What originally piqued your interest in graphic design?
I worked in the restaurant business during college and, on the side, designed logos, menu covers and wedding invitations for people. I really didn’t know what graphic design was until a friend informed me I was already doing it. I switched majors the next day.
You oversee graphic design projects at FRCH Design Worldwide for a variety of sectors, including retail, hospitality, restaurant and consumer brand clients. Which sector allows the most creativity?
Hospitality, since they are just now beginning to think like retailers.
Who was your first hospitality client?
Hampton, and I was scared to death. But we approached it like we would a retail brand and designed everything from the clock radio to shampoo bottles to stationery and key cards. Even the shower curtain was a custom design. It’s a blast when you can touch all the various components for a brand and see the power of it when it all comes together.
What types of projects lend themselves to excellent graphic design?
To me, it’s the icing on the cake for every type of project and what makes the consumer fall in love with the product, the brand or the environment. It’s the greatest and most easily recognizable differentiator.
What’s one thing clients don’t understand about using graphics in retail spaces?
It’s all about designing in layers.
Can you explain?
The first layer is about the brand and is more permanent. The second layer is the strategic placement of graphics that allow the store to change and stay fresh. They can be seasonal, campaign-driven or simply done when stores need a lift. The third layer is promotional, which often looks like an afterthought – but it doesn’t have to if it’s designed from the beginning. That’s why it’s important for graphic designers to work side-by-side with the architects and interior designers so graphics are holistically incorporated into the design, not added at the end.
In your eyes, what retailers get it when it comes to incorporating graphics into a store environment?
Starbucks is king when it comes to the permanent brand essence layer. It changes from location to location but you always know where you are. On the other hand, Gap is the unchallenged leader in bringing a promotional campaign to life. Their super graphics on the windows draw attention and change with the campaigns so you really notice when something’s new. Also, the aesthetic is carried all the way through to direct mail, so it brings recall to the store environment.
Three Things About Me:
Favorite place to vacation: Alsace, France. The majority of my family lives there and there’s never a shortage of food or wine. It’s also in the Vosges Mountains, so there’s very spotty cell
phone reception.
Three items you purchase every time you go to the grocery store: French bread, cheese
and eggs. Healthy, right?
Which TV family do you wish was yours? The Addams family. As a designer I wear a lot of black
so I would fit right in.