EDPA Designer Tip - Fabric

By Hilary Howes

Since the first trader helped his products stand out in an ancient agoura by setting them out on his cloak, fabric has been an important part of the event marketing business. Now in the 21st century tension fabric architecture and art is increasingly the choice of marketers for a variety of financial and aesthetic reasons. For designers used to building in wood and metal fabric can be seen as a playground where "anything is possible" or a "no-mans-land" fraught with unknown risks and techniques. I'll try to get you to a middle path with some tips here so that your designs can reap the benefits of fabric while maintaining the clean professional image of your work in other materials.

Originally a theatrical set designer, fabric has long been one of my main mediums. I married a costume designer too and for 30 years fabric has been a daily topic of conversation. When I won an Exhibitor award in 2000 it not surprising that a Transformit tension fabric structure was a featured element. When I went to work for Transformit this year I was surprised that they wanted me to spend 3 weeks training at their studio before working with their clients. That seemed like a long time (in a Maine winter) for someone with my 'hands-on' background. Now, as an evangelist for TFS working with architects and designers, I am so glad I did. I even have a section of my presentation I call 'What i didn't know, that I didn't know'. I'll cover some of it here but my overarching advice is to partner with a TFS company that can support your ideas as you create in fabric. Just as collaboration with your client is key to developing your design, collaboration is key to developing your design to a elegant fabric solution.

Fabric exhibit architecture is increasingly popular for financial, aesthetic and sustainability reasons. The savings on shipping, drayage, and labor are frequently acknowledged but savings though low maintenance and long wear are important too. How many graphics are printed with the color infused into the material (dye sublimation) or can get thrown in the washer if they pick up a spot? ZZ-Top toured 77 cities with a set from Transformit with very little refurbishment along the way.

Fabric, Tension, and Structure all have association with values that companies increasingly want to communicate. If your client want to communicate how flexible, accommodating, transparent, and natural they are what better way to say it than with a material associated with all those qualities? Clients are telling stories now with their exhibits and every interesting story has tension in it. It attracts and amazes us and creates mystery as well. Conversely the visible yet veiled structure of a TFS supports the value that companies have in showing they are more than a 'slick-surface', that they have an apparent structure, inspiring trust in their enterprise. Have a look at the mission, vision, or value statement of your client on your next project and see what materials they suggest. I'm betting fabric is part of the mix.

TFS while not actually organic does take on biophilic shapes well which bespeaks it's living lightly on the earth. The aluminum and stretch fabric can have sizable recycled content and are able to be recycled. The efficiencies of shipping, storage, and labor makes for a low carbon footprint compared to the alternatives. Combining the above with the potential for reuse or rental (like Transformit's Readymades) makes for a system that looks and is green regardless of it color.

It's easy to believe that stretch fabric will take on the iconic wing or sail look if you just pull hard enough but in reality it takes engineering in fabric to get a smooth arc edge and no wrinkles on the surface. Free wings require the edge shape to be patterned in the fabric and then controlled by a edging tube of stronger stretch fabric. Aluminum structures can integrate with fabric in 3 main ways. Single skin where a fabric tunnel zips on to each structural tube. Pillowcase where multi panel fabric bag encloses the entire structure and zips on an inconspicuous edge. Edge attached panels where fabric (with a keder stitched into the edge) is inserted into the slot of system architecture (like Octanorm). In this last method the structure is fully exposed. With all of these the fabric is a stretch knit or if it is a woven fabric without stretch it needs an edge of powerful stretch fabric to tension the skin and remove all wrinkles. These are just the basics of fabric engineering and there are many exceptions and variations possible.

One of the design issues that comes up most often is budgeting for TFS. Not only is the material different to work with but the costs associated it don't follow familiar rules of thumb that we are used to from frame and panel construction. Since shipping, drayage, and labor costs are so different even direct comparison of material costs is somewhat fallacious. Still those direct comparisons get made and often make fabric look like an expensive proposition. Budgeting is further challenging because square foot rules of thumb don't apply. The majority of the costs are in the number and complexity of the joints in a frame not the amount of area covered by the structure. It's not unusual for a small complex piece to be more expensive than a large simple piece. One can also generally be sure that eliminating structure in will save on material cost but raise installation cost as locating suitable tension points in the environment become the means of defining the shape.

One sure way to lower cost is to use a readymade rental piece for events and exhibits of a limited duration. Event if your design requires a new graphic skin you will save by renting the complex frame for a sign or sculpture. Often designing with a readymade CAD file from your TFS source will save you development time even if the unit is intended for purchase. Doing so also give you the option of switching to a rental if the budget should get cut down the line. Transformit has over 100 shapes in 9 coordinated lines for instance and Moss has recently announced a rental program.

I'll wrap up with the hope that you will follow the thread of this piece and look to developing stronger ties to your TFS supplier.

Award winning and relentless creative Hilary Howes is a popular speaker/writer for the EDPA, TSEA and Color Marketing Group. As a Creative Director for Transformit she empowers architects and designers to create dynamic visual experiences with Tension Fabric Sculpture. This piece was published by the EDPA in their online news letter.

Can We Talk? Client communications

Designers- since this is our tip I know I can talk to you. I’m a designer, you’re a designer, we speak the same language. But how many times, after you had client meetings, do you return with your hard work to find a big mismatch with what they had in mind? It’s like you don’t speak the same language. And in many ways you don’t. In a language as rich as English you are each using your own style of communicating. Different careers attract different personalities and lifestyles and communication styles.

