My Card. My Work.

• Lance
  Sorry, I have outsorced my personal web identity to an Indiian firm. Mahdu is not the best speller, but he has a good heart. Cut him some slack!
• michael larner
  "We regard this new sight as an ART PROJECT." So are you changing the way you say things now? It's SITE. NOT SIGHT! Dear lord can someone inform Mr. Jensen about the web?
  
  WebSIGHT. LMAO!?!??!!
• Tom Okeefe

  You are wrong about us ever disbanding our interactive department. It is, in fact our fasted growing department. I should know, i sign the checks.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  Lance--
  So i was wrong then. M! never had any issues with their interactive division back in 2002 or 2003. As I stated on AdWeek that I might be wrong. (even though that was circulating around town) Maybe i was thinking about ID1 and M! relationship from way back. My apologies.
  
  
  Thank you for visiting my blog.
  
  
  Best,
  Tom
  
  
• Lance Jensen
  I would like to comment on a few things. First, We have never, created any of our web sites as a new business tool. Prospective clients either like the work they see, or not. We create them, design them simply because we can. And to attract the right kind of people who may want to work at M! All of our sites have been great recruiting tools.
  
  You are wrong about us ever disbanding our interactive department. It is, in fact our fasted growing department. I should know, i sign the checks.
  
  We regard this new sight as an ART PROJECT. designed to stimulate conversation. It's not perfect, but so what? It's alive, and will no doubt mutate quickly. It's up to you all to decide if it's good or bad. One thing i know for sure, it won't be our last.
  
  L
• michael
  Hats off to modernista. Fresh. clever. brilliant> and most importantly, unclone-able.
  
  Everyone I've spoken to thinks its great.
• J.B. Chaykowsky
  I have to agree with some of the comments. If I were to do that as an individual looking for a job I would be laughed at and probably never brought in for an interview.
  
  I also believe I and many others did something similar to this years ago in HTML. The only difference is the execution.
  
  Overall, its getting them press but wouldn't of this been a little more exciting as a mini-site for an actual client brand. What would your perception be then? Let the internet speak about the brand? I think that is a lot more compelling than what they have displayed for their company. They have hardly any brand history themselves so the content (while it will obviously grow) does not show true brand dynamics like that of Cadillac or maybe even a cereal.
• TomOkeefe
  Mason--
  Once again thank you for commenting. Even though your comments about me are pretty much off base. It really shouldn't matter if I LOVE IT or HATE IT. It's an opinion. The only person that seems frustrated is you.
  Thank you,
  Tom
  
  note: as I stated when I first posted this. They are getting a lot of press. "BUZZ!" which is good. Just like Lance mentioned if you didn't know who they were you do now. So it's a win win. Right?
• Mason
  And further - even if everything you say is true. The site is unoriginal, poorly designed, ill-conceived...
  
  If they fooled everyone into liking it, haven't they done their job?
• Mason
  You are frustrated that everyone else seems to be raving about the site, because you don't think it's original.
  My point is: your opinion has you in the minority. Therefore, you must concede that there is SOMETHING original about it that has people talking.
• TomOkeefe
  Mason--
  It's called an OPINION! Why would I be "jealous" This blog has higher page rank. Also my opinion of not liking the site concept has nothing to do with the work they produce. Which if you read above you would of noticed that. So thank you for visiting and commenting.
  
  Best,
  Tom
• Mason
  "Some are calling it cool, brilliant and clever"
  
  More like everyone except you:
  http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&a...
  
  Sounds to me like you're just jealous that such a simple idea has 'everyone else' going nuts. Or maybe you're just smarter than 'everyone else' - you weren't duped. Either way, I think the target audience (a.k.a., 'everyone else') is speaking for itself.
• KCiampa
  There are some nice bits and bobs to the Hal Riney site. The leadership videos are pretty cheesy though, I'm glad I saw them since it makes me rethink something I'm working on. As far as the site catering to affluent, educated, demographically homogeneous people, they must be doing something right since that is probably their target audience. Perspective clients and employees will not look at an agency website through the same lens that one looks at a more functional, less bandwidth intensive sites like Google. There are different expectations.
• Joseph Maguire
  Sir I completely agree with you about that site I just linked. Like I said alot of visual eye candy and headache. My response on that site was aka iggyboo.
  
