Isobar Summer Event: ROOF on theWit

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Chris modeling the Isobar beach towels and sunglasses.

First we had an all-day Isobar company meeting. This year’s schwag was beach towels and sunglasses. Around 2:00 or 2:30 p.m. we left for ROOF on theWit. We ate endless amounts of sushi, build-your-own-mac, and flatbreads and drank many shots, boozy snow cones, a signature cocktail and whatever else tickled our fancy. As always, it was nice to hang out with all my work friends, not in the work setting. Super fun time! Don’t ask about the red coat!

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Adam + Megan + Rachelle

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Rachelle + Katie

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Lots of sushi.

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A unique view of the Thompson Center.

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Garrett, Bill, Claire

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Becky

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Bags!

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Snow Cones!

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Boozy Snow Cones!

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Rudy + Rachelle Selfie with Snow Cones

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Toasting our CEO, Geoff, with a Snow Cone!

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Isobar Signature Cocktail

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Tasty, but very sweet!

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How I feel after many drinks!

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Build your own mac n’ cheese. Mine had lobster, mushrooms and bacon.

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Twinsies!

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Mike saying something very important!

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Chicago River

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Ujval + Joy + Romi

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Geoff + Romi

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Selfie + Chris + Sean + Becky

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Selfie + AJ + Ryan (+Joy)

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Selfie + Chris + Becky + Ujval

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Selfie + Zach

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Romi

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Don + Thomas + Garrett

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Romi

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Thomas + Becky

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Past Roundarch/Roundarch Isobar/Isobar Summer Events:

2014: American Junkie (rain backup to Oak Street Beach)
2013: The Rooftop at Market
2011: Millennium Park (daytime photos, nighttime photos)
2011: Paris Club
2010: Shedd Aquarium (Also celebrating Roundarch’s 10 year anniversary)
2009: Party at the River East Arts Center
2008: Wendella Architectural Boat Tour and dinner/drinks at the Adler Planetarium

Trapped In A Room With A Zombie


Nitya & Steph getting psyched!


Real names are not required.

A few weeks ago the UX team and Visual Design team got together for an after-hours outing. We were split into two groups and then each group was trapped in a room with a zombie (and a mad professor). The room was filled with furniture and desks and drawers and cabinets and toolchests (many locked) as well as a lot of random looking stuff with odd numbers, clues and letters on them. And there was a zombie! A ZOMBIE chained to the wall. Every five minutes the chains came out another foot and if the zombie touched you, you were out.


Back: Ronald, Rob, Ben, Nick, Me, Steph. Front: Anandi, Nitya, Katie, Irene. Plus, the mad professor.


Act like a zombie!

The goal was to use teamwork! to figure out the clues and to unlock the combo lock that unlocks the key that unlocks the briefcase clue that unlocks the doorkey. Or something like that. All while dodging A ZOMBIE. You had one hour to get out of the room, basically. Our team did it. The other team? Not so much.

Afterwards we went to Exchequer, where Scott promptly ordered 20 Fireballs to take the edge off getting chased by A ZOMBIE.

More at the Isobar blog. And, our obligatory pose in front of The Bean:

Isobar* Summer Event

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This is not Oak Street Beach! After our annual meeting this year, we were supposed to head to the beach. The weather was so bad on Thursday and was predicted to be the same on Friday, so Plan B (roof top – with retractable roof at American Junkie) was activated. Of course, that means that Friday was a beautiful, sunny day. It was so humid, though, after so much rain on Thursday, I was glad to be inside.

As always, it was nice to hang out with all my work friends, not in the work setting. I came home early (before 8 p.m.!) because Makai was sick, but it was probably for the best, the way everyone was doing shots of fireball and tequila like it was going out of style! Great night though. Fun day.

*Also note that we are officially Isobar, not Roundarch and not Roundarch Isobar!

Past Roundarch/Roundarch Isobar/Isobar Summer Events:

2013: The Rooftop at Market
2011: Millennium Park (daytime photos, nighttime photos)
2011: Paris Club
2010: Shedd Aquarium (Also celebrating Roundarch’s 10 year anniversary)
2009: Party at the River East Arts Center
2008: Wendella Architectural Boat Tour and dinner/drinks at the Adler Planetarium

RAI UX Visits FLW

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Cryptic title to this post? Roundarch Isobar‘s User Experience practice took some time out last week to head over to Oak Park. We visited the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio and got a tour. We also toured the neighborhood to see other Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings, although I bowed out of this part because 1) I had to go to Downers Grove for a client meeting and 2) it’s HOT HOT HOT out. I enjoyed the home and studio tour, although I went on the tour with my brother not too long ago. Last time I bought the photo pass and took many photos of the home and studio. Check them out here.

