We’re super honored that the Chicago Timmy Awards named Jellyvision the Best Tech Workplace for Diversity on September 22, 2017! “Companies have realized diversity is a necessary ingredient for… Read more
Hey, everyone! Our boss, Amanda Lannert, is up for a CEO of the Year award from some folks we really care about, and we’re really… Read more
Our CEO Amanda Lannert and Founder Harry Gottlieb are squad goals. I mean, just look at them: They’ve been the dream team captaining the Jellyvision… Read more
The relationship between customer service and technology has not always been a happy one. In fact, I’d hazard a guess that when most consumers think… Read more
We are super excited to announce we raised $20 million from Updata Partners, a leading technology growth equity firm. This funding will reward our longtime… Read more
We have some awesome news to share! Here at Jellyvision, we’re committed to curing confusion around complicated, yet important topics. FlexMinder, a Techstars company in Seattle… Read more
We’re growing like gangbusters here at Jellyvision—which is why we’re looking for a few smart salespeople to help us continuing growing our business in 2017—and… Read more
We’re a sucker for a good Harry Potter pun. And lucky for us, Forbes is, too. In its recent article “7 lessons from a company… Read more
We have some nifty news to announce! Last week, the Chicago Tribune recognized Jellyvision as one of its Top Places to Work in Chicago, for the 3rd consecutive year. “People… Read more
Tech in Chicago, a podcast dedicated to telling stories of Windy City startups and tech, recently visited Jellyvision and interviewed Amanda for its latest podcast episode…. Read more
Our recruiting process gets noticed for its uniqueness: we read every cover letter and ask all qualified candidates to do auditions (simulations of real work) before coming into… Read more
What’s it like to win the CTO lottery? We found out last month, when Brian Walker became the first-ever Chief Technology Officer in Jellyvision history. In… Read more
This article, written by Amanda Lannert, originally appeared on LinkedIn’s Pulse: The notion that people under the age of 34 are immature, coddled, and self-obsessed?… Read more
Last month, we were thrilled to announce our fearless leader Amanda Lannert was nominated for two ITA (Illinois Technology Association) CityLIGHTS Awards. And now we’re… Read more
If you’re on the street in Lincoln Park on a Mid-September Friday, chances are you’ll see a boatload of people donning costumes and mustaches (both real… Read more
In my 10 or so years of being an orderly citizen of the Internet, I’ve never felt passionate enough about something to actually go out… Read more
Having an internship is about learning what work is like. Having a Jellyvision internship is about learning what work should be like. During my eleven… Read more
Ever wonder what the Jellyvision hiring and onboarding process feels like from the POV of a candidate? Wonder no longer! In our series, Joining Jellyvision,… Read more
Ever wonder what the Jellyvision hiring and onboarding process feels like from the POV of a candidate? Wonder no longer! In our series, Joining Jellyvision,… Read more
As our CEO Amanda Lannert talked about in a recent LinkedIn post,Mantras and Elbow Grease: How We’re Intentionally Maintaining Our Culture As We Grow (and… Read more
You heard that right. Jellyvision head honcho and all-around awesome person Amanda Lannert has been named a finalist for not one, but two ITA CityLIGHTS… Read more
So here’s the deal, friendly reader: due to Jellyvision growing like crazy, we’re aggressively looking to hire a few awesome people (at all levels of experience) to become… Read more
Our CEO Amanda Lannert kicked off our first all-staff meeting of 2016 with two words: Be helpful. Those two words are our company’s mantra, and they serve… Read more
Our 300+ Jellypeople (a term we’ve adorably coined for ourselves) come in all shapes, sizes, colors, genders, experience levels, etc. But it’s not intentional. Fast Company… Read more
Are you a fan of mustaches? Massage chairs? Lots of snacks in cylindrical metal tins? Giant bananas on walls? If your answer to any of… Read more
The Pilot is Born A few weeks ago, a group of folks at Jellyvision hit the streets (or more accurately decks, patios and sofas) across… Read more
Last night, we’re proud to announce, our intrepid CEO Amanda Lannert added another Built In Chicago Moxie Award to her growing Moxie trophy collection when… Read more
It’s no secret that Jellyvision traditionally does things—well, non-traditionally. Our sales process is no different, and Level 11 recently interviewed our very own Director of… Read more
If you remember from last year, we were quite excited and humbled to be recognized by the Chicago tech community with a few awesome Moxies…. Read more
When you’re offering feedback, what does your body say? Is it attentive, warm, and responsive, or, are you letting others know you just don’t… Read more
Here at Jellyvision, our bread and butter is taking confusing, annoying, boring experiences and making them surprisingly clear and engaging. Well, you know what one… Read more