  As far as modernista's site goes what they did is nothing newer than using frames its just an updated version of frames. Remember back in the day in 2000 when people had seperate websites loading up on two frames. Same concept, just a better execution. But maybe 'today' its original, but we all know original and origins are based upon perspective and awareness.
• Saul Goode
  Wow. That Hal Riney site is truly horrible. My god. Took forever to load. Use clichéd words on the cool "bloodsmoke" graphic thingy, but all I saw in the 3 minutes I gave it, which is at least one minute more generous than what is reasonable to expect somebody to give, was "contact", "leadership" and "philosophy". None of them words I'm interested in. At all. And the latter, when you roll over it making the "bloodsmoke" subtly form a cross for a brief moment. get it? philosophy...cross...No, I'm not making this up. Try it. Now I know the website isn't doing everything it's supposed to be doing. And maybe my dedicated T1 trunk is a little slower than optimal, but newsflash, it's still faster than most and any attempt to deny that is, in fact, Compu-elitist. Which is a modern and pervasive disease that many Webophiles don't realize they have. Sites like this don't work well for anybody but those with the best machines and networks. Affluent, educated, demographically homogenous people. For the average person, and more to the point, potential client, who is probably busy and may or may not have the latest equipment, especially and ironically, if the company they work for is huge and worth millions, (since IT is always fighting an uphill battle in both 'young and growing' and 'old and established' companies) Modernista's site let's you see their work in 10 seconds with load times that are familiar to every user. And it shows that a lot of people talk about them on the web. So they might make their clients more famous. Perfect.
  I think the real reason people feel a need to criticize the site stems from precisely the type of Internet Intellectualism I alluded to earlier. There was a big shiny nickel laying on the street that we didn't see until Modernista! saunters along with their smarmy attitude picked it up and pocketed it. And it looked so easy that we have no choice but to shout "No fair!". They saw the forest guys. While everybody else was looking at trees. And our egos demand we draw and quarter them for it.
• Joseph Maguire
  Well a great site to see other design studios/agencies sites is www.reformrevolution.com
  
  One such studio that got alot of praise that I saw on there is publicis's new web presence. http://reformrevolution.com/publicis-hal-riney/ It's a great site visually I had a few problems with the actual load time though and it was pretty difficult to read. But their are plenty of good looking agency sites up there. And always Northkingdom.com is truly worth noting. This isn't about internet intellectuals, I think this conversation is less about the actual site and more about the identity. To me anyawy it's more about branding and brand integrity than anything else.
• Saul Goode
  If it doesn't stand out, then why, might I ask, does anyone here feel compelled to render an opinion on it?
  
  Seems like a contradiction to me.
  
  I don't see any conversation here about any other advertising agency's website.
  
  Maybe it's because nobody can think of any worth having a discussion about.
  
  And maybe this fact alone is what validates Modernista!'s site as both being "stand out" and "good".
  
  After all, is that not the website's intended function in the first place, to get the agency it represents talked about and noticed?
  
  Sad to admit, true, but it would appear that Modernista! has very adeptly chalked one point up on the board while we sit here and debate the means by which they've done that.
  
  Modernista! 1 Internet Intellectuals 0
  
  But it's not the score that matters, but the fact that we're all playing. So it's still a win for everyone.
• KCiampa
  The idea is cool, it's the execution which is flawed. With the exception of Wikipedia all of the other sites (google, youtube, Flickr) are used appropriately in context of each specific site and community.
  
  In theory Wikipedia would be a great homepage for the concept, but there are a couple things which need to be taken into account.
  
  If Modernista is going to use Wikipedia they have to be respectful of it's conventions and understand the Wikipedia community is passionate (obsessed) about enforcing it's policies.
  
