Any way you slice it, 2016 has been... interesting. Before we charge boldly on to a new year, it’s time to reflect on what made 2016 so interesting for us. Here are 16 highlights from 2016, in no particular order.
![robot-hand-drawn-outline](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8e225a434af488886f_5e8e7a9bf70d915e20a3f2ba_robot-hand-drawn-outline.png)
Our brand new Smashing Boxes website hit the web! We made it for humans, but it features a robot named Djarvis who creates visual art as you use the site.
![phone-hand-drawn-outline](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8f225a433693888871_5e8e7a9b539d2e6ac3776f08_phone-hand-drawn-outline.png)
Speaking of visuals, our designers created 55 Invision Prototypes.
![octocat-hand-drawn-logo-outline](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8e225a43830f88886e_5e8e7a9b5ee9cd094cf281ed_octocat-hand-drawn-logo-outline.png)
Not to be outdone, our developers made 17,409 commits to 218 GitHub repositories.
![closed-tag-hand-drawn-signs](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8e225a43ce3c888870_5e8e7a9b8aa171652ffe932e_closed-tag-hand-drawn-signs.png)
Oh, and we crafted 1,149,533 lines of code.
![bug-hand-drawn-symbol](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8f225a437adf88887c_5e8e7a9b8aa171fe66fe932f_bug-hand-drawn-symbol.png)
And squashed 983 bugs.
![stereo-hand-drawn-audio-tool](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8f225a435b6b888872_5e8e7a9b8aa171bfcefe9330_stereo-hand-drawn-audio-tool.png)
Our work on Moogfest.com supported 10,000 festival attendees and was nominated for two Webby Awards. We also snuck in an easter egg called _Substrate. (Can’t find it?)
![trophy-hand-drawn-sportive-cup](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8f225a437539888873_5e8e7a9bbc5c4f546d400619_trophy-hand-drawn-sportive-cup.png)
The Triangle Business Journal honored us with their 2016 Diversity Award. Fun fact: we’ve achieved an even balance of women and men on our leadership team. Huzzah!
![up-arrow-triangle-hand-drawn-outline](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8f225a4367f4888878_5e8e7a9b5097ede346fd3842_up-arrow-triangle-hand-drawn-outline.png)
The Triangle Business Journal also recognized us as one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the area.
![bars-graphic-up-hand-drawn-symbol](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8f225a437e71888874_5e8e7a9bf70d910561a3f2bb_bars-graphic-up-hand-drawn-symbol.png)
INC named SB one of America’s fastest-growing companies and put us on their INC 5000 List.
![open-commercial-signal-hand-drawn-outline](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8f225a43619688887a_5e8e7a9b975c55b037329d23_open-commercial-signal-hand-drawn-outline.png)
Speaking of growing, we set up shop in the Big Easy this year. We opened the doors to our New Orleans office just in time for Mardi Gras.
![factory-hand-drawn-building-outline](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8f225a436a6b888879_5e8e7a9b59bf2fc5bc3e6f7b_factory-hand-drawn-building-outline.png)
New Orleans CityBusiness took note and named our NOLA office one of the Best Places to Work (2016).
![lightbulb-hand-drawn-symbol](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8f225a43841888887b_5e8e7a9be300e42e04645224_lightbulb-hand-drawn-symbol.png)
We partnered with the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans to find NOLA-area grade schoolers with awesome app ideas. We picked 36 “Tech All-Stars”, and treated them to a free day of code school with our developers.
![map-location-hand-drawn-interface-symbol](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8f225a434de288887d_5e8e7a9b3dac5960c67e8665_map-location-hand-drawn-interface-symbol.png)
Between our two offices, we hosted so many Meetups… we actually lost count.
![idea-hand-drawn-symbol-of-a-side-head-with-a-lightbulb-inside](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8f225a434dde88887e_5e8e7a9b5097edcfbffd3843_idea-hand-drawn-symbol-of-a-side-head-with-a-lightbulb-inside.png)
But we did not lose count of our workshops, of which we hosted eight. We covered topics ranging from design thinking to IoT to Prototyping.
![world-grid-hand-drawn-symbol](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8f225a43bda988887f_5e8e7a9b5ee9cd2fb8f28200_world-grid-hand-drawn-symbol.png)
We also got out of the office. We hit a few conferences as a team -- NOEW, Collison and All Things Open -- and sent speakers to more than ten.
![power-symbol-variant-hand-drawn-outline](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8f225a4324d0888880_5e8e7a9b5d89c2058ad2d5fe_power-symbol-variant-hand-drawn-outline.png)
How did we do it all? Lots of coffee, beer, and Mati. Seriously, we must’ve crushed about a million cans of that stuff this year.
![leaf-hand-drawn-shape](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62573309268f9df7fb973ab8/630cdb8f225a4361ec888882_5e8e7a9b1014dc057e3fa5ea_leaf-hand-drawn-shape.png)
And we’ll leave you with one to grow on: Babies. Six of them were born to our employees this year. Definitely interesting.See you in 2017!We don't just build great products, we help build great companies. Let's Chat.