2014 Wasn't All Bad: Fast Company Editors and Writers Discuss Their Favorite Stories Of The Year
Join Fast Company staff as we discuss the year that was, all day on Christmas Eve.
It was so bad that the fact everybody probably got hacked isn't close to being the worst news of the year. But 2014 was also a year of inspiring people and brilliant acts of creativity, a year that affirmed our belief that no problem is too big to be solved by people who care both about about making money and making the world a better place.
Join Fast Company editors and writers as we discuss our favorite stories of the year, all day on Christmas Eve. You can join the conversation, too, using the "Make a comment" box below--what ranks high on your list of 2014 highlights? What are you excited about in the new year?
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In April, Facebook was fascinated by our update about a photographer who filmed his daughter every week and created a montage showing her grow from zero to 14 in four minutes. Our Twitter followers clicked on this story about how to build the perfect Instagram portfolio.
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Our cool prez Obama made two noteworthy cultural appearances on Between Two Ferns and The Colbert Report Here's Between Two Ferns Creator Scott Auckerman on the art of the awkward pause.
Between Two Ferns Cocreator Scott Aukerman On The Art Of The Awkward Pause
Fast CompanyAukerman has turned the talk-show format on its head with that Zach Galifianakis web series and a comedy show on IFC, Comedy Bang! Bang! -
This carved out a special place in my heart: Hamsters eating tiny, perfect burritos. Those cheeks!
The Best Thing You'll See Today: This Video Of Hamsters Eating Perfect, Tiny Burritos
Fast CompanyNew YouTube channel Hello Denizen demonstrates a deep understanding of viral video with an adorable and mesmerizing rodent restaurant. -
In May, we talked with "The Fault Of Our Stars" author John Green on how to build a passionate audience, and learned an old Dale Carnegie trick for how to never forget someone's name again (might come in handy for New Year's Eve).
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Clearly we here at Fast Co have a thing for animals. Another heart-melting favorite:
Watch A Disabled Dog Get A New Lease On Life With 3-D Printed Legs
Fast CompanyDerby the dog joins Frosty the snow goat and piglet Leon Trotksy as the cutest animals to get a technological assist in frolicking. -
I loved Fast company's design edition in particular the interview with Tim Fadell.
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Speaking of which...
The $3.2 Billion Man: Can Google's Newest Star Outsmart Apple?
Co.DesignGoogle is betting big on Nest CEO Tony Fadell, who helped invent the iPod and iPhone. Here, a look inside his design revolution. -
I know this is controversial but I loved Serial mania, including the Mail Kimp meme. MailChimp even bought MailKimp.com, which redirects to MailChimp.com, a fun fact learned in this nice Co Create piece:
A Serial Ad Kills: Behind The Strange Podcast Phenomenon Of Mailkimp
Co.CreateMailChimp marketing director Mark DiCristina on the success of Serial, advertising on podcasts, and one great mispronunciation. -
In 2013 everyone was crying over this ad
This New Coke Ad Totally Captures The Reality Of Early Parenthood
Co.CreateThe Argentine commercial shows the ups and downs, stains and sleeplessness of it all. -
but I loved this 2014 story about the rise of "sadvertising"
The Rise Of Sadvertising: Why Brands Are Determined To Make You Cry
Co.CreateHave you been brought to tears by an ad, or five, over the last while? It's not hormones/your meds/the lunar cycle/the polar vortex. Here, we look at... -
In June, our live Q&A with the designers of Dropbox was one of our most tweeted stories. And Delta Air Lines famously lost the World Cup by using a picture of a giraffe to represent Ghana (where they don't typically live, except maybe in a zoo).
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I'm hopping in from vacation to make sure everyone gets to see this fascinating piece written by Rebecca Greenfield about the other side of Rent the Runway. Who knew the glam dress-rental giant is also the country's largest dry cleaner?
http://www.fastcompany.com/3036876/most-creative-people/inside-rent-the-runways-secret-dry-cleaning-empire -
Another gem, with va va voom photos to go along with it, was this piece on a lingerie company that A/B tests the world's hottest women to see who'll make you buy bras!
www.fastcompany.com -
How can we talk about the best of the year without mentioning The New Habit Challenge? If you don't know about it: this year starting in August we decided to put the studies and theories on creativity and productivity to the test every week. Catch up here:and come back after New Years for which habit changes you can make for 2015
Fast Company | Business + Innovation
Fast CompanyFast Company inspires a new breed of innovative and creative thought leaders who are actively inventing the future of business. -
In July, the TaTa Top turned heads on Facebook. The bikini top, which has two realistic looking nipples drawn on the front to give the impression of being topless at a beach or by a pool without breaking rules in the states and cities where it is illegal, became popular thanks in part to an ongoing #FreeTheNipple campaign.
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Oh and since it's Christmas eve, I think everyone should watch this Mental Floss video about the orgins of Christmas traditions with the aforementioned John Green
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it mentions that KFC is popular in Japan on Christmas, but we explain why:
It's Not Christmas In Japan Without KFC
Fast CompanyThe power of brand marketing over a religious holiday. -
And as a follow-up to the successful "strangers kiss" video, filmmaker Tatia Pilieva had strangers remove each other's clothes on camera.
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In August, we told you the back story about the video that Adam Lisagor created for Slack. And Apple's homepage memorial to Robin Williams made us teary.
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We discovered in September that at least one startup is betting on newspapers (it's called California Sunday and they've produced some great articles so far). And the passwords for 5 million Google accounts were leaked.
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Anyone paying attention this year noticed that feminism is having a big moment . I'm really proud of all of our coverage of women in leadership and gender issues at work.
Strong Female Lead
Fast CompanyThe future of women in leadership may lie somewhere between Leaning In and Opting Out. We'll take a critical look at what's really holding us back on... -
Alright folks, we are signing off for today. Thank you for joining our fireside chat about the greatest hits of 2014.