Nickolay Lamm 

“As a digital artist who majored in marketing at the University of Pittsburgh, he comes up with a provocative idea or question, studies it, and then provides Internet aggregators [...] with visual content that they post on their sites. Those images in turn get picked up on media websites, spurring commentary [...] and gets the aggregators a mention.” – Pittsburgh Post Gazette

“I think my main value comes not from my graphic-design skills, but my thinking about an idea that will get media attention — and something that I care about — and executing my vision to get a cool visual.” – Pittsburgh Tribune Review

“I think he’s being responsible — he’s not making anything up here,” says Dr. Doug Harper, a professor specializing in visual sociology at Duquesne University. “He’s finding ways to present information — visual summaries, really. It’s at the immediate level.” – Pittsburgh Tribune Review

People often ask me, “How do you make something go viral?”

I never try to make something viral for the sake of going viral, which is a very ambiguous term anyways. I try to make visuals which point out things which I feel are overlooked. Virality is just a side effect.

I come up with a unique visual idea and work with artists and experts to bring my vision to life.

I do lots of research. With each project, I say something new or elaborate on a subject in a way that’s never been done before. I consult with recognized professionals or use existing data. I direct each project through the whole process, working with talented artists to create flawless visuals.

One of my biggest inspirations is Steve Jobs. I encourage everyone to see the “Secrets of Life,” a short Steve Jobs interview.