Graphic Designers seen through the eyes of Hollywood

Visibility at your events - the latest trends

Lightwall Expo walls by www.expowallrental.be

When we take our clients out to a conference, a fair, or a sales event the same questions always arises: How to stand out ? How do people see us ? Will they understand what we do ?

Apart from creating the standard marketing tools we need big visual solutions. And these solutions have evolved over time.

In the good old days back panels were painted by hand on plywood and set up at the event venue. Boy, that was heavy and slow.

Then during the 90s came the vinyl cut era. The plywood board were the same but the lettering was done fast. That was a real timesaver.

At the turn of the millennia came those collapsible systems, the roll ups and collapsible banana shaped expo walls. These are very handy when travelling and easy to set up. Digital print has come a long way and costs are low and quality is high. But they somehow never looked good. They don´t stand straight, do not resist a breeze and suffer from a lack of lighting.

Now finally the latest technology offers a solution that brings full panel high resolution and high contrast visibility to your venue. This new product is the LED-backlit light wall or expo wall. Graphics can be printed onto the whole wall space on stretchable canvas. The aluminium frame features LED spots that brighten up the canvas and thus eliminate the need for external spots. We absolutely love the result ! These light wall booths and stands are available for rent at http://www.expowallrental.be 

Check them out !!!

Knockin´on heaven´s door

The art of knocking on doors in baroque Italy

The baroque doorknockers of Lecce, Italy

This summer took me down to the high heel of Italy, all the way down the boot. The region is called Puglia and is mostly visited by Italians as it takes a solid drive to get down there -too far for most mortal tourists.

While strolling around the old city of Lecce - a masterpiece of baroque architecture I came across the most amazing piece of art that I have seen in a long time. It immediately enchanted me with its fine elegance and its quality craftsmanship.  On the front door of an old mansion was a very realistic female hand that seemed to wear an elegant silk blouse, holding an iron ball, inviting you to touch her and... bang her !

This surely must be the most beautiful door knocker of baroque Lecce.

Lecce must have been once the place to be, as a vast collection of aristocratic mansions proves. The houses are huge ! They use the architectonical language of power: huge facades with at least 5m high ceilings and few huge windows facing the road. These houses often conceal an inner courtyard so that the inner rooms of the house face away from the street, the noise and the plebs.

Typical aristocratic mansions in downtown Lecce

Not long ago, only a hundred years or so, there was no electricity. It was before door bells corrupted the door culture and the art of knocking on doors was a way of life. In Lecce, through the decadent competition between it´s nobility, it flourished into incredible expressions of hospitality and art.

The door knocker that knocked me off of my feet !

The first quality of a door knocker is to generate a generous amount of noise. Lecce door knockers are heavy and cast in iron. They come in all kinds of forms, such as swans, sea lions, fish, lions, or human faces and more.

The second quality is strength. These door knockers have been hammered for a couple of hundred years and are still going strong !

The third quality is design. The well to do would differentiate themselves by starring their own specially designed knocker. The hand above is a fine example of going a different path.

The fish below another.

Popular baroque ornaments are ocean creatures 

 This fish door knocker is quite  amazing and repeats architectonical ornaments that are part of the facade of the mansion. This door knocker belongs to one of the older buildings in Lecce. 

It is quite a shame that the art of knocking on doors has nearly completely vanished. 

By the way, door knockers don´t use electricity and thus reduce our carbon footprint.  Rip out your old door bell, buy a door knocker and save the world !

RIP: Great comic artist Jean Giraud alias Moebius

Already a legend at his time

Yesterday one of the grand masters and exceptional artists Jean Giraud left this world and surely entered one of the universes that he created. Already a legend during his lifetime he will be remembered as having raised the standards of comic to an art form. He was a very prolific artist producing a colossal volume of comics in all kinds of styles. His creations have had a huge influence on film makers, writers and fellow artists.

If you don´t know "Arzach" yet, get the album !

I remember the first time I held "Arzach" in my hands, the story of a cosmic knight riding his prehistoric bird and avoiding incredible dangers. This was hallucinatingly insane. I couldn´t believe my eyes....
Good bye, Moebius !

Let your reputation work for you

How many great companies waste their potential by falling short of developing their organization´s identity. They have a great product or unique service, they make a solid effort in satisfying their clients, the service is great, the market segment has potential for growth - yet nothing happens.  

They are basically invisible !

Build your companies personality !

I will avoid to use the marketing jargon of branding, brand equity and brand identity altogether. Instead I will talk about your companies personality. Just like a person, a company is being perceived as a “being”. It can appear friendly or cold, dynamic or old fashioned, superficial or knowledgable. It has a tone of voice, it has core values, it has values and ethics. 

A brand creates value

We all know how a brand works in the retail arena. It is very much the same for services. 

These questions have to be clearly answered:

• How comprehensive is your service ?
• How unique is your service ?
• Where are you better than your competition ?
• Are you clearly differentiated ?
• How easy is it to get in touch with you ?
• How quickly and how knowledgable is the reply ?

Any contact an outsider has with your company is part of the brand experience

1. The vision and mission

A companies culture is based on its V&M. It needs to be communicated inside the organisation and then reflects to the outside. Employees need to identify and believe in the objectives if they are to become good ambassadors. 

2. A graphic identity

From the stationary and website to the office design and the uniforms, every visual expression should fit with the overall graphic identity.

3. Reminders

Just like friends that you don´t see very often, an organisation needs to reappear from time to time to avoid to be forgotten. This can be done through a yearly event, an emailing, a phone call or some sponsoring event. Scheduling activities through the years are part of the marketing plan. Stay in the conscious part of people´s minds. They will then know who to call when they need your service !

4. People

Do the drivers of your company cars drive like hooligans ?

Does the person who answers the company phone answer with a tired: "Ehhhh" ?

Do your workers leave the messy clean up to the client ?

Remember that the biggest asset are your employees ! Train them well ! And change them if they don´t identify with your organisation !

A successful personality has a coherent visual and graphical identity, has employees that are ambassadors for the company, and delivers what it promises.

The essence of a company´s personality is captured in the brand octagon which is followed by a communication plan and calendar ! Building a successful personality is longtime project. It is not a matter of heavy investment but rather of consistence.

Benjamin de Wolff - Photographer

Spagetti - by Benjamin de Wolff

We have added photography to the range of our services. We offer tailor made solutions for fashion photography, product shooting and architectural photography. Ask for a quote.

Dieter Rams vs Jonathan Ive

Braun vs. Apple

For years now Apple has harvested design rewards for their numerous i-products. It has all been down to Steve Jobs genius of hand picking another genius, Jonathan Ive, as a chief industrial designer we hear. Jonathan Ive picks up any electronic product and turns it into a gorgeous hot selling success story. His track record is very impressive indeed. 

So where did Jonathan Ive get his inspiration from ? Is he a loner that has been touched by god ? Or did he admire and was influenced by others ?

When we look at the images above it is evident ! Apple´s calculator is a copy of the old revolutionary Braun product. And so is the first ipod. And when we look at other Braun products we are stunned to see the identical approach to design.

Is Ive stealing sheep ?

When asked Ive will talk with admiration of Dieter Rams. Dieter Rams was to german electronics manufacturer BRAUN what Ive is to APPLE today. 

Check this out:

So did Jonathan Ive steal sheep ?

To say so would be an unfair assumption. By bringing in Rams´s designs into some Apple products Ive really pays tribute to his master.

Jonathan Ive is one of the few industrial designers today that have a chance to fully express themselves with the unwavering support of a production company in their back. He keeps Rams´s design legacy alive and follows in his footsteps. And Apple´s success shows: Design sells !!