There really is nothing more that can be said about the aesthetic appeal of robots only that … Robots are cool!

For more info contact:

http://www.bennettrobotworks.com/contact.php

Classic Design Style in a Modern Context

Art Nouveau was a beautifully stylised design movement that occupied the late 19th and early 20th Century. It is a style unrivalled in its honest aspirations to marry art with design, and to celebrate the art and ethereal beauty of the natural environment.

This is a style that is so distinctive that it cannot be implemented in design schemes without recreating it in its historic entirety complete with the more "dated" elements, as we would consider them to be in this present age.

But it is a style that can be adapted with faithful attention to the design philosophy of Art Nouveau, and not necessarily by reproducing the exact stylistic details! [Do you really want to live in a Gaudi interior? Come on, be honest! ]

Here is an example of how I tried this approach for a client in the hospitality industry.

Design Overview

Following instruction from the client brief, the resultant aim of the design was to create a distinctive, aesthetically pleasing space that is practical for everyday use. As the room will be used frequently, the need for easy maintenance must be matched with a decoration that will enhance the experience of staying in the hotel, and so contribute to creating a memorable overall experience for the guests.

The best method to achieving this was to create a bright comfortable atmosphere using contemporary materials that evoked the requisite style, with restrained backgrounds to add a  feeling of comfort and elegance, whilst avoiding fuss and clutter. The use of shape and pattern is essential in this style in order to prevent the overall look from becoming dull and uninteresting.

Therefore, by combining the distinct shapes and forms of those such as early twentieth century style motifs with contemporary materials, this allows the visual aesthetic to remain to the fore by providing favourable contrast with the practical approach to the everyday maintenance needs of running a busy hotel.

Achieving  this style is about mixing rather than matching, through all design elements both historic and contemporary, to achieve a look that is fresh and progressive. Taking inspiration from contrasting sources and periods, the style becomes a highly individualized style and is easily changed on a whim, as most of the scheme is carried in easily changeable design components such as movable furniture and accessories.

In combination, the various elements of colour and stylistic motifs communicate such characteristics of uncompromising excellence, material aspiration, efficiency, drama, and sophistication - that combine to reflect the corporate values and philosophy of a successful business.

Just what the client asked for!

Likewise,with objects. The old car that you gave a name to because only you knew what made “her” tick, and all the little idiosyncrasies that imbues it with “personality”.

Or the clunky typewriter that smells of ink and grease, the writer's trusty friend on the receiving end of every emotion from rage to elation. Sticking keys, chewed-up paper, the tiring physical typing, the clacking rhythm of the keys, the bell ... all combine to form an impression of identity in our minds that becomes much more than its mere function. It can even come to life in our minds.

Just ask Bill!

"Say, Bill...

[from David Cronenberg’s adaptation of Burroughs’ novel, Naked Lunch]

... do you think you could rub 
some of this powder on my lips?"

When everything works so effortlessly where is the opportunity to experience the unexpected? Where are the unexpected stimuli to send us off on a tangent of thought and emotion? Sometimes, in order to feel fulfilled we need to experience what we do not desire.

Is the iPad a metaphor for our ever evolving attitude to design - that of forsaking design aesthetics for design functionality?

Guaranteed, the present technology will not stand the test of time in terms of usefulness, and will be quickly discarded when something faster and shinier comes along, but will the aesthetic appeal even last as long? Are we stripping art from design chiefly for to reduce costs, or otherwise? Are we no longer making our future's antiques? And do I detect the smell of bug-powder?

The Rochestown Park Hotel Lobby

How is design generally used in commercial interior environments?

Is the interior ever really considered at all, or is it just an afterthought - a chance to put a gloss on the front end of the project?

Often, residential design thinking is applied to commercial projects, and as a result, the design under-performs in it's commercial objectives.

Residential design is aimed at the client, usually a home-owner, which aims to fulfil their personal requirements, tastes and ideas about style.

Commercial design is more focused on designing for the needs the business and the end users, or customers. This crucial difference is not always fully understood when it comes to interior design, and consequently, the interior design is focused on styling and surface finishing, and with less consideration of the business objectives. Not employing effective use of design in a commercial situation costs businesses money in lost profits and even hinders potential for generating more revenue!

