Path

Willa, Now Available in the Shop

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:43:00 -0700

From the artist who brought you everyone’s favorite red panda, Pepper, the newest sticker pack Willa is now available in the Shop. Willa is a strong, modern wombat. Don’t be fooled by her fuzzy exterior, she’s got sass and she knows how to use it.

Moments on Path: The Neighborhood Pub

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:40:45 -0700

“I keep my friend list in Path to about ten people. I have several friends that live in Northern Ireland, as I do, and through Path have made a handful of close friends from England. We had never met in person before, but Path is our online community were we share problems, life experiences, family moments, work advice and well everything, even DIY tips. I’ve made some absolutely brilliant friends and it’s amazing how we interact daily and help each other out.

Some of us met up in Belfast, Northern Ireland a couple of months ago for a ‘Path night out’, and it was a great night of good food and whiskey. One of our Path members from London even came over for the weekend! For those that couldn’t make the journey, we made sure to keep them updated on the night through Path, and even included them at the dinner table.

For me, Path is a place I can ask questions and get advice on lots of things and have people that genuinely care how about how I am that day within a small and private group. I think the rest of my Path friends would agree it really comes down to the community aspect of Path that we all enjoy most. It’s our place to chat and share. It’s our version of the pub, where if we lived beside each other we would go and have a drink together and chat about life. It’s sociable.” -Alice, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Moments on Path: A Place for Family

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:09:00 -0700

“My favorite Path moment is a photo my mom shared last Christmas of my sister and I exchanging presents, captioned ‘Enjoying our daughters.’ My sister’s fiance in Ohio added a comment and a thread of comments continued from there. What made it a favorite was not necessarily the content, but the fact that it was the first time my mom took the photo and shared it as if it was the intuitive thing to do. She did it without my usual reminder to ‘Post it on Path!’. It showed Path was starting to mean something to her. It was the first of many family moments my mom will share on Path, and that meant a lot to me.

It means we’ll all be able to look back at moments like this and laugh. That I’ll be able to share it with a future spouse, or with my kids; maybe even my kids’ kids. As someone who grew up in a family that didn’t own a camcorder and only has a few photo albums of us as babies, documenting moments like these is something I never take for granted.

What I love most about Path is that I can post anything—raw video, the song I’m listening to, the dumb logos I made for my iPhone app, or a rather unflattering photo of me just waking up in the morning without wondering who might see it that shouldn’t, who might judge it, or what repercussion may come of it down the road. In the same token, I’m able to share a moment with the world if I feel so inspired, via Twitter, etc.

Path is a warm and forgiving place. Everything I consume or share has been in some way, created or experienced by myself and close friends and family. I’ve never occupied a virtual space that felt more personal, authentic or expressive of who I am.” -Katelyn, New York

Hipposaurus, Now Available in the Shop

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:09:00 -0700

Hipposauruses, created by artist Suyoung Jang, are colorful creatures with a knack for tomfoolery. Part hippo, part dino, and all parts wild and crazy, they are now available for download in the Shop!

Moments on Path: On the Road

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:21:07 -0700

“Last summer I went on my first solo backpacking trip through Europe before beginning medical school. Because of the time difference, I wasn’t able to speak with my family or my girlfriend on a regular basis, so Path was a perfect way to keep everyone updated on where I was and what I was doing.

I would take pictures of my adventures on my phone throughout the day and in the evening before I went to bed, I would upload everything to Path. My girlfriend and my family loved being able to follow me through my journey, from Istanbul all the way to London, and I loved the feeling of knowing they had seen my moments and were missing me and as much as I was missing them.

Now that I am back in the states, grinding my way through school, it’s nice being able to take a break and revisit these moments and plan for my next adventure!” -Amit, California

Moments on Path: A Tool for Mom

Sun, 12 May 2013 12:32:00 -0700

“My 57 year old mother bought a smartphone just for Path. That’s how important Path is to us. I’m not a blogger and I hate sharing our ‘nothing’ moments on other social networks for mere acquaintances to see. For the most part, we use Path for the everyday, the nothing special, the moments that fill up our lives.