Business people (clients) have spent their lives being rewarded for discussing cold hard facts and are comfortable discussing design in literal, specific, definite ways, (left-brain, Mars). When you ask questions to start developing a design they often feel challenged by questions that are open ended, no right answer, or ‘touchy-feely’. So they do their best, grasping for buzzwords, to try to give you something to start on.

Designers, have been rewarded all their lives for creating visual communications, and are often uncomfortable with verbal communication altogether. Their verbal communication (if developed) tends to be unique, sensitive, qualified, questioning and even playful (right-brain, Venus). When starting a design the critical elements for these free thinking questioners is to find overall goals, basic parameters, and how the project is to feel. To us, details can be fit in once a vision is articulated. So starting out we are miles apart, Where does it go from there?

Designers want to develop projects in a free, non-judgmental space and clients think in terms of control and linear progress. So the presentation and revision process can be difficult for both. It’s nobody’s fault but it can seem like a ‘War of the Worlds’. What are we to do?

I was thrilled to find Graphically Speaking
http://www.amazon.com/Graphically-Speaking-Achieving-Designer-Client-Communication/dp/1581802919
by Lisa Buchanan in 2003. It is a visual lexicon for achieving better designer-client communication. In consultation with other designers she has created pages of visual examples for the 30 words most commonly used in client-designer meetings. She includes fonts and pantone swatches for words like ‘innovative’ and ‘natural’. I was suspicious at first. How could we be sure she was right on all these words? Then it clicked. The idea is to bring it to your meeting. You and your client would be looking at the same thing and it wouldn’t matter what the word was. And that is lesson one on overcoming the communication crisis. Use visuals.

I strongly believe in face to face communication because I get so many clues about a style the client will respond to by meeting them in their environment. I often find that the values expressed in their offices, clothing, and body language gives me more information than they can express verbally. Of course I need to find out their budget and booth size verbally but the rug in their office can tell me if they are more ‘old world charm’ or ‘mid-century modern’ in their personal style. Not that the project will necessarily reflect their personal style specifically. It will hopefully be aimed at their target market. I have found it does have to reflect their values for it to have traction with them.

Bring visuals with you to brainstorming sessions. Always have a portfolio and often scrap files from your research. Be sure to grab their current (and past) visuals and then ask what they like and what they don’t like about them. Never assume that just because they have produced a brochure that it reflects what they like. Ask them to bring visuals to the meeting. Ask them to start looking around with their booth in mind, and who knows what kind of inspiration will strike. At least it prepares them for a different communication experience.

Ask questions they can answer, that leave you room to create. Graphically Speaking has a great starting list and the questions are focused on goals and values. I always find it hard to get clients to focus on these kinds of questions rather than what they think is important to me. If they start talking color, copy and shape right out of the gate, where is my chance to give them my expertise, conceptualizing the visuals to support a message? To get off on the right foot I send them my questions in advance now so they can start thinking in terms of values and vision before we get to our session.

Be sure you are in direct communication with the decision makers. I know not every designer is cut out for this, but hopefully those that are not, are teamed up with a design director who can bring the design mind into communication with the final decision maker. I don’t mean to discount the skills of a sales person or account manager to communicate the client’s needs, but to get the clues to inspire a designer’s creativity in the right direction, I believe in face to face communication. Hopefully so do the rest of you since that is the essence of our tradeshow industry.

Just being aware of our communication challenges is a big step toward overcoming them. The fantastic research that is coming out from the fields of brain science, psychology and sociology about communication helps people to appreciate diversity of thought. I hope that what you learn allows you to create unique ways to touch people of all personalities, lifestyles, and communication styles.

Originally published in the EDPA Newsletter: As a designer tip by Hilary Howes. published here by her permission.

Hilary Howes was a panelist for the EDPA Design Trends presentation at TS2 2005 presented the New System Architecture at TS2 in 2006. Her 30 years of design experience includes Theatrical Sets and Lighting, Retail Store Fixtures, Photography, Exhibition and Exhibit Design. She creates concept designs for GES Exposition Services worldwide from the National Design Center in Washington DC. A trend watcher for many years she serves as a member of the Color Marketing Group that researches color (and other) trends for a wide range of industries.

EDPA Mid-Atlantic Chapter Meeting

 

Did you know EDPA is launching its first-ever Mid-Atlantic Chapter?

 

It's about time, isn't it?

 

We knew you'd agree, so we're inviting you to roll up your sleeves, start thinking of ideas  and help launch the first ever Mid-Atlantic Chapter of EDPA.

 

When: 5:00 pm on Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Where: The first meeting will be held at NTP

Why: This is our new chapter's first meeting and your support will help get it off the ground.

 

Please contact me at 703.706.8208 or kshevlin@ntpshow.com if you would like to attend or if you would like to participate in future events. There is no cost to attend the first meeting as we will be putting together nominations for a board of directors and a plan for future meetings.

 

Please forward this to anyone who may be interested in this new chapter. All trade show industry professionals welcome!

 

NTP is located at 313 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

 

I hope you'll join us in launching this exciting – and important – new chapter of EDPA!

 

Kellie Shevlin

TS² Sales and Industry Relations Manager

National Trade Productions

313 S. Patrick Street

Alexandria, VA 22314

www.ntpshow.com

"We Know Shows"

 

Plan to exhibit at TS² 2007, THE Industry Event for Exhibit and Event Professionals, July  31 - August 1, 2007 in  Washington, DC.  For more information about TS², please visit  www.ts2show.com