Boutique Bungalow

I ran across this post a week or so ago from Desire to Inspire about a new boutique hotel opening in New Jersey. The designers of this hotel are the talented Sixx Design. If you want to see photos of the interior, Desire to Inspire has quite a few. I pulled the sign photos from that post. It's so refreshing to see how simple and inexpensive materials can be used in such a creative and unique way. The design of these signs looks high end, but the material choice was budget friendly. If you see the interior photos, the money was well spent elsewhere! Fantastic job all around.

Keep it Simple

With the ever growing worry about the economy and corporate spending, less is more seems to be the new trend. As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, you don't have to sacrifice good design and aesthetics while working with a low budget. A good designer knows how to make the most of any budget. A good designer also knows where to scale back and also what is absolutely necessary for a successful piece.

The sign in the photo above is for a newly renovated apartment community. They had a limited budget for a new sign since they were spending the majority of their budget on interior renovations. In order to make the most of their budget, the existing sign structure was refurbished and salvaged for the new sign. The photo below shows the old sign.

By using simple materials, an existing structure, and a fresh new panel design, the sign looks more expensive than it was. In order to save cost on lighting, the sign panel is a bright brushed aluminum and the letter faces have a reflective surface. Simple details such as the dimensional letters, the aluminum surround on the cap, and the spaced off main panel, give the sign a more complex look and richer feel. Again, good design can be affordable. You just have to find the right designer.

The Objects of Inspiration

Many Artists and Designers can agree that the most mundane everyday items can be a source of inspiration. Sometimes the inspiration lies in the way these items are constructed, the color of the item, or simply the material used to make them. Below are some examples of items that inspired some of my designs. For instance, an ordinary metal IKEA trash bin served as inspiration for a perforated mesh sign face for MAC Fitness.
The material and construction of metal venetian office blinds was my inspiration for a restaurant entrance sign.
The edge of my laptop's monitor served as my inspiration for construction of a fabric awning frame.
The translucent material of a ballpoint pen inspired some of my translucent sign letters. Lastly, the translucent cutting mat with printed surface served as my inspiration for a custom, translucent, matte finish ADA elevator floor level indicator.
Inspiration can be found anywhere and everywhere. You just have to be open to finding it.

Design by Committee

This is just a random post linking to a YouTube video clip of one of my favorite scenes of 'The Fountainhead'. It is a good scene. Not as good as Howard Roark's defense speech, which I also highly recommend taking the time to watch. There are also clips of his courtroom speech on YouTube.

Design by Committee - 'The Fountainhead'

The Writing on the Window

It never fails to amaze me that some people are reluctant to believe that good design is often less costly than bad design. Of course, I don't just mean the overall cost of the services and product, but also the return on investment.

Take simple window graphics, for instance. If you hire a Designer, the cost for the actual design is usually based on industry standard pricing guidelines, and fluctuates slightly based on the competency of the Designer. In most cases, however, the price for the actual design falls in a very specific range. The cost for fabricating and installing the window graphics is also more or less a fixed cost. Only varying slightly depending on the vendor. Some vendors offer design services for free. Beware, the cost of those services can sometimes be hidden in the total cost. Plus, the designers they have on staff are typically not the best designers in town. (My apologies to sign vendors, but in my experience it's true.) Most of my examples of bad window graphics are from the websites of sign companies.



In any case, these photo examples of beautifully designed window graphics versus very poorly designed window graphics clearly show which is the better investment. Poorly designed graphics can actually hurt a business in the long run. Which would you want for your business? See my point? I'll say it again, the price of good design often costs less than bad design.

Happy New Year!

After a nice long holiday break, my keyboard is starting to look like this lovely outdoor installation. I have to admit to slacking on my blog in December. I was super busy last month with work and Holiday festivities. I resolve to get back into posting at least once a week!

Tile Mosaics

I've always been intrigued by the sweet Art Nouveau tile floor of the Hotel Tassel in Brussels, designed by Architect Victor Horta. I recently came across SICIS, an Italian tile supplier with an incredible gallery of beautiful mosaics. If you have some time, I highly recommend taking a look at their website gallery. They have a showroom in New York and one in Milan.