Is your idea of excitement running out to get coffee for your boss? Does mindlessly filing stacks of paper tickle your fancy? Do you dream… Read more
Today on The Communications Breakdown, I’ll show you how your benefits emails, printed benefits guides, and webpages can get get to the point so much… Read more
Yes, we spend one day every September honoring mustaches, hold yard sales in the office, and send company-wide GIFs of bouncing llamas to celebrate birthdays…. Read more
Today on The Communications Breakdown, I’m going to show you how to turn a long email into a short email—because short emails are always best…. Read more
We’re proud and humbled to announce that Crain’s Chicago named us a Best Place to Work in Chicago…for the third year in a row! From the write-up:… Read more
Today on The Communications Breakdown, we explain why website carousels, or sliders, are something you should avoid on your benefits portals and sites. If you… Read more
The Jellyvision Lab announced that its board of directors has promoted Kurt Hirsch, general counsel for the company since 2001—and inspiration for hundreds of intra-office… Read more
When looking for examples of effective digital communications, you might not think to look to a standup comedian. However, with the promotion of his new… Read more
Our little video series is growing up so fast! Today we decided to give it a name—The Communications Breakdown. In this week’s installment, we walk… Read more
Over the past three years, in large part due to the success of ALEX, Jellyvision has been growing like gangbusters. In 2013, we had fewer than 100 employees…. Read more
Another Thursday, another new video on communication tips. Today we’re talking about tables of content, or TOCs. The TOC might be the last thing you’re… Read more
Today’s video—our first in a new series—shows why organizing benefits newsletter content with bullet points may not be the best idea. Sure, bullet points are… Read more
Most companies use email campaigns to “keep in touch” with consumers while “gently reminding” us to buy their new products, try out their services or… Read more
Our team is growing–and we’re looking for entrepreneurial, sales rockstars to be our next account executives. Wanna know what our current account executives think about working… Read more
Government agencies and institutions–God bless ’em–aren’t generally known for their crystal clear communications. HOWEVER, we recently came across a page on the United States Postal Service… Read more
Last week, we’re happy to report, Fortune magazine ran a very nice feature story on Jellyvision—and our philosophy on benefits communication. Not only does the article… Read more
Now that the holidays are almost upon us, you and I and everyone we know are about to deal with some awkward holiday-related conversations with… Read more
(We originally posted this last year, but we like it so much we thought we’d post it again. Start a new holiday tradition, if you will. Enjoy!)… Read more
We’re excited to announce that, last night,Chicago Inno named Jellyvision one of its “50 on Fire” companies in the highly competitive B2B Tech category! It’s always… Read more
We have cool news to announce! Last week, the Chicago Tribune announced that it had chosen Jellyvision as one of its Top Places to Work in Chicago! To accompany… Read more
Around the Jellyvision offices, it’s well known that our much-loved and respected founder Harry Gottlieb is a unique sort of leader (and a unique sort of… Read more
Last Friday, Jellyvision had the unique pleasure of hosting the “Confusion Destruct-a-thon and Communication Kumbaya” here at 848 W. Eastman, as part of the 2015… Read more
We’re extremely pleased to announce that over the weekend Crain’s Chicago published a fantastic article about our award-winning CEO, Amanda Lannert, the history of Jellyvision, and the… Read more
Here at Jellyvision, we do things a little differently when it comes to hiring people. Not only do candidates submit a resume and cover… Read more
This summer, Jellyvision (makers of ALEX) and research powerhouse Harris Poll teamed up to conduct an in-depth survey of 1,000 American employees aged 18+ to… Read more
Are you a regular Jellyvision blog reader? Having you been waiting on tenterhooks ever since the August 10 post about how we became an ITA… Read more
Career fairs can bring up a lot of emotions… mostly negative ones. They’re overwhelming and stressful and most of the time, students end up walking… Read more
Our main goal at Jellyvision is to make delightful, confusion-curing products, but sometimes one of our employees has a different dream. There are times when… Read more
Peanut butter and jelly. Netflix and wine. And now: Jellyvision and Castlight Health. That’s right. Jellyvision and Castlight Health, a San Francisco–based company at… Read more
How was your weekend? Good? Did you get to do that thing you wanted to do with those people you like so much? Nice. Everybody… Read more
Recently, we had the distinct pleasure of hanging out with 45 ALEX customers at our annual ALEXCon, the best employee communication conference on the planet. Over… Read more
June 24, 2015 Pulaski Park, 1 mile west of Jellyvision HQ, Chicago, IL (JV-AP) What’s gotten into the water at Jellyvision? Following a pre-game lunch… Read more
