Little Monsters
Collaborated with artist Lady Gaga and created LittleMonsters.com, an online creative community for the super-fans to come together to share, create and inspire.
My first whiteboarding sketches and ideas from early 2011 when I was 22-years-old. Goals for the product included to increase user-generated content, make people feel connected to each other and create new innovative experiences and relationships between the artist and the fan. Community of love, support and creativity and the mission to create and cultivate a place of inclusion. For super-fans to get a thrill to get on the homepage and feel like the star and Mother Monster herself to easily see it and like it, create products that make people feel happy. User-driven innovation, focus on the user and focus on creating the positive emotional connection or feeling to the product and how it works. Aimed to help connect and engage with fans in a more direct and meaningful way than on other social networks. Create a platform to inspire young people into the arts the way DeviantART did for me growing up. Create a fun place on the internet and a place of love and acceptance to be yourself and true and transform yourself by creating a persona online to become a star. Being a Little Monster myself, it was easy to build something for yourself that you would like to see in the world. It all started when I responded to a "Gaga Seeks Geeks" she posted on Facebook. I felt a calling and always inherently knew I wanted to work together in some capacity combining the intersections of technology, art and pop culture together and the profound tremendous impact she's had on my life as an artist and a person. Also, as an experimental artist who uses and leverages technology and innovation in her shows and performances. I took the opportunity, trusted my gut instincts and the universes stage direction and ran with it. Can read the full story in WIRED Magazine. It all starts with an idea... a spark or calling towards your true purpose in life and something I believed in it. The creative process is often mysterious and wonderful. "Exclusive inclusiveness"
My original initial interaction and visual design concepts. Inspired by creative online community and very visual highly-engaging platforms like Tumblr, DeviantArt, Dribbble, Lookbooks, sub-Reddits and passionate internet message board community forums. Little Monsters super-fans can get their work showcased to the top of the page and trending now on the homepage and the opportunity for Mother Monster to see it and heart it herself. DeviantArt was particularly special to me growing up as that really inspired me to get into the graphic arts, photography and technology field, my profile is still live here from when I was in high school. :) I felt a calling to work on it and give back to the community the way the other platforms before did for me and wanted to work with the most creative people I could find. My passions always included mixing technology art and design in new ways like never before to empower creativity. Exploring the intersections of pop culture, art and technology. Above is beautiful user-submitted artwork. Opportunity to share positivity and light with other like-minded people.
Inspired by creative online community and very visual highly-engaging platforms like Tumblr, DeviantArt, Dribbble, sub-Reddits and passionate internet message board community forums. Little Monsters can get their work showcased to the top of the page and trending now on the homepage and the opportunity for Mother Monster to see it and heart it herself. Above is user-submitted artwork. Exploring the intersections of pop culture, art and technology. When there is a platform to get featured and attention, more people will create user-generated content to get featured on the homepage, creating high-engagement. I was building this for myself and other similar Little Monsters, filling the gap of something I'd want and use. Being the target audience Little Monster myself it was easy to know what other Little Monsters want, a place to go and escape the reality of life and live in a beautiful fantasy place online and form of reality escapism to be able to be your true self. Fun place online for fans to truly be themselves.
Be able to heart and like avant-garde artwork and remix it and explore similar mixed media digital art online creations. Show their love for Gaga, Mother Monster creatively in an artistic expression.
Inspired by... tool to show the path and tree and branches of inspiration and honored their creativity. User submitted artwork.
Online chat room for Gaga and monsters to message each other and get excited to chat and translate languages on the fly to talk to monsters around the world in real-time. Kids come home from school and login and chat.
The official Mother Monster profile for her to like and see all the wonderful creations on the community site.
Profile page to show a profile on the Little Monster name, nickname, artist name, pen name, creative alter ego, age, profession or aspiring profession, passions and location.
One-click action to get your artwork featured on apparel and increase user-generated merchandise sales from other Little Monsters who become the taste-makers and creators.