We live away from both of our families and our mamas miss their grandbabies. I try so hard to add diversity to the moments I share, but it’s really just stuff of my kids for my mom and mom-in-law; a cute messy face, an interaction with a bug, a Saturday morning snuggle, with the occasional big milestone thrown in.

I used to have an album on Facebook called ‘If you’re not family, you might not care,’ but I haven’t added to it since we’ve been using Path. I love having a venue to share these ‘nothing’ moments that are really the everything of our lives.” -Beth, Texas

Happy Mother’s Day to all of our wonderful mothers!

Moments on Path: Dear Mom

Sun, 12 May 2013 10:55:00 -0700

“Dear Mom,

You know how I sometimes say that every day is Mother’s day, so there is no real point in celebrating it? The years I do remember it, I tell you that you are the best mom in the world. Regardless, what never changes is my infinite love for you, the tremendous respect you inspire, and the generosity of your heart that makes you such a beautiful person from the inside out.

There are some days I miss you so much now that we live so far from each other, you in Paris and me in San Francisco. Sometimes, I wish I could just see you and tell you what is stressing me out or tell you about the great joy of my day. I cannot reach you so easily anymore. But I feel you because we have found Path. Month after month, Path has become more and more invisible yet so integrated into our relationship.

There is sometimes this magic element when technology becomes so instinctive and humanized that it can reproduce life, literally. Better than real, it becomes “forgettable”; it allows connection to be emotions, an image or just a few words to be a conversation. Suddenly, you and I no longer feel the distance anymore. Path is this magic.

Everyday, I wake up and check your Path. Just as if I was asking you “how are you today?”, I discover your favorite places, the new books or movies you are exploring, the nice moments you share with the family, and your new passions. I always think that you feel the same when you see me sharing my little complaints of the day or the pictures of my last Californian escape. I always love to imagine you don’t see them as “updates” but as our spontaneous discussions. It’s already been three years since I left France, and I feel there was a before and after Path for you and me. We found a way to have our daily little chats, protected from too many eyes, intimate.

During these last months, life accelerated and our private place became absolutely necessary: new friends, new dreams, new places and love that grows. The man of my dream asked me to marry him.

I can’t imagine it being easy for you being so far. It definitely wasn’t for me. But on that day last June, you were next to us. You spent the day with your phone, reacting to this special day I wanted to share with you. You saw it on Path, but I know you also felt the emotion.

There is no important moment you will miss, I swear. With the help of a little magic.

Happy Mother’s day my sweet mom. Check your Path, I have a surprise there just for you.” -Axelle, California

Jake-O-Rama, Now Available in the Shop

Thu, 09 May 2013 11:35:00 -0700

He’s the everyman, and he’s back and better than ever. In Jake-O-Rama, the newest sticker pack in the Shop, Jake is doing more of what he does best—drooling on his homework, feeling sheepish on his first dates, and suffering from food comas. It’s easy to relate.

Read more about Jake-O-Rama creator Jake Mix here.

Moments on Path: Cheers from Grandma

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:45:00 -0700

“I am, like my grandparents before me, an immigrant. My grandmother left Poland for Germany, then Germany for France 70 years ago. I, 50 years later, left France for Canada. The most difficult part about moving so far away was trying to keep in touch with family back home. My grandmother used to call and send letters, but it was an effort, and was always something related to a big event (a trip, a new car, a wedding). It never felt spontaneous. It was the same kind of forced communication for me as well. It felt unnatural to call and talk about the weather, to spend time and money sending random pictures of my new neighborhood, my office or the cat I adopted. Email was too complicated for her.

Finally, I bought an iPad for my family back in France, and created two Path accounts; one for me, linked to my iPhone, and one for them, linked to their brand new iPad.

Now, every time I post a picture, a place, or a thought, on Path, the family iPad rings because of the notification. It is now the official ‘Marion News!’ sound in our family. I now easily share things, in the moment, with a time marker, in an interactive way. It’s also an easy and portable way for my mom to show my pictures and news to the other members of our family.

