GangUp App: Making Events Easy to Attend
The idea behind the GangUp app took shape when my son, was attending the Orientation for his undergrad program at a University in USA. The orientation was meant to enable him to interact with fellow students. But how?
More space, more questions
Managing a growing creative studio is both a dark art and a subtle science. Mastering your craft means learning on the job and absorbing a great culture during your time at other agencies. But what does it really take to succeed? When Design Week visited lorem’s London HQ last year, we discussed life behind the frosted glass and glowing screens.
For me, running a studio is walking a tightrope between inspiration and commercial reality. You’re creating a space to in which to think and play. But you’re also dealing with deadlines, client pressure, and ever-increasing expectations. This raises questions. Who works well together? Who doesn’t? How do you keep teams motivated, while meeting the ever-present goal of making a buck?
I’ve managed both small and large studios, so I know that size matters. Good creative space is at a premium in London and our home in EC2 is no exception. A growing team needs a bigger studio, and we’ve been lucky in acquiring space within the same building. New spaces like this raise interesting questions. How do we encourage other teams in the agency to think of this as an extended space that benefits everyone? How do we avoid a “them and us” mentality?
Later, he shared with me how difficult it had been for him to break the ice with the others. He was not only new to the place, but also to the country, the environment, and to the social practices here. He knew no one around him, while most others, being native residents, had friends all around. But, there were many like him too, who had no clue on how to advance! And that’s when he made a wish… ”I wish there was an app that would help me connect with fellow students beforehand, much before the orientation, much before we actually meet in person! Wouldn’t it be great to know like-minded students and look forward to meet them at the Orientation?”