JESS3 is an interactive agency based in Los Angeles, CA, specializing in data visualization, social media strategy, infographics, branding and web design.[1] The firm has worked with clients including Google, Nike, Intel, Facebook, ESPN, and Samsung.[2]

JESS3
Company typePrivate
IndustryWeb / Print / Multimedia
GenreCreative agency
FounderJesse Thomas
Headquarters,
Area served
United States
United Kingdom
France
Key people
Jesse Thomas, Chief executive officer
Servicesdata visualization
social media strategy
infographics
branding
web design
Websitehttp://jess3.com

Background

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JESS3 was founded in 2007 by web designer Jesse Thomas,[3] its CEO. JESS3 is a creative interactive agency[4] specializing in producing videos and graphics to explain complex information through "visual storytelling".[5][6] The firm originally focused on design work, and later added services including social media strategy, research and development of interactive installations.[7] The firm's eventual name was conceived by Thomas when he was a student, who replaced the "e" in his first name with the numeral "3", inspired by Eminem's logo.[7] The firm's clients have included Nike, Intel, Microsoft, NASA, MySpace, Facebook, Google, Yahoo! and Samsung.[3][4][8] From 2009, the company became Mashable's official design partner on projects, including their iPhone application.[9]

As of 2011, the firm has 30 employees and offices in locations across the United States, in the United Kingdom and France.[3][5][10] JESS3 is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and has an additional office in Oklahoma City, while previously having established offices in Denver, Orlando, Portland, Oregon, and Washington D.C.[11][12][13]

2013 Geeks on a Plane scandal

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In 2013, CEO Jesse Thomas participated in the Geeks on a Plane program. While drunk on an Indian beach, Thomas took a video of his naked and drunk friend AlphaBoost CEO Matt Monahan. Thomas then uploaded the video to YouTube and posted it to JESS3's Twitter feed. As a result of the fallout of this incident, JESS3 lost most of its employees and clients.[14]

Projects

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Data visualization

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JESS3's "Smart Wall" data visualization installation for Samsung at SXSWi 2012

JESS3 has created and co-sponsored numerous visual design projects, particularly infographics and media installations. In October 2010, JESS3 created a visual representation of Foursquare check-ins at polling locations on voting day, in cooperation with the Voting Information Project, the Pew Trusts and Rock the Vote, providing a sample of foot traffic at each location.[15][16] In August of that year, the company created the "GeoSocial Universe" infographic, comparing the sizes of the largest social networks including Skype, Facebook and Twitter to the total number of mobile device users, and the mobile user base for each social network. An updated version was released in May 2011 and was featured in TechCrunch.[4][17][18]

At the International Consumer Electronics Show in January 2011, JESS3 created a social media installation for Intel providing a visualization of real-time social media interactions at the event.[19] Later in 2011, the company created a media wall for Samsung at the SXSWi festival in Austin, Texas. The installation presented a visualization of social media activity at the festival, including photographs, tweets, popular topics and geosocial check-ins.[20]

Video

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JESS3 produces animated videos for clients including ESPN, for whom they created a short video explaining the Nielsen ratings system[5] featuring hand puppets and papercraft.[21][22] The company has produced videos for Google including a stop-motion video demonstrating Google's mobile Gmail system[5] and an animation explaining how Google Translate works.[23] JESS3 has produced videos including The State of Wikipedia, a video commemorating Wikipedia's tenth anniversary, narrated by Jimmy Wales,[8][24] and The State of Cloud Computing, explaining the concept and history of cloud computing, sponsored by Salesforce.com.[25] Similar projects have included a video produced for The Economist illustrating data collected in its Women's Economic Opportunity Index report.[6]

The company also creates videos as independent projects, including a web video titled The State of the Internet, which it released in February 2010.[26] The video included a series of infographics outlining the growth of Internet communications since the 1990s and had been viewed online over 1 million times within three months of its release.[27]

Design and social media

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The company has undertaken a wide range of social media and design projects, including websites for C-SPAN, the Discovery Channel[28][29] and NASA, and collaborations with Facebook, Twitter, Gowalla and Foursquare. In August 2008, JESS3 designed a series of websites related to the 2008 presidential election for C-SPAN,[30] for which they received a Webby Award nomination in 2009.[31] In August 2012, C-SPAN announced that JESS3 had designed its "Campaign 2012" website, which provides video coverage and social content for the Democratic and Republican conventions.[32] In addition to the election websites, JESS3 also developed the C-SPAN Video Library,[33] which launched in March 2010, and provides access to the digitized C-SPAN video archives of over 160,000 hours of programming.[34] The archives won an ACC Golden Beacon award on 16 September 2010[34] and a Peabody Award in March 2011.[35]

In July 2010, JESS3 collaborated with Facebook on a project called Stories to help celebrate the social networking site reaching 500 million users.[6] The application allows users to share stories about how Facebook has impacted their lives, sortable by geographical location or by topic.[36]