A few days ago, I decided to start running again. I logged the run in Path with Nike +. During the run, I received encouragement from my family 5000 km away. A smile (and few tears) instantly appeared on my face, and haven’t left since. With Path, my family, especially my beloved grandmother, is never far away.” -Marion, Montreal

Sprint and Path

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:00:00 -0700

Today, we’re excited to announce that we’re starting something new with Sprint to make finding Path easy. Sprint has brought together a best-in-class group of high quality apps for their Discover-it Widget on the new Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One and Torque devices, and we’re delighted to be included.

Now, Sprint customers can download Path with just a quick tap, allowing them to easily connect and share with the ones they love. “Sprint and Path are finding ways to collaborate to enhance our customers’ experience. This is a first step,” said Kevin McGinnis, vice president of product at Sprint. “We’re excited to work with a mobile-first, best-in-class design company like Path.”

Stay tuned for what’s to come!

A Moment With: Yigit Boyar, Android Developer at Path

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:55:53 -0700

Yigit Boyar is our resident Turkish member of the Path team. Lover of basketball, pandas, and foreign films, Yigit can often be found working in front of the computer screen into the early morning hours shipping releases for the Android platform.

What inspires you?
Working on things that help people. If it’s something unique and very hard to achieve, it triggers me and I do my best to accomplish it.

Where are you from?
I am from a small college town called Eskisehir in Turkey.

What is your favorite part of working at Path?
We have a unique focus on user experience. This requires a lot of time and resources with many startups are not willing to spend. This helps me accept no boundaries and challenge my technical skills.

What do you enjoy about working on the Android platform?
It is a constantly improving platform that gives us developers a big playground. At Path, I get the chance to work on things that are not implemented by anyone else which keeps me awake at night and in front of my laptop.

A perfect Sunday would look something like…
Beautiful weather where we can bike around the Bay Area with my girlfriend or buddies, chill out at Mission Dolores or Golden Gate Park, and end the day with a movie or hanging out with my Turkish crew at a bar.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?
Night owl. Leaving my warm bed in the morning is just too hard…

What contents are on your desk right now?
A couple of empty Synergy bottles, my coffee mug from Colima, Mexico, lots of Android phones and a few other random items I had forgotten about.

What would be your desert island book, movie, and meal?

“The Atlas of Misty Continents”, by Ihsan Oktay Anar: “The Intouchables” by director Oliver Nakache (it would probably convince me to stay alive): and a plate of Turkish sarma cooked by my mom.

What qualities do you admire most in people?

Honesty and directness. People should be able to express what they really think without thinking about how they should say it.

Any hidden talents?

I play a bit of basketball. I competed in the regional circuit with my team back in Turkey when I was 15.

Do you have a life motto?

No pain, no gain.

Wuvs, Now Available in the Shop

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:05:10 -0700

Hey hunny bunny. Be love struck, or have a shy crush! It’s all love with Wuvs, the newest sticker pack by Hugh Macleod. Available now in the Shop.

Moments on Path: Princess for a Day

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:39:00 -0700

“When Path 2 came out, the startup community was raving about it. Amazingly, from my very first experience, the product exceeded the hype. It was (and still is) a completely natural experience, far away the most delightful app I’ve ever used…so enjoyable that I’ve used it for recording everything. From the moment I wake until the end of each day: where I go, who I’m with, what I’m listening to or watching and any deep thoughts I’ve needed to get off my mind, I share on Path.

There were a few of those thoughts in 2012—building a business has it’s ups and downs! In the midst of all this, my daughter Amelia was turning 5. It was vitally important to me that no matter what else was going on she would have the time of her life that day. With the help of close friends - the kind that Path keeps me well connected to—I was able to put together a “Magical 5th Birthday Ball” with all the trimmings: venue from a client, bouncy castle and catering. I captured this moment with my girl before her guests started to arrive—that smile never left her face that day and she’s never stopped talking about it.

Path is where I record my life. Other networks are great for pushing content to a wider audience, but it’s deeply satisfying knowing there’s a single stream of my story in a secure place, one that is a pleasure to use.”

