Designers get a kick from Vox’s first Pixel Punch

More than 100 design aficionados came to Vox Media’s first-ever Pixel Punch Thursday. Spectators sipped their pale ales while watching contestants crash and burn the intergalactic mission to which they were assigned.
In the first round, there were five intrepid heroes tasked with saving Planet Earth from an Asteroid: Josh Mahan, Victor Ware, Danielle Theroux, Peter Verastegui and Joseph Le.
In the end, one remained to claim the title: Danielle Theroux, an ad agency designer whose maxim, according to her candidate profile, is that “pressure makes diamonds.”
The architect of this design-off was Ramla Mahmood, a Vox Media designer who used to organized the same types of events when studying at George Mason University to add a playful edge to the curriculum.
It takes a certain personality and workstyle to win: “sometimes it’s not the most experienced designer who can win,” she said, but those who are “quick and can think on their feet.”
And some in the public took it more seriously than others. For Stuart Moore, 27, “it’s like watching a stand-up comedy.” But Beth McCormick, 26, admitted that as a designer, “you’re always critiquing other people’s work.”

Thanks again to everyone who came to #PixelPunch. Look at this awesome #dcdesign party you made! pic.twitter.com/hWniDEDa2F
— Vox Product (@VoxProduct) October 24, 2014

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For more cool pics check out #pixelpunch.