JESS3 has served as social media adviser to NASA on multiple geosocial networking projects. In October 2010, JESS3 coordinated a joint project between NASA and Gowalla, creating NASA-related virtual items for the service's users to acquire, as well as a special NASA pin.[37][38] The same month, JESS3 organized a partnership between NASA and Foursquare to engineer the first geosocial check-in from space.[39][40] On 22 October 2010, International Space Station (ISS) commander Douglas H. Wheelock checked into Foursquare from the ISS and unlocked a new "NASA Explorer" badge.[41] In addition, a customized NASA Foursquare homepage was launched providing information about locations of interest to the U.S. space program.[42] Other projects JESS3 has developed for NASA include their "Buzzroom" website,[43] which tracks NASA-related tweets, images and videos.[44][45]

More recently, the company created a redesigned homepage for Samsung.[46][47] In 2011, the firm designed Facebook pages for NIKEiD that allow users to create customized running shoe designs.[5] In September 2011, Forbes announced that JESS3 had designed the artwork for a 60-page graphic novel titled The Zen of Steve Jobs, created with and to be published by Forbes magazine.[48][49] The graphic novel depicts the period of Steve Jobs' life in the late 1980s following his exit from Apple and then his later return to the company.[50][51]

JESS3 Labs

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In June 2010, JESS3 released the "Black Oil Plug-In" for Firefox, rendering any mention of BP, Transocean, the Gulf Oil Spill and related names and phrases into a dripping, black splotch within a user's browser.[52][53][54] That same month, the company also introduced The Ex-Blocker, which enables users to prevent their web browser from showing their ex-lovers' activities and posts on various websites.[2] The application received media coverage internationally, as well as in the U.S. including a mention on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.[55][56][57] As of October 2010 over 8,000 people had installed the Ex-Blocker plug-in.[58]

The company has partnered with author Brian Solis on several JESS3 Labs infographic projects. A project titled The Conversation Prism elaborately diagrams types of communication across numerous Web 2.0 services.[59] The first version of the infographic was released in August 2008, an updated version in March 2009[60] was featured in Communication Arts magazine[61] and in October 2010, the company released a third edition.[60] In 2009, JESS3 created a similar diagram called "The Twitterverse" with Solis, which outlines the network of applications built on Twitter's API.[62][63] The company also worked with Solis on "The Social Media Brandsphere", a diagram illustrating how brands can use social media to engage with customers.[64]