Add a customized and personalized icon or symbol creatively representing your online persona or avatar within the community.
"Inspired by..." creation posting tool to be able to create, share and remix and mashup digital media pop art creations. Significantly increasing artwork and memes created and shared to social media. Technology gives us the opportunity to create the paintbrush tool and the users to paint in new and exciting ways. Create visual and engaging experiences using the remix and mashup online digital media content creation tool.
"Inspired by..." artwork tool to be able to remix and mashup content and show the inspiration trail.
"Inspired by..." artwork creation tool to be able to create, share and remix and mashup digital media pop art creations. Significantly increasing artwork and memes created and shared to social media. Technology gives us the opportunity to create the paintbrush tool and the users to paint in new and exciting ways. Create visual and engaging experiences using the remix and mashup online digital media content creation tool.
Technology gives us the opportunity to build the paintbrush, empower people with new creative tools. Did Picasso a/b test his paintings?
Digital media art content creation machine. Content remixed and mashed-up in real-time, automatically linking and giving artist accreditation to the original artist and be able to back like a blockchain to the original source of genesis. Similar concept to "rebounding" on Dribbble.com. A 360-view of her at award shows or any live event creating "edits", allowing a user democratization of artwork of anyone putting their own creative spin on it and point of view as an artist and easily share out to social media.
Easily one-click put your artwork on a T-Shirt or merch inspired by Threadless.com. Concept designs showing proceeds go to a donation or a charity like "Kids in the Arts" Foundation or STEAM K-12 programs or round up to go towards a cause.
Easily browse and explore the world and the universe that is Gaga. Similar to pop cult epic fandom "stan" fan communities like Star Wars, Star Trek, Twilight, Rocky Horror Picture Show, comic books, etc. Creating an organized online digital vault directory / digital library of all things Gaga and Monster documented related Gagacon and searchable, rather than it getting lost on social media feeds.
Easily browse and explore creations around from Little Monsters around the world. People would spend hours on the site browsing, hearting and going down the rabbit hole and liking and discovering exclusive and brand new content and media creations.
Fun community contests and cool user-replicating behaviors inspired by fun user behaviors on photoblogging and community website Dailybooth product. Digital "Paws up" using your webcam.
Create micro-chats on the fly to chat in real-time about new events like the Grammys, new music videos, art, or anything!
Multilingual real-time chat translation - Magic real-time translation chat powered by Google Translate product API, one of the larger apps using it so monsters can communicate on the site with each other around the world and translated on-the-fly in their native language instantly.
Messaging - Encourage conversation between fans and give them opportunities to collaborate. Find and discover other Little Monsters to meet and message to get inspired and gather together to collaborate on new creative endeavors and projects together or go to concerts in groups. Gaga brings creative people together through her message of inclusion, love, passion, welcomeness, compassion and empathy. I've always admired how Gaga's music and message brings such different people from all ages, backgrounds, experiences together at concerts in real-life and online. The common thread that connects us all together is love, freedom and creativity. Create and cultivate inclusion.
Find and discover other Little Monsters to meet and message to get inspired and collaborate on new projects together or go to concerts in groups. Gaga brings creative people together through inclusion, love, welcomeness, compassion and empathy.
Find similar monsters by profession or by similar interests and hobbies, i.e. "Photographers", "Musicians", "Bloggers", "Artists", "Stylists", "Technologists", "Set Designers", "Videographers", "Fashion Designers", "Poets", etc. to collaborate and work on creative projects together.
Increasing merchandise sales at concerts up to 30% because super-fans know what other fans like and want. Easily give the ability for fans to select their favorite artwork on their clothing to purchase.
Schedule meetups - Concert events, impromptu popup meetups, submit to causes, events and start movements.
Special Monstervision no 1: Gaga posting exclusive videos on LittleMonsters.com directly to the fan community for monster-eyes only for a pop culture takeover. Talking about new Little Monster fashion and film project content submissions on the site.
