shawnokeefe.com

Author: Shawn

  • 1st Assembly

    1st Assembly

    1st Assembly

    Before relocating to Wellington, I came very close to starting a co-working space + maker lab in central Austin. I had my eye on a fantastic property and was putting the finishing touches on the business model. Then just before pulling the proverbial trigger, the opportunity arose to move overseas and guide startups through the first hardware accelerator in New Zealand.

    As one can imagine, I was thrilled to see our efforts with Lightning Lab Manufacturing evolve into a new prototyping and community space in Lower Hutt, named 1st Assembly (or “1-A” for short).

    It was a pleasure to provide creative direction, branding and initial identity work for the talented teams at Creative HQ and Five and Dime for 1st Assembly.

    1st Assembly

    Why 1st Assembly? The name at once evokes a community gathering, a manufacturing process, and one’s very first build. With the number of churches in the area, we felt it was provocative in just the right way — encompassing a hipster quality along the likes of Church of the SubGenius. A cult of sorts for the hardware community, 1st Assembly invites those unfamiliar to ask questions and get engaged. Type nerds will also recognize Hoefler & Co’s Vitesse as the slab-serif.

    A huge thanks to the entire team at Hutt City Council for their continued support of such an impactful community space.

    For more on all the happenings at 1st Assembly, visit 1-a.co.nz.

  • Lightning Lab Manufacturing

    This past August, eight teams dared to begin a challenging journey — one that combined intensive mentorship with innovation fundamentals and prototyping resources. Seven startups thrived in Lightning Lab Manufacturing, the first-ever startup acceleration program for physical products in New Zealand. I’m proud of what these ventures accomplished in such a remarkably short time, harnessing the “no. 8 wire” attitude and spirit of invention so prevalent here in the Wellington region.

    None of this would have been possible without the amazing community that came together to share their creativity, time, energy and expertise. Thanks to all the support from founding investors, sponsors, partners, mentors and speakers — I’m so grateful to have played a part in the adventure.

    For these promising startups, the journey is just beginning. And I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.

  • My Next Adventure

    Since I left my role at SXSW last July, I’ve been on many adventures.

    I started my consultancy, Apostrophe Industries. I co-founded a health technology startup called Litmus. I worked alongside the marketing wizards at JDI. I built, launched and unintentionally destroyed a number of flying model rockets with my kids.

    I’ve learned a tremendous amount over the past ten months. And this Sunday, I will embark on an entirely new adventure to learn even more.

    A New Home

    Adrienne and I have lived in Austin since first coming to the University of Texas in 1993. Technically, that’s not just the last century — but the previous millennium. It certainly feels like a long time ago. Adrienne has always desired to live abroad, and I’ve always wanted to gaze upon the stars in the southern sky. An opportunity recently arose that allows for both dreams to become reality.

    “The Southern Hemisphere holds all the good stuff.” – the late astronomer, Bart Bok

    If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed that I recently spoke at an event many time zones into the future. The speaking engagement in New Zealand was also a reconnaissance mission. It’s true — I’ll very soon be leaving Austin for a sabbatical in Wellington, located at the southwestern tip of the North Island.

    Creative HQ

    A fortuitous initial meeting during SXSW Interactive in March quickly turned into this new opportunity. As of today, I’m honored to be working with the talented team at Creative HQ on a brand-new product and manufacturing accelerator called Lightning Lab Manufacturing. I’m going to take my passion for maker culture and experience growing business communities to foster some really cool product innovation in the Wellington region.

    We’re about to open up the application for participants, so I’ll soon share more details on the intensive 12-week programme. (← I am learning a number of alternative spellings and Kiwi cultural preferences.)

    Litmus

    My role as co-founder in charge of product and experience at Litmus will continue uninterrupted. We have the right vision, an incredible team, and a technology that we’ll use to transform the $1.6 trillion per year pharmaceutical research business, which today is the opposite of lean and agile. My fellow co-founders (CEO Daphne Kis, Dr. Sam Volchenboum, and Josh Jones-Dilworth) are excited for my family’s opportunity to live overseas, and I’m grateful to have their support in this endeavor.

    We’re planning to tap into the fantastic dev talent in Wellington, so there are real strategic advantages for the company as well. We’re not saying too much about what Litmus is up to just yet, but a few things have begun to leak out here and there.

    Litmus is for one, honored to currently be a finalist for investment from the University of Chicago’s Innovation Fund. We will soon launch our pilot program to nearly 10,000 patients. And I’ll be able to say even more about what we’re doing after we complete our seed round, which is now in the final stages.

