160 Things I Learned Over 90 Weeks at 160over90.

August 28, 2009 • 5:49 pm • POSTED BY adamrgarcia

So, this is it I guess… All the lunch walks, chest-bumps, firm handshakes, snarky remarks, made-up industry words, late timesheet warnings, portmanteaus, hi-fives, cockroach-catching, ping-pong games, crazy cleaning, ladies, leaky ceilings, late night work sessions, Shepalavyisms, giggles and too-long bathroom breaks and will not be forgotten.

Below are 160 things I learned over 90 weeks at 160over90. It’s a bunch of stuff, you know, design inspiration, marketing jargon, life lessons, Philly history, and a lot of stories and jokes from the last two years.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve learned an unquantifiable amount. But “An Unquantifiable Amount of Things I Learned Over 90 Weeks” just didn’t make as much sense.

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1. Those 160 guys sure can party.
2. JAWN is a new piece of my vocab not going away anytime soon.
3. “Consider everything an experiment” -Sister Corita
4. It’s not “water,” it’s “wooter.”
5. A Yuengling is a Lager. Just say Lager.
6. The idea must contain fundamental truth.
7. Horrible things written in calligraphy seem so much nicer.
8. Document the process.
9. Jim Walls really DOES have twelve toes!
10. Venn diagrams can be funny. Seriously!
11. The Philly Special is a shot of Beam and a PBR, for $3.
12. Maoz on 12th and Walnut has the best cauliflauer ever.
13. MARMALADE is the dirtiest punchline ever.
14. There’s a lot of fruit carts in Center City. The one on 13th and Chestnut has the best purple grapes, but the one on Walnut and 15th takes them off the stem for you.
15. I want to start a company called “Ultimate Humble Gentlemen.”
16.
17. Sometimes things are best left unsaid.
18. Philly is a tough town. Just kill ‘em with kindness.
19. Ask for help.
20. Rich Black is a guy I work with. He’s neither rich nor black.
21. The best ideas come in “intermediate” spaces – the coffee shop, right when waking up, in the bathroom, etc.
22. Nike Dunk Highs.
23. “The City of Brotherly Love” isn’t just a nickname. It’s the Greek etymology of Philadelphia. Philos = Love. Adelphos = Brother.
24. The dudes that host the Drunken Spelling Bee are actually really nice guys. (Despite what they may say to you on stage).
25. Two things you should never give Cory: Free booze and a microphone.
26. “Mellifluous” means to have a smooth, rich flow.
27. Tammo is actually made of an alien-alloy, impervious to road-rash.
28. I don’t like Vampire Weekend because it involves neither vampires nor weekends. I’d like my money back.
29. Dan Shepalavy loves both Star Wars, and cats. Almost equally.
30. Assert your opinion, try to understand others’ opinions.
31. You’ve got to train your clients to be good clients. If things aren’t working out, or a client is misunderstanding a part of the process, it’s your job to communicate.
32. Layer Tennis should be an Olympic sport.
33. The Mushulu is a boat landlocked in the Delaware River. You can dance there. It was also the boat that the family of “The Godfather” came over on when migrating from Italia.
34. Benjamin Franklin is like a cross between Ronald McDonald and Ghandi.
35. Stick up for an idea if you believe in it.
36. Save your receipt…
37. The Big Idea must have legs.
38. Beer Friday is for bonding.
39. If you plan on eating a cheesesteak after 11pm, prepare a 4-hour “hangover period” the next morning. (Meat overload)
40. I work with someone in a “Scooter Gang.”
41. Tommy-Up throws good jams.
42. In the year 1800, Philadelphia was the nation’s largest city.
43. Twitter is a totally acceptable use of media. People that hate it don’t get it.
44. Bill McRight makes good art.
45. “Marketing” is a shitty word that’s good to know. Use it for good.
46. The Passion Pit show in the basement of the First Unitarian Church was the sweatiest moment of my life. Bring a cold one (or two) in your bag for the show.
47. Everything’s comin’ up Kunkel.
48. Philly’s founder, William Penn, owned the nation’s first brewery – in his house.
49. Mike Park will believe anything he reads on the internet.
50. “The work you are about to see is not real.”
51. Abraham Lincoln was the tallest president.
52. WordPress is rad.
53. BoltBus is the best bus to bolt on.
54. The Bean Cafe on South and 8th has a good graffiti bathroom. It was nice seeing that some friends had been there before me.
55. The Rosenbach Museum has a 20,000 piece Maurice Sendak collection…
56. …and the manuscript of James Joyce’s Ulysses.
57. Go to Mixto on 11th and Pine. Get the Arroz Cubano con Pollo. Trust me.
58. If you think there’s a riot going outside your office window, it may be a riot, but more likely, the Phillies just won the world series.
59. If you think there’s a naked man in the window directly across from your office window, it’s because there is.
60. Find your voice.
61. Mike Park (aka “Bootleg”) is secretly running an international smuggling ring from right over there.
62. Dude, I look pretty good in this hat.
63. You’d be surprised, but tiramisu eaten off the floor is just as good as eaten off a plate.
64. Karma works.
65. This new MacBook Pro is so worth it.
66. CargoCollective.com
67. Camden ain’t all that bad.