Below are some of my favorite incredible artwork created and submitted to the community. Gaga inspired many people, including Helen Green a creative inspiration and the beautiful ultimate muse to her work. In 2011, she was fortunate enough to have her work admired by Lady Gaga, and subsequently became part of her Haus of Gaga collective, working on special projects for her and the Born This Way Foundation. Artwork by Helen Green with Philip Treacy Hat posted on LittleMonsters.com
Artwork by DendaReloaded. Original photographed by Ruth Hogben.
Artwork mashup by N.Gwinner with Jeff Koon's Gazing Ball and concept sculpture. I love this one because it is a mashup of many different artists and ideas and to showcase online digital media rockstars. The same way Warhol took iconic American consumer objects and made it fine art or the way Roy Lichtenstein was inspired by comic book clippings.
What would Warhol do if he were alive today with technology? Immortalize people through iconic art, the same way he did with Marilyn Monroe? Gaga Candy Warhol by
"Warhol of the Web" Andy Warhol Style Pop Art Lady Gaga by TastyTuts
Tokyo Happy Little Monsters :-) She has such a power of doing so much for people and inspiring many including myself more than she could ever know. Her success, shared vision, optimism, positivity and approach for life allows people to open up and have the freedom to be who they want to become as an artist.
Fashion sketches posted for submission on LittleMonsters.com for Gaga to pick and wear at an upcoming Award Show.
Fashion sketches posted for submission on LittleMonsters.com for Gaga to pick and wear at an upcoming Award Show.
Fashion sketches posted for submission on LittleMonsters.com for Gaga to pick and wear at an upcoming Award Show.
Fashion sketch submission by 16-year-old Little Monster posted for submission on LittleMonsters.com for Gaga to pick and wear at an upcoming Award Show.
Artwork by. Idea to have the fan create the next official album art. Similar to Japanese fictional character artist persona Miku and the band Gorillaz, where she is more a collection of her fans digitally as a collective entity. Marina and the Diamonds she is the the artist and the fans, she is the art piece herself.
Special Monstervision no 2: Gaga posting exclusive videos on LittleMonsters.com directly to the fan community for monster-eyes only.
Special Monstervision no 3: Gaga posting exclusive videos on LittleMonsters.com directly to the fan community for monster-eyes only. See all the Monstervisions edited by Gaga herself here.
Inspired by Google's Lady Gaga Chrome Commercial
Little Monster dance submission choreography fan videos
Lady Gaga Posting Monster Pit Key Photos on LittleMonsters.com
Lady Gaga Launches Social Networking Site Little Monsters
Lady Gaga Launching Her Own Social Network
Lady Gaga: "Little Monsters Inspire My Music"
Love and outpouring from the fans. Many fun happy fan-submitted artwork and memes posted to the site printed on the walls of the office and thank you letters made me proud to read. :) We would receive an outpouring of mails that the site literally saved kids like myself lives to help them cope with bullying in school or anonymous strangers online helping each other out when they needed it the most. Shows the magic and the powerful experience of creating a supportive community and magical to be apart of in history. Fans who were bullied would come home from school on LittleMonsters.com and feel better after a hard day and feel better, thanks to random acts of kindness and kind people on the internet.
She started a Body Rev(Love)ution on the site starting from one post, soon an outpouring of messages from fans to embrace and accept their flaws and scars too. Showing the beauty in power of the internet and community and human kindness to strangers online when one is vulnerable and true. Above is user-submitted posts from the community. And her positive message resonating with them. It became a creative outlet and art therapy for those battling with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, body weight issues, etc. (Bullied kids photos on lm.com more success impact photos)
Brave, beautiful and inspiring personal stories from the community on body image, love, uniqueness and acceptance. Launched the image overnight, and in real-time so many people be true to yourself proud of who they are.