    The Foreseeable Future

    For at least the next 12 months, our home in the Wellington region will be the picturesque community of Eastbourne. Each morning, I’ll walk to a ferry for a 20-minute ride across the harbor into downtown Wellington. A new adventure for sure.

    With our scrambling to get ready to leave town, I don’t have much of a social calendar at the moment — and unfortunately won’t be able to individually catch up with everyone. If you’re in the ATX, please join me for a bon voyage happy hour of sorts at 5pm on Friday, May 22 at Whisler’s on the East Side.

    Hope to see you there, or perhaps on the other side of the planet!

  • Socks For Robots

    Socks For Robots

    As a result of my recent partnership with the PR and marketing wizards at JDI, Apostrophe Industries is honored to be working with the new consulting brand, Socks For Robots.

    Evolving the identity with a revised logo, 3D treatments and a typography-driven site, it was a phenomenal experience to work with Rebecca and Corey — and be so welcomed as part of the SFR team.

    Learn about their integrated approach to design and marketing and hear more on the origin of Socks For Robots from Josh.

  • Rock That Font at SXSW

    One of our favorite creative endeavors is Rock That Font. More than a site that explores the intersection of typography and rock’n’roll, Rock That Font aims to provide a community platform for all to share their passion for album cover art.

    With the above goal of community in mind, I’m pleased to reveal that we’ll be hosting our next get-together as part of the official conference program at SXSW Interactive.

    Rock That Font Meet Up at SXSW
    Tuesday, March 17
    12:30pm – 1:30pm
    JW Marriott (110 E 2nd St), Room 501

    Visit SXSW.com for details on how you can attend the SXSW edition of our Meet Up, and make sure to join our general group via Meetup.com/Rock-That-Font.

    Hope to see you there.

  • A Bit of Belgium in Austin

    Cyclocross

    The 2015 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships arrived in Austin this week, and I honestly can’t remember the last time I was this excited about attending a sporting event. What I’m not excited about is the traditional Belgian weather that is accompanying the festivities — it’s freezing outside.

    While I don’t consider myself a photographer, I picked up my DSLR for the first time in ages to shoot the singlespeed championship races on opening day.

    Explore more of my photos and commentary in issue number 20 of Bike Hugger Magazine.

  • Gran Fondo

    Gran Fondo

    Since my jump to self-employment in late July, I’ve longed to take a cycling trip for some quality soul-searching. Nothing hits the reset button for my heart, mind and body more than a challenging bike ride. After ruling out overnight adventures due to my current schedule, I finally decided that November 25th would be the day for my big solo ride. The Tuesday before the Thanksgiving holiday.

    It turned out to be the most perfect of days.

    Inspired in part by Strava’s monthly Gran Fondo challenges, I selected a 70+ mile route that took me from Fredericksburg to Kerrville and back. I went just above the 130 km / 80.6 mile mark to unlock November’s Gran Fondo jersey, a motivational (and marketing) strategy that I find to be very appropriate for the cycling community.

    Countless cattle guards and low-water crossings, plenty of roadkill (mostly armadillos), herds of goats and alpaca, one minor mechanical issue, a mystical moment with three deer running alongside me, the most picturesque Hill Country views this side of the Guadalupe River, a few leg-breaking hills on the return — just a few of the sights and experiences that befell me on the road.

    A few tips and recommendations for this particular route:

    • The Pioneer Museum in Fredericksburg has public restrooms. Parking at the Marktplatz worked wonderfully.
    • There is a Jack & Adam’s and Hill Country Bicycle Works in Fredericksburg for any last-minute supplies.
    • Make sure to carry everything you may need. There are long stretches where you won’t come across a convenience store, much less another human being.
    • Just to reinforce the above, bring plenty of water and food.
    • In addition to the usual items for more than one tire repair, make sure to bring your chain tool.
    • Even with next to no traffic in the middle of nowhere, it’s always a good idea to stay as far to the right as possible.
    • When in Fredericksburg, go German for your post-ride feast at the Fredericksburg Brewery.

    Overall a fantastic reminder that it’s the journey, not the destination, that counts.

  • Rock That Font Tees

    Sometimes you want to show your friends and associates that you are a font nerd, and sometimes you want to be a bit more discreet. The monochromatic, dark blue (Pantone 7546) on Indigo (Next Level Tri-Blend) Rock That Font t-shirt keeps things subtle and classy.