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James, Jme, Rachelle, Anandi, Nitya, Adam, Mike, Kim, Waleed, Ryan, Michelle, Randy, Garrett, Becky.

After the tours, we headed over to Maya Del Sol, in the downtown area of Oak Park, for dinner and drinks. We had a really great waiter who explained to us that the restaurant is a Latin fusion cuisine and that, actually, the chef is Jamaican, so it was quite a mix of things. I had the Arepa de Ropa Vieja, which was stewed beef with a polenta cake, pico de gallo, queso fresco and aji-amarillo sauce. The polenta cake was wonderfully grilled on the outside and moist and flavorful on the inside and topped with the most tender, delicious beef. My dish was so good! I think most people were also very satisfied with their meals. We sat inside, but it looked like they had a great outdoor patio. Also, people really enjoyed the drinks. There was a long list of specialty drinks and the waiter said anyone of them could be made “virgin.” He suggested the Mangaso, which was made with mango puree, fresh lime juice, and had chili powder on the rim. There’s also mango rum, usually, but I passed on that part. I had two of these and they were so tasty and refreshing. Definitely check out Maya Del Sol if you’re ever in Oak Park looking for a place to eat or have drinks.

Roundarch Isobar UX Outing at Bottle and Bottega

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Bottle & Bottega, South Loop

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Justin (and me and Adam in the mirror!)

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Bill & Dan

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Bill

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Guari

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Deanna & Osmaan

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Sabrina

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Karly & Adam

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Osmaan

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Michelle & Becky

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Dan

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Adam & Randy

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Ronald & Deanna

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Michelle, Osmaan, Dan

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Becky & Michelle

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Osmaan: Milk, it does a body good.

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Ryan

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Dan & Garrett

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Getting ready to paint.

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Osmaan

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Dan

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Michelle

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Sabrina

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Ronald

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Osmaan

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Garrett & James

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Dans

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Randy

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Dan

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Dan

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Sabrina & Michelle

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Ryan

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Osmaan

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James

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Jellyfish Painters: Garrett, Randy, James, Matt (back). Becky, Michelle, Sabrina (front).

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Sunset Painters: Adam, Karly, Bill, Ryan, Me.

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Dandelion and Drink Painters: Justin, Anandi, Ronald, Deanna.

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CTA Painters: Adam, Dan, Dan, Osmaan.

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Earlier in May, the Roundarch Isobar User Experience practice in Chicago had an outing to Bottle
and Bottega
. There was food, there was wine, there was paint!

Roundarch Summer Event 2011


Chopped Salad, Filet Mignon, Chicken Paillard, Quiche, Braised Brussels Sprouts, Pommes Puree, Macaroni Gratinee, Raspberry and Almond Tart, Dark Chocolate Mousse


Taylor


While the downstairs of the Paris Club was warm and cozy, the upstairs bar was very lounge-y and the outside area (covered in the cold) was very stark. All cool in their own way.


Garrett, Bill


More food! Chilled seafood bar: Lobster Tails, Shrimp Cocktail, Tuna Tartare, Crab Salad


Garrett, Geoff


Many giveaways! PS3, Slingbox, fancy headphones, a camera, Xbox Kinect, iPad, Google TV, sound dock, and a bunch of $100 gift cards


Tonya was a winner!


Craig’s turn to win!


Jeremy won the Google TV


Christine & Geoff pulling out more names.


Marlena had her eye on the prize.. and later on won the Xbox Kinect.


Wa-jiw, David, Ben, Nick


Mike, Adam


Passed hors d’oeuvres were pommes frites, mini burgers, deviled eggs with bacon and toasted cheese on brioche.

This past month marked my 3 year anniversary at Roundarch and this was my 4th Roundarch Summer Event. How is this possible? I went to the first event before I even started! (2010 Summer Event, 2009 Summer Event, 2008 Summer Event).

This year was a bit different than previous years in that it was smaller and it all took place in one day. Usually everyone from every other office – New York, Denver, Boston, and various other locations – flies into Chicago for a huge 2-day event. There would be practice meetings all day Thursday, a party all that night, and then the next day would be an all-day company meeting. This year we had two meetings on the same day – one in Chicago and one in New York. East Coast people flew into New York and others flew into Chicago. We had the meetings and the party all in one day. And it didn’t go late, which was good for me, because I had things I needed to get done that night!

Overall, it was still a great party. I didn’t win anything, but it was nice to hang out at the Paris Club and eat delicious food and spend time with my coworkers, not working. That’s not to say we didn’t have hours of meetings that day, but it was a good change of pace.