The Importance of Whiskey While Working (and other work flow tips, too!) Big Spaceship is a place where pushing the limits meets extreme deadlines on a regular basis. The keys to success? A philosophy that affords close collaboration and communication, coupled with a couple of clever solutions to common problems… and some really ugly placeholder art. Join Jamie as he details the way the Spaceship ticks and how you can apply these fundamentals to your own process.

1. Flash Camp Philadelphia
Jamie Kosoy
Associate Technical Director
j.kosoy@bigspaceship.com
Twitter: jkosoy

2. The importance of whiskey.
An inside look into the way of the Spaceship.

3. Okay, here’s the situation.
Your parents went away on a week’s vacation...

4. the situation

5. the situation

7. the situation

8. The fundamentals to our
process.

9. 1. Everyone gets a say.
And we [try] to understand one another.

10. everyone gets a say
Strategy
Production
Design
Development

11. everyone gets a say
Strategy
Production
Design
Development
bad.

12. everyone gets a say
Strategy
Production
Design
Development
good.

13. 2. Think of the project.
Not of excuses. Unless the project is to come up with excuses.

14. think of the project
Excuses
+ It’s too hard.
+ We hate
- Silverlight
- Standards
- Unity
- (any other potential technology or solution)
+ There isn’t enough time.
(I’m sure you can think of others.)

15. think of the project
The only reason for being a
bee is to make honey.
- Winnie the Pooh

16. 3. Speak the same language.

17. speak the same language

18. speak the same language
What constitutes
“Call to Action”
when everything on the
screen is one?

19. 4. Build ugly.

20. build ugly

21. build ugly

22. build ugly

23. build ugly

24. 5. Trust each other.

25. trust each other

26. trust each other

27. 6. Drink lots of whiskey.
Especially during regular office hours.

28. drink lots of whiskey
Normal
Ideal
Less than Ideal
Productivity
10AM 1PM 4PM 7PM
Whiskey Consumed

29. drink lots of whiskey

30. drink lots of whiskey

31. drink lots of whiskey

32. 7. Mise en place.

33. mise en place
In plugins:
+ Deep linking
+ Loading scheme(s)
+ Library items organized
In HTML/CSS/JavaScript:
+ SEO
+ Flash detection
+ Minimum browser resize

34. mise en place

35. 8. Start from scratch.

36. start from scratch
Off the shelf
From scratch
Features
Time

37. 9. Strive for excellence.
(not perfection)

38. strive for excellence

39. strive for excellence

40. strive for excellence

41. strive for excellence

42. strive for excellence

43. 10. Think simple.

44. in conclusion
+ Everyone gets a say.
+ Think of the project.
+ Speak the same language.
+ Build ugly.
+ Trust each other.
+ Drink lots of whiskey.
+ Mise en place.
+ Start from scratch.
+ Strive for excellence, not perfection.
+ Think simple.

45. thanks.
bigspaceship.com
labs.bigspaceship.com