-Julian, New Zealand

Happiness is...a new Peanuts Sticker Pack on Path!

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:17:30 -0700

The Peanuts gang. We all grew up with Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, and the rest of their friends. They have made an indelible mark on pop culture. Whether they’re in the comic section of the morning newspaper or in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV, the humor-filled, philosophical, and often poignant personalities are as beloved today as when the strip was created by Charles M. Schulz more than 60 years ago.

We are thrilled to announce today that we’re bringing Snoopy, Woodstock, and of course good ol’ Charlie Brown himself to Path in the new Peanuts sticker pack.

Since we launched Messaging nearly two months ago, we’ve gotten tons of feedback about how you use Stickers to communicate with your family and friends. We’ve commissioned some of our favorite artists to help. And we couldn’t think of a more high-quality and cherished brand to partner with than Peanuts.

Use Woodstock to convey a little cheekiness, or a snoozing Snoopy to show your blissed-out state. There are conversations that require Charlie Brown’s lovable awkwardness, some that call for Lucy’s muscle, and some for Linus’s quiet wisdom. We hope they bring fun, a little nostalgia, and most of all, happiness to your Path experience. We can’t wait to continue to delight you with some of the most recognizable characters in the world.

Visit the Shop in our iOS and Android apps to add Peanuts stickers to your Path.

Iconic Bites, by Susan Kare, Now Available in the Shop

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:48:00 -0700

Introducing the newest mouthwatering sticker pack in the Shop—”Iconic Bites,” by renowned graphic designer Susan Kare, creator of the original Macintosh icons.

Recognizable to almost anyone who has used a computer, Susan’s art helped make early computers user-friendly and fun and bridged the divide between humans and modern technology. Here she talks to us about how her rich experience as an illustrator has colored her designs for the Path Shop.

Q: Tell us about your experience as an artist, from working for the MoMA in San Francisco to creating the original interface elements for Apple to building your own graphics company? How did you first begin designing?

A: I started working part time in graphics at a science museum in Philadelphia when I was 14, and have been designing ever since. I started working at Apple with the title “Macintosh Artist” thanks to a key system software programmer, Andy Hertzfeld, a friend from high school. I found I just loved creating bitmap graphics — the craft of drawing with pixels in a grid, and the quest for the ideal metaphor. It was a great chance to get started on a tech project for a non-technical audience, “the rest of us”.

Q: How did your work at Apple inform the kind of artist you are now?

A: First, I was so lucky to get to work in the Macinstosh group with great colleagues and talented programmers. That experience introduced me to interface design development and how I might be able to contribute as a graphic designer to the overall user experience. It also gave me practice in aiming to communicate big concepts in small spaces.

Q: How did you first hear about Path? Why did you agree to collaborate with us?

A: I’ve enjoyed working with Dave Morin on several logo projects. He was kind enough to call when Path was planning the sticker program to say he had a “perfect” project for me!

Q: Talk a bit about the sticker packs you’ve created for Path Messaging. What is your hope for how your stickers are used?

A: I designed the stickers of iconic food in a limited grid, hoping they can be useful literally (want to get coffee?) and creatively as symbols (e.g. You’re the cream in my coffee) and add some visual shorthand and humor to messages. As someone whose car has more than a few stickers, I know they can be a fun way to communicate.

Q: Any wisdom you’d like to share with design hopefuls just starting out?

A: Well, Paul Rand is my design hero, and I try to follow what he practiced: create solutions to design problems that are meaningful and memorable.

See more of Susan’s work at kareprints.com and Kare.com.

A Moment With: Richard Perez, Designer and Illustrator

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:00:00 -0700

San Francisco based illustrator and designer Richard Perez categorizes his work as “simple, vibrant, and playful”, and the sticker packs he created for Path Messaging definitely fall into this description. Here he shares with us his love of vintage animation, cats, and the importance of doodling.

Q: Tell us a bit about how your career began.

