The Highly Evolved Newsfeed

Grand Re-Opening for an Architecture Legend

Freedom Allen — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:34:05 -0400

We are thrilled to announce the grand re-opening of Cuningham.com, a new showcase of the legendary architecture firm's inspiring and diverse work. Leaving Flash in the dust, Highly Evolved re-built the site from designs provided by our friends at Cuningham Group using HTML5 and Javascript for a fluid and immersive interactive experience.

Why the hell hasn't anyone updated this?

Cosmo Jones — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 03:58:23 -0400

It's time for a major update, we know it. We're going to be making some site changes soon to reflect new structures, divisions, directions. Basically, the last year+ has been packed. I have to add around 20 sites, plus Freedom and I have been expanding into other areas. I'll let Freedom talk about the insane things he's up to.

Let's focus on me. Besides continuing to provide great sites for MTV and other regular clients, I opened BEDROCK STUDIOS along with business partner Micheal Caldwell. It's a 37,000sf building filled with hourly rehearsal studios, private recording studios, over 60 private lockout rehearsal studios, a repair shop, a pro shop, a gear rental division, and we even launched a line of hand made custom electric guitars and basses.

Then, I also took on a full time client/partner which is a start-up geared to be the top site for events/parties/nightlife in Hollywood with a focus on LA's elite social scene and we've been backed by brands like BlackBerry, Diageo and more.

Highly Evolved is now a partnership of Freedom and myself, and we are no longer working the agency model, instead this is a holding company for our various endeavors and remains a creative consulting firm for select long term clients.

I promise, there will be more actual portfolio and content updates soon, so stay tuned.

Blue Box Group gets a redesign.

Cosmo Jones — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:18:15 -0500

Our preferred hosting partner, the mighty Blue Box Group of Washington who hosts our client partner Viacom's Rails sites along with many others wanted to prettify their site before the recent RailsCon. Naturally, we jumped on it and knocked it out in time because, well, we're awesome.

Visit Blue Box Group

SOUNDTRACK.MTV.COM is ALIVE.

Cosmo Jones — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:55:09 -0500

This is BY FAR our most exhaustive endeavor to date. And, it explains why no one has updated our site in months. We spent the better part of this year creating this monster. It's a massive site that lets you find new music from indie bands, plus every band that has ever had a song on MTV or an MTV show. It's MySpace Music on steroids. But, the beta that is live now is really just the tip of the iceberg. There will be insane things happening with the site next year, and the beta version has been a massive hit wildly exceeding traffic and user expectations. Big props to Seth, Chris, Tiffany, Cy, Will and the team for getting this site off the ground in crazy circumstances!

A shiny new place to meet celebrities.

Cosmo Jones — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:50:32 -0500

I Am On MTV gets a full redesign from us and a beautiful technical platform from our partners in crime over at Killswitch Collective. The site was originally launched on a tight budget and proved to be very popular, so it got the royal treatment and kept Cy Cary up for many nights. Now he can rest, and the world can become Paris Hilton's new BFF. Yay.

Flat Planet becomes a brand.

Cosmo Jones — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:32:16 -0500

Yes, the world is flat. Flat Planet is a company that outsources large legal department issues to various countries to lower the cost of performing common legal tasks. They also advise venture capitalists on what type of offshore legal firms to invest in. They needed a logo that people would remember, and I think we got it right.

Dance.MTV.com gets a facelift

Cosmo Jones — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:29:38 -0500

As you've probably figured out, we do a lot of work for MTV. Here is their dance site all cleaned up and pretty like. Video yourself doing the "fork in the garbage disposal" or other equally embarrassing move and post it. Who knows... maybe Randy Jackson will call you down for an audition. Or not.

2 Car Pros gets a new identity.

Cosmo Jones — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:26:07 -0500

The #1 Car advice site has been working with us for awhile to take their site to the next level. It's horribly complex and technical, and I won't bore you with the details. Instead, become mesmerized by the shiny new logo, and someday their site will be as pretty!

The First Non-Profit Platform with D-I-Y Apps

Regan Robinson — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:08:57 -0400

Highly Evolved today unveiled the beta launch of "SoundSafe.org":http://www.soundsafe.org/, a community portal that empowers San Francisco artists with a revolutionary set of interactive tools and resources - all in the name of cultivating self-sufficient, professional music careers. This localized music hub allows users to network with others, to find talent and to book gigs, to post classifieds and to access the organization’s “Thrive in the Music Business” kit -- the ultimate guide to navigating the Bay Area music industry. The platform’s architecture is the brainchild of Highly Evolved and its team of technology, innovation and user interface experts. In addition to being a profile-based, social networking tool, the site gives members the ability to upload their own videos, send messages, purchase the non-profit’s gear, feature their skill sets, volunteer their time, track their calendars and donate money to the organization. What’s more, the site allows users to upload their own music that is streamed via the “SoundSafe Radio” widget. “We’re beyond excited to launch this site,” says Freedom Allen, CEO of Highly Evolved. “SoundSafe came to us looking for an online solution that would support their real-world mission, and this platform empowers musicians with a set of comprehensive applications with which to realize their dreams. We are big proponents of utilizing technology to make people’s lives better, and the SoundSafe project provided the perfect opportunity for us to do just that.” According to Jean Spinosa, President/Co-Founder of SoundSafe, "We're an organization borne out of destruction and abandonment, and we fought and won to turn that loss into gain and to create something healthy and productive. Though we no longer have a physical building, we do have a permanent and meaningful place in the heart and spirit of the San Francisco music community. This new website is not the end of this story, it's a starting point. We're not sure where it will lead, but we know it will open myriad avenues of communication and creativity through the city. It's well suited to the lifestyle of the modern Bay Area musician -- all of whom might live great distances from each other, but who come together every day on the web. This will be their home and it's called SoundSafe.org."

Are You on MTV?

Regan Robinson — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:49:55 -0400

For the "I Am on MTV":http://www.iamonmtv.com/ project, we designed and architected this new entertainment destination that contains every person that has been on MTV, from huge celebrities down to contestants on their reality shows. It’s a deep excursion into the interconnectivity of all their talent. Plus, if you want to ever get onto MTV, this is the site one will go to for their fifteen minutes of fame. Its the one place where anyone can see everyone, from Lauren Conrad and Damien Fahey to Martha Quinn and Puck (for those of you from the older MTV generation, like us).