We’re delighted to announce that Jellyvision won top honors in every category it was nominated for at the 2015 Built in Chicago Moxie Awards! Built In Chicago,… Read more
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 10, 2015 Pulaski Park, 1 mile west of Jellyvision HQ, Chicago, IL (JV-AP) It had been two seasons of heartbreaking, winless… Read more
As one of the leaders of the Chicago tech and startup communities, our CEO, Amanda Lannert, gets asked a lot of questions about running a… Read more
Chicago-based startup and/or small business leaders: you’ve invited to attend an interactive panel discussion featuring Jellyvision CEO Amanda Lannert next Monday, May 4 at 6:30pm. Hosted by Blue Sky… Read more
A few days ago, our fun and fearless founder Harry Gottlieb (the mastermind behind YOU DON’T KNOW JACK and ALEX) appeared on the WGN radio show “The Big… Read more
This morning, while sipping coffee and checking emails, we were delighted to learn that Crain’s Chicago just voted Jellyvision a Best Place to Work for the… Read more
User experience (or UX, as the acronym-philes like to say) is an essential consideration when designing software, websites, and other Internetty things. But UX is… Read more
Because sometimes it’s entertaining as hell. Eat24, a food delivery service, has revolutionized the practice of fine print. Every week, Eat24 sends out an email… Read more
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…and also the most marketing’d time of the year. Which makes it extra-refreshing when a straightforward message rises… Read more
Even the most exciting, innovative products have boring tagalongs. Shipping boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper. (“Hey, the box is the best part!” –kids and dogs… Read more
We’ve written before about “speaking in human”—writing and talking like a person, not the back of a box. Speaking in human is a great thing,… Read more
We humans like to think we’re highly rational creatures, logically weighing the pros and cons of life. However, we actually make a lot of decisions… Read more
Please make sure your seat back is in the fully upright position, and prepare to watch a video that captures the drudgery of a cross-country… Read more
Auto reply texts are boring. Auto reply texts are cold and impersonal. Auto reply texts say things like, “For help txt HELP to stop receiving… Read more
Josh is known for a few things around Jellyvision. Delighting customers. Setting up elaborate taste tests of popcorn and fresh-baked cookies. But he’s perhaps best… Read more
One very important, but sometimes overlooked, aspect of good communication: making sure what you’re saying is legal. Most of us know that you’re not allowed… Read more
Phhhhhhrt. Pfft. THPPTPHTPHPHHPH. That, my friend, is the sound of awareness. At least it is now, thanks to the clever folks at Beat Bowel Cancer Aotearoa. They… Read more
Jellyvision invited over Basecamp guys Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson for a Q&A session…and A our Q’s they did. Hit play to hear their… Read more
At Jellyvision, we’ve tackled some pretty complicated topics, like taxes, college savings plans, and your health insurance. But even we haven’t taken on particle physics. Which… Read more
Here’s an important sign. Yes, that’s just an ordinary “wash your hands” sign. But that’s the point. You may not even notice these signs in… Read more
A communication tipster spotted this rare and exotic creature: a packaging label that you’d want to read all the way through. Kurt’s mom may not… Read more
Welcome to Masters of Communication: our series of interviews with communication experts. In this episode, I got to chat with Lee LeFever, the founder of Common… Read more
Team Down with Jargon is growing. And as people recognize the evils of jargon, we get more tools in the fight against blah blah blah…. Read more
I am a person who is getting married. If you are not a person who is getting married or a person who has gotten married… Read more
A classic communication challenge: marketing something that’s uncool, boring—or just plain ugly. We all remember the classic case study about Gargoyle Automotive* and its rapid,… Read more
I want to tell you about a pretty genius piece of tech. When you ride in a New York City cab, you can pay using… Read more
We’ve all been the “noob” at one point in our lives. Being a new face in an office can be awfully stressful or extremely exciting,… Read more
Jellyvision has known for a while that adding some humanity to technology does great things for engagement, learning, and trust. People like the virtual hosts… Read more
We, as a society, deserve better than this wet floor sign. Yes, it’s functional. Yes, it’s moderately attention-grabbing. But does it make you smile? Do… Read more
You’ve probably sat through your share of dull company presentations. Yawn, doodle, drool. Luckily, most Jellyvision presentations are pretty un-boring—we’re big fans of the GIF… Read more
Have you ever been handed a brochure or pamphlet at the doctor? You know, you’ve just been diagnosed with swamp foot or hummingbird ear, and… Read more
One of the most powerful tools in a damn good communicator’s toolbox is surprise. And surprise can be a whole big production, like Google’s annual… Read more
