Keynote: Jake Nickell - Threadless - Presented by Creative Sydney

Jake Nickell is the poster child for the age of the prosumer. His company, Threadless, now boasts a community of 1.8 million designers and design-lovers who post, vote on, and buy unique t-shirt designs – over 1000 are submitted each week. The site has inspired everything from an annual Threadless cake design comp to endless apps, meet-ups and spin-offs.

Jake travels to Vivid Ideas Exchange from Chicago, to deliver share the Threadless story and to tell us why we should never stop making. He joins three of Sydney’s most successful, motivated creative business-owners – Jeremy Somers (We Are Handsome), Dana Tomic Hughes (yellowtrace) and Jai Al-Attas (ZAPPP) – to share advice on bringing focus to your passion projects and taking action on new ideas.

About Jake Nickell

Jake Nickell is the young and fearless entrepreneur who co-founded the hugely successful e-commerce website Threadless in 2000. Threadless is a community of 1.8 million designers and design-lovers who post, vote on, and buy unique t-shirt designs – over 1000 are submitted each week. The site has inspired everything from an annual Threadless cake design comp to endless apps, meet-ups and spin-offs.

The online community allows designers and creatives around the world a chance to interact, discuss ideas, analyse feedback and gain international exposure for their T-shirt designs.

Jake will be travelling from Chicago to share the Threadless story at the Vivid Ideas Exchange. He will explain how to nuture high-quality user generated content and stimulate genuine engagement in online retail.

Follow Jake Nickell on Tumblr

About Jeremy Somers

Jeremy is the Director & Designer or We Are Handsome – A swimwear & fashion label that sprang from a little spark of an idea in 2009.

Despite knowing nothing about the rag trade, Jeremy’s ‘little project’ has become an international sensation, selling in more than 38 cities in 22 countries, adorning the covers of magazines, news papers and TV shows and worn by some of the most famous people on earth.

Jeremy’s background in photography and design ensures a tight grip & keen eye on everything that We Are Handsome produces and how it’s represented. Jeremy’s designed websites for some of the world’s biggest brands, and everything from T-shirts to iPhone Covers to car interiors, and yet, he insists that nothing prepared him for the turmoil that is the fashion industry.

About Dana Tomic Hughes

Dana Tomic Hughes is a self diagnosed design geek and founder of the hugely influential blog and interior design practice Yellowtrace. Since its launch in 2008, Yellowtrace blog has grown to attract over 250,000 loyal followers spanning some 165 countries – an audience that continues to grow with each of her characteristically witty and inspirational posts.

As an award winning interior designer, Dana is unafraid to step off the beaten path to discover the unexpected for her clients. Her razor sharp design eagle-eye draws inspiration from many creative fields spanning art, fashion and photography, through to products and graphics, all of which she celebrates daily on her blog.

About Jai Al-Attas

Jai is a 28 year old guy from Sydney who has 12 years experience making things and running businesses. His first business was Below Par Records at 16, which he sold to EMI Music in 2009, not before signing bands like Kisschasy, Something With Numbers, The Scare, Brand New and Yellowcard. Jai directed a documentary on 90′s punk rock called “One Nine Nine Four” (that he can’t release due to music clearances) – for which he interviewed some of his favourite bands like Blink 182, NOFX, Lagwagon, Green Day, Rancid – with narration by Tony Hawk.

Jai is currently running a creative agency called ONE MEANING COMMUNICATED DIFFERENTLY and a mobile app company called ZAPPP – that focuses on Bands, Brands and Athletes.