"I don't want you to love me, I want you to love yourself after you've been with me." - Gaga. Tolerance, love and acceptance. Making people feel good about themselves again.
Chat: Gaga communicates directly with fans in the chatroom. Gaga has a direct connection and very open relationship with her fans often sharing personal stories, Q/A about her upcoming work that she is working on, asking users their feedback on her work or how she is doing that day. Vulnerability fostering closeness. Changed the way she communicates with fans on chat. When Gaga entered the chatrooms and capped to max capacity it would be like super-fans waiting outside in the cold at early 2000's MTV's TRL to be let in to ask questions to the artist or a hot club waiting outside in line, excited to get the opportunity to get in the exclusive chat or view-only in real-time. Intimate late-night raw and unfiltered conversations like your best friend or family member, the fans on the site hear it directly from her first before anyone else in the mainstream feeling special they got to hear it from her first, before anyone else.
Gaga posting nice messages thanking the fans on the site. It makes me happy creating products make people feel happy and smile.
Letters of love from Gaga writing to Little Monsters in ways they've touched her life in a profound and impactful ways.
Gaga is such a wonderful and generous person she sent gifts and expressed much gratitude thanking the entire team for their hard work.
Gaga tweeting about the increase in fan submission artwork. Increased art creation to have a platform to inspired and get inspired to create with the intention of making the fan feel like the superstar.
Fan art = fine art. Concept illustrations I photoshopped artwork beautiful work by Helen Green on to paintings as fine art. I believe one day to have an idea and illustrate a Gaga museum an art gallery exhibition at the Louvre Museum in Paris or hanging up in the MoMA to have a digital vault and showcase all of the beautiful work by Monsters for Monsters. (Canvas mocks of photos look like they are hung up in art gallery.)
"In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." - Andy Warhol. (List why LM was successful) (List all the good and success that came from the site) (Tell the story why it succeeded) * Inspired creativity * Helped saved LGBT lives from depression suicide * Empowered tools to become more creative * People felt a creative connection to each other not just her * Showcased talent and was the platform for the next up and coming superstar artist and jump set their career to next level I'm grateful and fortunate to have had the honor and opportunity to be part of a project and team that: * By creating a platform to inspire others for new artists to emerge, that helped people feel connected to each other in times of need, especially the LGBT community, minorities, labeled outcasts don't want to fit in box of society against all odds or rebels in society and safe place to go to be with other like-minded creative people * Had a place and to build tools that empowered promoted and inspired creativity, and love and acceptance when people needed it more now than ever * Proud to have worked on a platform that gave people a voice * Inspired one person to get into the creative field * Amazing opportunity very thankful to provide value towards a strong positive message and cause towards goodness in the world and had a positive cultural success impact to the world and contribution as an artist to humanity inspiring people for the better * Created a tool where inspired creativity and had an impact to many people * Learned it is really fun to create a user platform and see the creativity and people pushing the boundaries of how people use it, sometimes in ways you originally not anticipate. * Be part of a small part of internet history, and showcase the tenacity of the human spirit * Created a place that celebrated fun, positivity, optimism and a vision for the future in a thriving passionate community and supporting loving fostering community * Inspired tools to create new types of beautiful user generated art * Inspired new innovative ways for artists to interact with fans online and moved pop culture forward * Be part of a special time pop culture and remaking of celebrity culture * Created a platform where users have a voice and made the fan feel like the superstar * Inspire kids and be a positive role-model to inspire their dreams to fruition * Birthed a place for the next world great world-famous artist to emerge and start from * Fostered creativity and showcased, inspired and brought to fame many new young amazing up-and-coming talented artists. * Created a platform to showcase share and inspire and positively optimistically promote creativity and inspired more people to be creative through it. * Saved kids lives when they needed it the most and provided a safe place where they felt pure joy and at home chatting and sharing their experiences with other Little Monsters on the site. * Inspired people creatively to get into the arts field.