importance of each individual, whether they are an intern or C-suite. I facilitate ways for my clients and the creative team to mesh into one, where all ideas are considered, explored, and tested– until we solve the problem together,” says Schwartz.

Bright Bright Great has worked with clients worldwide, including Comcast, The University of Chicago, chewy.com, Nike and Hightower Financial. They recently rebranded American Needle, one of the largest retailers of sports related headwear, as they celebrate their 100 year anniversary.

To work with Bright Bright Great and Amy Schwartz, contact Chief Creative Officer Jason Schwartz at sayhello@brightbrightgreat.com or Jason Schwartz on Twitter.

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Posted By
Jason Schwartz
May 18, 2017

New Work: Hologram, an IoT Company

Bright Bright Great is excited to announce the launch of a new brand and website for Hologram, a company that allows you to Connect IoT devices over cellular networks, capture device data, and manage a fleet with a stack of IoT tools.

Bright Bright Great worked with Hologram on brand and digital strategy. BBG initially started starting initially with digital strategy, art direction and seeing the project come to fruition as Hologram changed their name from Konent to the new parent brand.

Posted By
Jason Schwartz
May 05, 2017

New Work: Strata, a Comcast Company

Bright Bright Great is excited to announce the launch of the new Strata website, a Comcast company that processes 25% of the total U.S. ad spend ($60+ billion dollars of advertising.)

Bright Bright Great worked with Strata starting initially with digital strategy, art direction and seeing the project come to fruition with content strategy as Strata overhauled a dated and limited brand.

Strata, which is a Comcast company, processes 25% of the entire total U.S. ad spend annually (currently of $65 billion dollars)! Yes, you read that right, $65 billion+ in ad spend.

“…Always an adventure! A true collaboration with the best partners and colleagues in design…”

— Judd Rubin, SVP Revenue and Marketing

 

 

Bright Bright Great also worked with our friends Pentagram in NYC on branding for this project. A major thank you to Eddie Opara and his team for additional support on this project.

This project also uses Avondale Type Co.‘s sans serif font ATC Arquette, a typeface designed in-house, which has been selected by Comcast as the corporate typeface for the Strata brand.

Posted By
Jen Hansen