  As it is said "In order to break the rules, you must first understand them."
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:What_%22...
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Business...
  
  What is pissing these Wikiphelias off is that not only is Modernista breaking a major Wiki convention but they are hanging it on their front door.
  
  As long as Modernista uses Wikipedia as a self-promotional tool the page will continue to be deleted or sabotaged. The best solution would be to find an alternate site as a homepage.
• Joseph Maguire
  I got nothing but respect for Modernista's print and advertising work, so if the gimmick worked to gather up controversy and word of mouth.. than cool. It's a risk, and risk taking is sometimes a love or hate thing. I think overall I liked it as a gimmick but not as a home page for your business for the same reason's stated above. I also agree with Lance that load times were an issue with prior Modernista sites. Load times and, Processing/memory demands were too high. Lance did the advertising promotional website design change help generate word of mouth in the community? I think it would have worked better for a viral "virus type promotion" for like a LOST tv show or something...
  
  Sincerely,
  Joseph
• Tom OKeefe
  Lance--
  
  Fair enough. I agree that the work should trump all and this post has nothing to do with the work that Modernsita produces.
• Lance
  Well, my friends to be honest, it wasn't that calculated. We saw the idea. We liked it. We did it. People who didn't know who were were, now do. It's called advertising. It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it. And I got sick of waiting tables. And to answer your question, if someone came in to the office and showed us that their work was posted on flicker, then no, I wouldn't think that was cool. If the sent me an e-mail and directed me to their site and it worked like this, then, yes, I would notice. However, if i didn't like the work posted, then no.
  
  Lance Jensen. Co-founder. Modernsita!
• TomOkeefe
  HAHA that's awesome. Now go to your room!
• billy bacon
  todd, todd...
  you are grounded now, bad boy! !
  
  :D
• Todd Levy
  > The only difference is... You call that INNOVATION?
  
  Yes. The difference IS the innovation.
  
  TL
  
  P.S. Couldn't wait until Monday... http://britnista.com/
• Mathew
  "Zeus Zones just made a directory page."
  Ok so Zeus Zones site has a directory page that sends people to the same pages that Modernista does. Right?
  The only difference is that Zeus Zones has a web page with CTA's. Modernista has no website just a URL and a navigation widget. You call that INNOVATION?
• TomOkeefe
  I agree Modernista started conversation.
• Todd Levy
  > I just call it being lazy.
  
  I call it a mashout, and I'm sure the copycats are lining up.
  
  By Monday there'll be some Britney Spears "mashout" that let's you navigate all the Britney content on YouTube, Flickr, Google News, etc.
  
  Britnista.com anyone?
  
  > I wonder if Zeus Jones got the same press
  > and praise for what he did?
  
  Would it have been deserved?
  
  Modernista offered an innovation in assembly and started a conversation.
  
  Zeus Zones just made a directory page.
  
  $0.02,
  TL
• Tom Okeefe
  Hey Keith--
  I'm with you 100%
• KCiampa
  Today Wikipedia administrators deleted the Modernista page so most people who went to Modernista.com basically got an error article missing message. They blatantly broke a fundamental Wikipedia rule. “Though everyone is welcome to contribute constructively to the encyclopedia, Wikipedia should not be used for advertising or promotion.” I'm surprised that the blogs and media are embracing Modernista's site when they should be bashing it for a general lack of understanding of the online space.
• TomOkeefe
  MT--
  Who's hating? It's just not good. I don't think they stand out from the rest beyond the online Buzz they got and still get with this blog as well as others. Using FlickR, Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, Skype, etc makes you stand out? Wow!!
  
  Oh wait it looks like Wikipedia took down the Modernista's page. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww what a shame!
• MT
  Don't hate. It's just adapting to your environment. With so many agencies out there trying to call attention to themselves, most begin looking no different than the next "dry-cleaner" on the block. So why not stand out?!!!

Art Director and Fireworks evangelist. I talk about Design, advertisement, Fireworks, UI, UX, and all Visual Design and some other random stuff.