A: I started drawing superheroes and cartoon characters when i was just a 5 or 6 back home in the suburbs of Los Angeles. I remained passionate about illustration and design throughout adolescence, so I decided to pursue a career in it. I came up to San Francisco for design school and landed a job at a great creative studio, Office. This past year I set out on my own to focus more on illustration.

Q: From where do you draw ideas and inspiration?

A: The creative community here in SF and online is one of my biggest inspirations. Seeing what fellow illustrators are doing helps push me to try and do equally awesome work. I’m also still inspired by a lot of old illustrators and animators from the 50s - 60s, so much of that work looks so fresh and clean compared to a lot of what is out there today.

Q: Tell us a bit about your experience and creative exchange with Path.

A: I’ve know Path’s design director Jenny Ji, since I was in design school, and worked with her at the first internship I had so long ago. When she asked to hop aboard this project, I jumped at the chance.

Path gave me a lot of free range to go and explore these ideas, and go to quirky places with some of the character ideas for Charlie the cat. It was great to have that, given that a lot of my work is helping flesh out someone else’s ideas, so building something from scratch and my own mind’s eye was nice.

Q: Give us some insight into how you came up with the concepts for your sticker packs.

A: As for Charlie, I am the proud parent of two cats. I wanted to create a feline character doing things I imagine our cats would get into if they could. For the Nom Nom set I wanted to create a cornucopia of food items that users could utilize to communicate what they feel like eating, only way more fun than just a simple emoji.

Q: How do you envision your stickers being used in Messaging?

A: I hope people just have fun with them, and they cause a reaction for the person who receives a sticker in a message, whether it be a smile, laugh or a confused “huh?!.”

Q: Any advice to those just starting off as designers?

A: Keep at it! Draw everyday if possible, keep a sketchbook doodle out whatever random ideas pop in your head. Many times characters and concepts come from crude rough sketches that grow into awesome things, so having that visual doodle log is an essential tool for me.

Geeks, Now Available in the Shop

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:59:00 -0700

Geek out with every breed of geek, from the wizardry lover, to the anime enthusiast, to the board gamer with the newest sticker packs by illustrator Richard Perez. “Geeking Out Guy” and “Geeking Out Girl” are available now in the Shop.

Moments on Path: After the Storm

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:21:00 -0700

“Last summer some friends and I went camping on Franklin Island in Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada. The island was across from my girlfriend Jules’ cottage, so she came over to spend some time camping with us. We were having a great day playing volleyball on the beach with a makeshift net we made out of logs and a rope when things turned for the worse and one of the worst storms of the summer rolled in.

After a terrible night sleeping soaked in the rain, most of our camping equipment was waterlogged and the group decided to head home. Jules and I decided to spend a few more days at her cottage. The skies cleared up as we arrived at her place, and we ended up having a beautiful, sunny day hanging out by the lake. We spent the afternoon relaxing and drawing henna tattoos on each other. Looking back it was one of my favorite memories with Jules from last summer, and I’m so glad I had Path to log the moment.”

- Brett, Toronto, Canada

Schmoopy, Now Available in the Shop

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:51:00 -0700

Blowing kisses, shacking up, and riding in cars with other Schmoopies—Schmoopy lives for love. The newest sticker pack by designer and illustrator Jayde Cardinalli is now available in the Shop.

Twitter Cards and Path

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:31:43 -0700

We are delighted to be one of Twitter’s partners as part of the launch of their new mobile and web cards. Starting today, embedded Path moments that have been syndicated to Twitter are now optimized in expanded Tweets, and the shared content deep links directly to Path.

We are so excited to be included in the new Twitter Cards because we think of Twitter first as the means for Path users who choose to share select moments beyond their personal network. As a result, we want this experience of sharing to be as simple and high quality as possible.

The new Twitter Cards provide Path users with a higher quality experience, and the ability to share moments with even more context on Twitter. For Twitter users, viewing Path moments has never been more simple or beautiful. With deep linking, clicking a link on Twitter now takes you directly to the moment in Path.

Most importantly, for Path users, this means close friends and family who are following each other on Twitter can share moments together on Path, too. We so hope you enjoy this simplified and higher quality experience.