References

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  1. ^ "Interview With the Entrepreneur". Technosailor.com. 30 May 2008. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  2. ^ a b Matthew Lysiak and Erica Pearson (18 July 2010). "'Ex-Blocker' deletes all mentions of ex from your Facebook and other social networking sites". NY Daily News. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  3. ^ a b c Jolie O'Dell (26 July 2010). "Inside the Mind of One of the Web's Hottest Designers". Mashable. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  4. ^ a b c Jesse Thomas (24 August 2010). "The State of the GeoSocial Universe". Mashable. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d e Thomas Heath (13 October 2011). "Value Added: An exchange program for entrepreneurs". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  6. ^ a b c Kyana Gordon (22 March 2011). "Jesse Thomas of JESS3 discusses inspiration, team players and his future strategy". psfk.com. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  7. ^ a b Stephanie Buck (9 December 2011). "What It Takes to Build a Thriving Design Business on the Web". Mashable. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  8. ^ a b "The State of Wikipedia". jess3.com. JESS3. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  9. ^ Pete Cashmore (1 April 2009). "Mashable iPhone App Launches!". Mashable. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  10. ^ "JESS3 About". jess3.com. JESS3. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  11. ^ Bradshaw, Leslie (9 August 2011). "Our 2011 expansion: 6 offices and counting". jess3.com. JESS3. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  12. ^ Bill Flook (29 June 2012). "D.C. design agency Jess3 moves headquarters to Los Angeles". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  13. ^ "JESS3 opens office in city". The Oklahoman. 10 August 2011. p. 2B.
  14. ^ Martinez, Fidel (6 May 2013). "Video of drunk, dong-waving CEO sends two startups on a downward spiral".
  15. ^ "Foursquare I Voted". jess3.com. JESS3. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  16. ^ "Check in and vote on foursquare". blog.foursquare.com. Foursquare. 28 October 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  17. ^ Rip Empson (20 May 2011). "Infographic: A Look At The Size And Shape Of The Geosocial Universe In 2011". techcrunch.com. AOL. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  18. ^ Neil Vidyarthi (19 May 2011). "The 2011 Geosocial Universe". socialtimes.com. Mediabistro. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  19. ^ McCarty, Brad (13 January 2011). "Behind the scenes at Intel's CESLive social media installation". The Next Web. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  20. ^ "Samsung SXSWi Hub". visual.ly. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  21. ^ Brian Barrett (16 September 2011). "Watch These Puppets Explain Everything Worth Knowing About TV Ratings". gizmodo.com. Gawker Media. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  22. ^ Rusty Blazenhoff (19 September 2011). "ESPN TV Ratings 101, Puppets Explain TV Ratings Process". laughingsquid.com. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  23. ^ "Google Translate Video". jess3.com. JESS3. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  24. ^ "The state of Wikipedia by JESS3". Splashnology. NetrinoMedia. 21 July 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  25. ^ Dugan, Lauren (17 November 2010). "The State of Cloud Computing". Social Times. WebMediaBrands. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  26. ^ JESS3 (22 February 2010). "The State of the Internet". Vimeo. Retrieved 27 October 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  27. ^ "JESS3 Video Viewed Over 1 Million Times". Capitol Communicator. 27 May 2010. Archived from the original on 29 October 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  28. ^ "Discovery Communications My Discovery". JESS3. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  29. ^ Robin Sloan (13 July 2010). "Small Discoveries". Twitter Media. Twitter. Archived from the original on 22 October 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  30. ^ Andrew Nusca (25 September 2008). "C-SPAN Launches Gadget-Fueled 'Debate Hub' as Social, Political Destination". ZDNet. Archived from Zdnet the original on 12 July 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2010. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  31. ^ "The 13th Annual Webby Awards Nominees & Winners: Politics". The Webby Awards. 5 May 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  32. ^ "C-SPAN To Provide Live, Gavel-To-Gavel Convention Coverage, Commercial- and Commentary-free" (PDF) (Press release). C-SPAN. August 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  33. ^ "C-SPAN's Online Video Library Now Open to the Public" (PDF). C-SPAN. 17 March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  34. ^ a b Mike Reynolds (16 September 2010). "ACC Awards Golden Beacon To C-SPAN's Video Library". Multichannel News. NewBay Media, LLC. Archived from the original on 25 July 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  35. ^ "C-SPAN Video Library Wins Peabody Award". c-span.org. C-SPAN. 31 March 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  36. ^ Mark Zuckerberg (21 July 2010). "500 Million Stories". Facebook. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  37. ^ "FirstNews Briefs for October 15, 2010". Wireless Week. Advantage Business Media. 15 October 2010. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  38. ^ Doug Gross (14 October 2010). "NASA, HBO join mobile check-in game". CNN. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  39. ^ Sara Jerome (22 October 2010). "NASA astronaut 'checks in' on Foursquare from space". Hillicon-Valley. The Hill. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  40. ^ Eric Kuhn (22 October 2010). "First Foursquare badge unlocked in space". CNN. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  41. ^ Matt Fitzpatrick (23 October 2010). "Foursquare Now Allowing Check-ins From Space". NBC Washington.com. NBC. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  42. ^ Chloe Albanesius (22 October 2010). "Astronaut Posts First Foursquare Check-In from Space". PC Magazine. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  43. ^ "Houston, We've Had A Check-In: NASA Astronaut Just Used Foursquare From Space". WorldTech24. 22 October 2010. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  44. ^ Meghan Keane (23 July 2010). "Q&A: NASA's Stephanie Schierholz on navigating the frontiers of social media". E-consultancy. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  45. ^ "NASA Invites Reporters To Next Space Shuttle Launch And Tweetup". Spaceref Interactive. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  46. ^ Jen Consalvo (12 December 2010). "Measuring social media ROI: social web is good for business". Tech Cocktail. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  47. ^ Willis Wee (12 December 2010). "Samsung shares its Social Media Success". Penn Olson. Tech in Asia. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  48. ^ Dianna Dilworth (23 September 2011). "Steve Jobs Graphic Novel Preview From Forbes". Mediabistro. Web Media. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  49. ^ Sean Callahan (7 November 2011). "Publish different: B-to-b media find multiple ways to pay tribute to Jobs". B-to-B Media Business. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  50. ^ "'The Zen of Steve Jobs': A New Graphic Novel From Forbes". HuffPost. 10 October 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  51. ^ Caleb Melby (8 September 2011). "Introducing The Zen of Steve Jobs: A Graphic Novel". Forbes. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  52. ^ Christina Warren (2 June 2010). "Oil spill Firefox plugin blacks out BP across the Web". CNN. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  53. ^ "JESS3 Creates Firefox Plugin for BP Oil Spill; BP Adds VP Cheney's PR Pro". Capitol Communicator. 2 June 2010. Archived from the original on 28 October 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  54. ^ "Oil Spill Firefox Plugin Dirties Your Browser With 'Black Oil'". HuffPost. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  55. ^ Dakshana Bascaramurty (15 July 2010). "How to Erase Your Ex From the Internet". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  56. ^ "The Ex-Blocker on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon". SlideShare. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  57. ^ Jean Hannah Edelstein (22 July 2010). "Block Your Ex". Glamour Magazine UK. Archived from the original on 12 October 2010. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  58. ^ Ian McCourt (11 October 2010). "Add-on that can erase your ex". The Irish Times. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  59. ^ Bill Lohmann (31 May 2009). "The new networking". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on 6 June 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  60. ^ a b Chad Catacchio (13 October 2010). "Brian Solis and JESS3 bring a new Conversation Prism into focus". The Next Web. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  61. ^ JESS3 (30 June 2009). "The Conversation Prism in Communication Arts Magazine". JESS3. Retrieved 27 October 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  62. ^ MG Siegler (1 June 2009). "The Future of Twitter Visualized". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  63. ^ Simon Mainwaring (2 June 2009). "Powers of Ten for the Twitterverse". PSFK. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  64. ^ Thomas, Jesse (23 August 2011). "The Social Media Brandsphere". Forbes.com. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
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