April 2nd, 2012 Written by:simoncohen
Benetton have never been afraid to challenge traditional approaches to marketing themselves. The Live Windows project developed by their communication research centre Fabrica is a case in point and it seems that this innovative approach to retail window display has paid off, with them winning the top retail award at the digital creativity exposition 2012 Digital Signage Expo, held in Las Vegas in March this year.
Traditionally, shop windows have been used to showcase products available to buy within the store. The Live Windows project rejects that premise and instead, treats the store windows as part of a continuing commitment to developing relationships with their customers though entertainment and interaction. Read more…
March 16th, 2012 Written by:richardtucker
The other day, I rested a couple of crisp packets on a bush while I tied my shoelace. Completely at random, they happened to cast a shadow that looked exactly like birds nesting. It reminded me of some work I had seen a few years ago by an artist called kumi yamashita who experimented using unassuming items cleverly arranged to cast recognizable shadows. A quick Google reveals there are other excellent examples, such as work by Shigeo Fukuda, and also the more typographic style by Fred Eerdekens which is very iconic. It seems like a clever and eye-catching way of making a statement, so I’m wondering if we will be able to consider something like this in future environmental projects. Preferably made out of something more solid than crisp packets!
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March 12th, 2012 Written by:janinemcauley
This week, I had a most enjoyable evening attending a talk by Jason Bruges. He creates interactive spaces and surfaces that sit between the worlds of architecture, interaction design and site-specific installation art. His projects range from large-scale building facades and public art to interactive interior environments and products.
Jason is a pioneer of the in-between space which mixes architecture and interactivity and has subsequently paved the way for a new genre of design studios, artists, designer makers who occupy the hybrid architecture, art and design space. Recently, he has been recognized as one of ten world changing designers and is famous for using technologies and materials in a highly innovative way to explore the communication with the environment and people.
I particulary like the playfulness of his work and the passion and enthusiasm of Jason himself is quite invigorating! Here are a few of my favourites:
Mimosa. Milan 2010
http://www.jasonbruges.com/projects/international-projects/mimosa
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February 10th, 2012 Written by:johnmellor
Whilst it was -20deg. outside one night this week in Moscow we asked for all the new lighting effects to be turned on inside our new Kaleidoscope Shopping Centre project to warm things up. The development for the AND Corporation, which is due to launch in June, definitely looked impressive and we will now be helping develop the controls and design settings to manage the effects and keep the energy consumption optimal which even in profligate Moscow is an important issue! The soffits and edges of the mall diffuse light that will create mood and ambient effect while the ceilings, walls, columns, lifts and stairs have all been fitted with feature lighting that will together provide a rich and colourful environment for those long Russian winter shopping trips. We will be setting things up over the next couple of months to be a bit more subtle and create an enticing retail environment…still, we now know it looks pretty good full on; if only for a short time!
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February 2nd, 2012 Written by:simoncohen
I’m constantly impressed and occasionally amazed by the spectacular optical illusions and visual theatrics of the trend over the past couple of years for projection mapping onto buildings – the much-hyped Ralph Lauren “4D advert” in Bond Street just over a year ago, for being a prime case in point. But I have to say that this cathedral of light at this years’ Ghent Light Festival demonstrates that, in the right hands, the good old LED still has the ability to delight, enthrall and overwhelm the senses as much as any of the light show spectaculars I’ve seen in the past few months. Read more…
