Susie Lim has always loved design. She's also worked at both design and interactive firms and taught at the Art Institute of California, Orange County. But it wasn't until she joined Young & Rubicam Brands that she realized how much she enjoys working on an integrated mix of media.
08.15.07
Three Easy Steps to Freaking Your Friend's Mind
What site do you look at every day? For an everyday site, there are so many new trends and gadgets, it is really hard to keep up; thecoolhunter.net really is an aggregate of content that helps keep me "in the know." But one of the sites that I've most recently found interesting is MindFreak.
What's the subject/topic of it? The site promotes Criss Angel's new A&E show Mind Freak.
What's so great about it? Criss Angel's been called the "postmodern Houdini" by MTV and this site tries to emulate his magic by way of freaking-out your friends. You type in a friend's name and phone number; with that an e-mail is sent to them with a link to a video customized with your friend's information. The video is set to look like just a portal of videos, so what you see is unexpected.
What makes it technically compelling? The dynamic video editing and the way that they delivered it is interesting. It's an intentional viral video.
How would you improve it? Or would you? "Susie" wasn't recognized, so I'd have to say that adding more names that the system would recognize could only enhance the experience.
What's your job?/Where do you work? Vice president, creative director at Young & Rubicam Brands in Irvine, California.
If you have a degree in what field is it? A BFA in visual communications and a minor in marketing from California State University, Long Beach.
How did you get involved in this industry? I knew that I wanted to do something in the arts. In college, I took painting and sculpting and really wasn't all that good at it. It wasn't until I started taking graphic design classes and fell in love with Photoshop 2.0 (ha ha ha) that I found my passion. I have always loved design. I have worked at design and interactive firms, taught simultaneously at the Art Institute of California, Orange County for three years in the Interactive Media Department and now find myself really enjoying the integrated mix of media at Young & Rubicam Brands.
What's your biggest Web (design) turn-off? Large fonts and long load times.
Who, in this industry (or not), has been your biggest inspiration? I am inspired by super talented people like my brother Henry Lim, a true, all-around artist. He makes amazing gigantic Lego sculptures, composes music sonatas and has an eye for photography.
What's the weirdest thing you've bought online? An impulse buy, an LED light for my water faucet. Why you ask? So that when I turn on the water there's a light that illuminates blue or red depending on the temperature.
What do you do in your spare time? I like to play poker. This year I played in one of the World Series of Poker events.
What music are you listening to right now? I am in a phase of listening to movie soundtracks; there are so many great composers out there.
What product/gadget can you not live without? My Blackberry Pearl.
What's your dream computer set-up? MacBook Pro 2.4 (loaded) with a 30-inch display.