    Printed in Austin, Texas by our pals at Industry Print Shop.

    Want one? Head over to the Rock That Font store for details.

  • Apostrophe Cards

    I have an apostrophe in my last name. As a result, I have thwarted computer systems since birth.

    More recent parsing and coding techniques have fortunately helped my surname survive in the digital age, but it’s always mind-numbing to rinse and repeat: “Try your search without the apostrophe in my last name.” And not to mention: “Yes, the letter K is also capitalized.” Both thanks to my proud Irish heritage of course.

    After recently picking up a .industries domain and doing some research for my new company’s look and feel, I fell down into the typographic rabbit hole that is the apostrophe. I’m talking waaaaay deep into various Unicode characters, primes, acute accents and the long history of this somewhat controversial mark.

    “There is not the faintest reason for persisting in the ugly and silly trick of peppering pages with these uncouth bacilli.” – George Bernard Shaw, playwright and hater of the apostrophe

    It turns out that little key to the left of your “Enter” key really isn’t a true apostrophe. It’s a compromised mark that came into being with the typewriter for efficiency’s sake (a “typewriter apostrophe”). Computer keyboards inherited this character and expanded its usage to represent a number of marks. Encodings evolved. To now get a typographic apostrophe, you need to hit a few more keys on your computer keyboard. “Shift + Option + ]” on a Mac and “Alt + 0 1 4 6” on a number pad for Windows. #themoreyouknow

    Apostrophe Business Cards In developing new business cards for Apostrophe Industries, I wanted to make something that evoked creativity and perhaps had some value outside of just my contact information. Instead of a standard card, I decided to create a set of ten unique cards — each showcasing a particular typeface’s apostrophe (blown up to approximately 350 pt). Referencing FontShop’s 100 Best Typefaces of All Time, I selected a few of my faves that were visually distinct and of historic significance:

    1. Helvetica
    2. Bodoni
    3. Futura
    4. Times
    5. Gill Sans
    6. Univers
    7. Optima
    8. Franklin Gothic
    9. DIN
    10. OCR A

    I’m thrilled with how they turned out. The cards are a great conversation piece and often lead to a rather geeky discussion about my passion for design and projects such as Rock That Font.

    Just don’t get me started on “smart quotes.”

  • Taking Off the Training Wheels

    Sometimes I’m asked to write a few words on a particular subject or another. The crew at Bike Hugger once again gave me the opportunity to do just that for their digital magazine.

    “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.” – Mark Twain

    It’s amazing what your kid can learn, especially when the knowledge comes from others. Sure, my five year-old son is watching and absorbing a vast array of my own unfortunate behaviors — some of my more colorful language for example. But as soon as I rightfully took his training wheels off in an effort to teach him to ride a bicycle, he looked me straight in the eye with a “you’re unqualified for this” stare. And I’m concerned he might be right.

    As a result of our modest progress, I signed him up for a “Biking Class for Kids” with a local shop. On the subject of removing his pedals to first perfect his balance, perhaps he would trust Cindy, the professional mountain biker he met just three minutes ago, more than me.

    “You become a parent thinking you’ll teach your kids, but you soon discover they are the ones doing the teaching.” – The best advice my dad ever gave me (outside of how babies are made)

    The bike class occurred the day before his very first day of kindergarten. Life transitions abound. The thing no one tells you when you become a parent is how vulnerable you will become. How emotional you are when all your childhood fears and traumas of youth spill out. Your heart aches for what is ahead, as you can only protect them from so much.

    “Dad, what if I crash?”

    “Well, sometimes that might happen. But it’s how you’ll learn to become a better rider,” I explain.

    We buy a set of elbow and knee pads.

    “Dad, I’m scared of crashing.”

    “That’s okay… that’s normal. I was okay after I crashed in that race. Remember?” Come to think of it, I wasn’t.

    “Then can I get some gloves like you, Dad?”

    After quite a search for the right size, we buy a pair of gloves with flames on them.

    “You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn’t like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing. I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it.” – Grandma from the 1989 film, Parenthood

    “Put on your helmet,” I remind him for the seventh time. A lucky number.

    He builds up some speed, my hand on his back. His feet on the rotating pedals now. A gentle push.

    The letting go.

    He rides on his own about 30 feet down the sidewalk, loses his balance and topples hard on the concrete.

    My heart skips a beat.

    How we recover from the crashes in our life make us who we are. I’m at once terrified, proud and excited to see what he does next.

    Photo by Adrienne O’Keefe.