68. When you’re watching a vampire TV show, and you yell something like “Vampires can’t really do that!” You sound not only dorky, but suspicious.
69. Two-dollar Tuesdays at the Fox and Hound may be a bit douchey, but also serve as an unexpected gateway to a memorable evening.
70. CARROT FALCON.
71. Look at it again in the morning with fresh eyes.
72. $50 dollar logo was worth every penny.
73. Hold a friend’s tie back when he’s throwing up on himself, and he may just do the same for you.
74. Share your inspiration.
75. Make ‘em laugh.
76. Manage client expectations in the up-front.
77. Contrary to popular belief, a “wackadoo” is not a tropical bird (or Australian slang for penis).
78. That’s not a dude.
79. When your boss gives you design direction than says “..but hey, you can do what you want” afterwards, you should probably just do what he says.
80. ShamWows are overrated. Snuggies are not.
81. Mummers Day Parade.
82. Falafel cart by Love Park. Trust me.
83. Take a deep breath.
84. Get half down.
85. If the CEO of the agency gets in a fight outside, make sure you have his back. It pays off.
86. Stamps are getting EXPENSIVE.
87. Mike Burton is a gentle bear…
88. And his grandmother is a whore.
89. Work hard.
90. Listen.
91. Tiny Victories can make one big one.
92. InDesign paste in place = Command+Option+Shift+V
93. First Friday / Old City / Art / Wine / Drunk / Etc
94. The oldest candy store in the country is on 2nd and Market.
95. The Good Dog just stole the Juicy Lucy from Minneapolis. Even if it is amazing.
96. FAILOR SHUFFLE!
97. I probably wouldn’t walk your lunch down Juniper. The smell may stay in your pizza.
98. BLDGBLOG is a blog about buildings. And it’s amazing.
99. Freemium.
100. Be assertive.
101. Sliders!
102. Cockroaches aren’t cool. Cockroaches standing on the urinal cake that you don’t notice until you’re done doing your business are even less cool.
103. It could always be better.
104. I got the name “Scorpion” on the ping-pong table for a reason.
105. Sitemap > Wireframe > Comp > Design
106. The toilet is not a “satellite office.”
107. “Dissipated wizard?”
108. There’s nothing better than presenting a new project or concept to a client. Getting them as excited as you are about design makes it all worthwhile.
109. Google Earth is addictive.
110. Who gets to play their music loudest is an intricate inter-office display of hierarchy.
111. Baseline grid.
112. Optimism is contagious.
113. Number 88 may not be true, and Jim started it.
114. Steve rarely dances, but when he does, GET DOWN.
115. “Hindi ito ang pantalon ko.” is Tagalog for “These aren’t my pants.”
116. “Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail. There’s only make.” – Sister Corita
117. When the pigeons in Rittenhouse form a cloud and swoop at you like fighter jets, you should probably shield your face.
118. Philly’s crazies aren’t just “crazy,” they’re like, “CRAZY.”
119. Agency happy hours
120. Not a lot of people in Philadelphia even know what a “Minneapolis” is.
121. The Roxy Theatre on 20th and Sansom is kind of a shitty place to see a movie, unless you like springy chairs and a screen made of urine-stained bedsheet.
122. Mike Perry’s beard is made of magic.
123. V-necks are pretty in, I guess.
124. In general, the flashier the portfolio, the crappier the work.
125. TED.COM
126. If you’re looking for a girlfriend, the office is a good place to start.
127. If you’re looking for somewhere to make out with said girlfriend, you should probably take it outside.
128. Gotham may just be the new Helvetica.
129. “THAT EAGLE ATE THAT BIRD!”
130. CubicZirconia will rock your face off.
131. These pants go good with these shoes.
132. Henry Darger and I have the same birthday.
133. Barack Obama is your new bicycle.
134. Kelly loves the sound of breaking glass. Watch out.
135. RADIOLAB
136. Seeing colonial re-enactors smoking cigarettes on their Blackberries really takes the history out of it.
137. Print Liberation is a great shop and crew. And good at ping-pong, too.
138. 200 years ago in Philly, “Romulus Riggs” and “Erskine Hazzard” lived down the street from me.
139. For some reason, if two action figures are left alone in Brad’s office, someone will inevitably pose them “humping.”
140. Vinyl window signs do not necessarily work as guerilla-style street stickers. (Takes too long to burnish)
141. Don’t burn a bridge.
142. Ben Franklin got around, if you know what I mean.
143. “Ee pahji negko ahn ni yah” is Korean for “These are not my pants, either.”
144. One out of every three crazy people in Philly talking to themselves is just on “the Bluetooth.”
145. Prove the concept, sell the work.
146. The Bugle.co.uk.
147. Process Type Foundry!
148. Panhandlers wearing funny hats make more money than those without.
149. Kunkel’s Seafood and Steakhouse in South Jersey has HOT waitresses.
150. Optimism.
151. There’s no shame in flushing twice.
152. “Sind das Deine Hosen?” is German for “Are these your pants?”
153. Be nice.
154. It’s all about telling a story.
155. Measure twice, cut once.
156. If you get drunk and tag a bathroom wall, you’re boss may see it.
157. The pressure really is good for you.
158. I really only learned 152 things, and the rest came from co-workers.
159. Don’t wait for the opportunity to land in your lap, make it happen.
160. Leave on a good note.

Thanks everybody.