This commercial interior (pic. above) can be classed in the hospitality sector generally, but would usually be grouped with the upper price range hotel sector.
This sector can be further categorized by a star rating system to describe the level of space and facilities available, and the hotel pictured would most likely fall into the four star category.
Typically, hotels and similar facilities in the hospitality sector aim to provide a service to their customers whose basic requirements are:

• Clean, comfortable, and quiet rooms
• Good food in nice surroundings
• Good service
• A relaxing, enjoyable experience
• Value for money

Guests using this type of higher end facility would expect an overall superior service and would normally expect to pay a higher price. The target market can range from guests requiring accommodation; to weddings, conferences and business meetings; social functions; gym and leisure facilities; and bar and restaurants; being among the many possible streams of revenue for this type of commercial enterprise.

Guests will expect to be welcomed with a complimentary drink on arrival, which can be enjoyed in luxurious waiting or reception areas while bags are delivered to their room. Suites  are decorated to the highest standard of comfort and design – without compromising on space - and come with a broad range of facilities to help make the guests' stay enjoyable. Guests would typically pay for, and expect suites that offer a spacious bedroom with separate dressing room, sitting room with separate dining area and a large bathroom with a jacuzzi bath, at the very least.  Sumptuous soft furnishings and spacious bathroom facilities must come as standard in every room.

As well as a high standard of service, accommodation, food and entertainment, the guest would also expect the décor and ambiance to be of equally high standard, and the design should reflect the image and star rating to which the hotel will aspire.

The hotel lobby pictured is bright and spacious, gives a good first impression, and defines the overall experience the guest can look forward to. Often, the reception area is the first point of contact that  customer will have with the hotel, so it is vital that the reception area should be impressive.

The reception desk is clearly visible from the front entrance, is well-lit both naturally and artificially, and is close to the stairs and lifts. The large reception area serves as a circulation route to the rooms, bar and restaurant and other facilities, and cuts down on the need for corridors, which generally, in a hotel are wasted space.

I do think, however that the colour scheme and furniture choice and layout could be improved in order to create a greater  impression, especially as it is the main access route for all visitors.

I think that the red colour is over-used as an accent colour and as a result loses its vibrancy and effectiveness. It is also the only colour in an otherwise monochromatic, neutral scheme, and the overall effect of the overuse of red and black against the brown reception desk and door areas gives a dull, heavy, sluggish impression. The lightness of the white walls and ceiling, the bright transparency of the glazed walls, the delicate, unobtrusive light fixtures, and reflective surfaces are overpowered by the heavy opressive mixture of red and black.

The seating I feel is excessive as it encourages visitors to congregate and linger (loiter?) in the hotel reception – rather than in the bar or restaurant, where they could be spending money. Many people use hotels for meeting clients and acquaintances and the circulation and seating provisions should encourage them to buy a coffee or lunch, rather than have their meetings in the overly seated lobby area for free.

The use of the same style, size and pattern for all the seating in a diner-style layout without tables to separate them seems to have no clear function or advantage. Different clusters of varied seating forms and colours would create a more interesting environment without sacrificing circulation space. Different orientations of seating would also not force strangers to have to face or bunch-up with each other, especially if carrying lots of baggage.

As people often have to wait in hotel lobbies for long periods of time, the surroundings should be interesting and varied enough to occupy the waiting guest, and should visually and tacitly suggest a more positive message about the quality of the hotel.

In the spirit of offering a constructively critical review, it is only fair that I provide a suggestion as to what I might have done, so below is an example of a concept that I might have come up with. So, I am leaving wide myself open for others to criticise my design suggestions, and I hereby extend my neck out for the chop. I'm sure there are those who are already lining up eagerly to take a swipe ...

OK, so it's not a real ad for Ryanair! But it could be, couldn't it?

Sure, the service is basic, but how else can a company provide a service at such low prices without doing a bit of trimming here and there?

The "design brief" for this advert could be that:

The design is inspired by the previous advertising campaigns by Ryanair that deliver a direct message in a humorously cheeky and unequivocal style.

Following on from the previous campaigns that poked jibes at the opposition, this design focuses on the company's policy of offering a bare-bones service that allows the price to the consumer to be slashed, but this time focusing on its own pricing policies.

The message conveyed is that the responsibility is on the customer to use the options supplied by the company to get the cheapest available flights on the market. In other words:

Saving money on air fares is in your own hands!

After much criticism over perceived hidden and extra charges, the advert spells out that if the customer wants luxuries,  wants to carry more than hand baggage, use the airport check-in, or wants staff to print out a booking form, then the customer should be prepared to pay for the privilege.

The style is deliberately retro to suggest the back to basics approach of the Ryanair travelling experience. The 50's style of the poster ironically becomes fashionably up-to-date when taken out of context, contributing to the cartoon-ish, tongue-in-cheek style of self-promotion much favoured by Ryanair and its chief executives.

Now where did I keep my own tongue?