Our communication crushes over at Photojojo have done it again, with an unexpected frolic of a shipping notification. First, here’s a normal, expected shipping notification:… Read more
One of Jellyvision’s core beliefs is that communication should be delightful. But what does look like out in the real world? Delight can be any… Read more
Being helpful is part of good communication. But sometimes, it can be difficult to get people to listen, especially if what you’re trying to communicate… Read more
I recently received a letter from State Farm that left me pretty confused. I’m always thinking about what makes communication good or effective or memorable,… Read more
It’s 1am. You’re hungry, and ready to make some bad decisions. It’s time to order off the Taco Bell menu. Only problem is—what should you… Read more
You’ve made it. This is the final installment of a three-part series on how to explain, and you’re so close to being communication masterminds. So… Read more
How do you get kids to eat lunch at school? That’s the question the design firm IDEO has set out to answer for the San… Read more
Explaining. We all have to do it. In our presentations pitching our products. In our emails explaining why the team missed a deadline. In our… Read more
Whether you’re a marketer, a developer, a salesperson or an astronaut, chances are you have to explain things from time to time. And it doesn’t… Read more
Emotion is one of the most powerful communication tools. Get someone to feel something, and you’ll get them to listen. Jellyvision’s big on using humor… Read more
Oh financial debt, you are so hard to avoid. Thank you, Saturday Night Live, for using humor and simplicity to help educate us on how to… Read more
I recently read a great blog post about how one of the coolest untapped marketing tools out there is receipts. Yes, receipts. Think about it…. Read more
At Jellyvision, we believe that everything is marketing. And because everything is marketing, everything your company puts out into the world should reflect your brand… Read more
“Everything has to come to an end, sometime.” –L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz “That jerk face jerk butt jerk monster jerk. They want… Read more
Texting while driving is unequivocally bad. However, lots and lots of people still do it. In fact, at any time during the day, 660,000 people… Read more
Being a brand on social media can be tough. Too often, brands can come across as the awkward guy at the party. Everyone else is… Read more
Ahh, morning. You wake up, say hello to the sun, listen to the songbirds, and wander into your kitchen to pour yourself a nice bowl… Read more
If you’re in charge of marketing aluminum siding or servers or machines that help paint dry, I have for you a beacon of hope: GE’s… Read more
ComEd, the largest electric utility in Illinois, has redesigned its bills to make them easier for consumers to understand. Yeah, I know, a non-confusing utility… Read more
I’ve been apartment searching, which means I’ve had the pleasure of staring at this for hours and hours: After an extensive apartment search, two things… Read more
Do you know what HTML is? If you’re a little unclear, don’t feel bad: a recent study found that 1 in 10 Americans don’t get… Read more
Humans love stories. And most of all, we love stories about ourselves. Who we are, where we’re from, where we’re going. And if you were… Read more
Everyone has an enemy. A person or thing that makes you get irrationally angry, that you can never seem to get rid of. That deflates… Read more
For centuries, mankind has settled its conflicts with games of foosball. Disagreements over who has to pay the tab? Decided by foosball. Arguments over sitting… Read more
Things you automatically think of The Onion as being good for: irreverent humor, acerbic takes on current events. Things you don’t automatically think of The Onion… Read more
If your Facebook News Feed is anything like mine, the breakdown of updates looks something like this: BuzzFeed quizzes are everywhere right now. You’ve probably… Read more
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been glued to your couch for the past week, watching the Winter Olympics. Slalom, slopestyle, ice dancing, moguls, the… Read more
You’re going to the gym at your hotel. You’ve had your flaxseed smoothie. Your headphones are blasting your power song (Celine Dion’s “Because You Loved… Read more
“Yay, an invoice!” said no one ever. Until they got this invoice from Photojojo. Let’s break down why this is so incredibly awesome: 1. It’s… Read more
The experience of parenting is something that’s hard to put into words. Maybe because parents are too tired to use words and are forced to… Read more
Ever. These tissues from Trader Joe’s made me smile.
In our 2013 Charity Auction benefiting West Town Bikes, one of the items up for bid was a crêpe party for the whole office. Last… Read more
A couple months ago, I received an email telling me that one of my passwords had been compromised. And naturally, I used that same password… Read more
Ever taken music lessons? If so, you know that unless you’re the reincarnation of Mozart (little known fact: classical musicians reincarnate just like the Dalai… Read more
