Say More with Less T609

Joel KatzowitzDesign Manager - Czarnowski

Chris Schwab Idea Shaper - Czarnowski

Basically, we’re going show you how to remove the non-essential clutter from your exhibit, the stuff that can obscure your message, and then we’ll give you some tools to amplify that message.

Joel KatzowitzDesign Manager - Czarnowski

Chris Schwab Idea Shaper - Czarnowski

The Rules... Please turn your devices to silent.

We don’t know everything, so feel free to pipe in at anytime.

Please laugh at our jokes, it makes us feel good.

The Goals... Engage - We want your participation.

Educate - We’ll give you tools you can use.

Motivate - You can take a more active role.

Entertain - Hopefully we’ll have some fun.

Engage - We’d like you to actively participate in this session, be open to new ideas and feel free to express yourself.Educate - We’d like you to leave with ideas on how to make your exhibit environments more successful.Motivate - We’d like to motivate you to play a greater role in driving the design of your exhibits.Entertain - Hopefully you’ll enjoy yourself during the session.

The Typical Attitude...“I bought this booth, it’s mine, and I’m going to

fill every inch of it up (with shit).”

- How many of you have exhibits that look like this?- Of course it’s usually not the exhibit manager’s fault. The VP of marketing wants 6 additional graphic panels, the VP of sales wants 5 more demos, the product manager insists on bringing at least one of everything. Everyone wants something so we squeeze it all in.- So now everyone is happy because their signs and demos are all there. But the success of the exhibit suffers.

What is the message?In a trade show environment you only have a

few precious seconds to get your message across.

1.0  What Is the Message? Human beings are hoarders by nature. Whether it’s a home or our exhibit, we like to take the space we have and pack it with every item and possession possible. Unfortunately when we approach exhibits this way our message gets lost in the clutter.

What is the message?To deliver your message successfully it

must be intuitive as opposed to intellectual.

- This isn’t an ultra styled exhibit. Just an example of clear messaging.- What’s at play here is intuitive versus intellectual thinking, or reactive versus reflective. What you want is for your exhibits to reach out to people intuitively. You only have a couple of seconds to catch someone’s attention on the show floor. They shouldn’t have to think about or process what’s going on. What they see should resonate immediately.

What does it take to get your message across?

Less than you think

As you can see, there is definite value to a minimalist approach.That value is that your message is communicated clearly and instantaneously, in this example “lighting”.

Less than you think

What does it take to get your message across?

The way the human brain functions is that it looks for recognizable images or patterns. Icons, if you will, to focus on, that give meaning to the environment. Thus, our attention is drawn to shapes and images that are simple, clear and familiar.

Less than you think

What does it take to get your message across?

2.0  What Does it Take to Get a Message Across? The human brain works to recognize image or patterns. Therefore, you don’t have to spell everything out literally to your audience. They are perfectly capable of filling in the blanks if you give them bold simple clues to lead them in the right direction.

Less than you think

What does it take to get your message across?

Our brains are pretty good at recognizing patterns. Even figure/ground (or positive/negative space) scenarios are relatively easy to interpret.

A stdy ws dn to fnd out if ppl cld rd wtht vwls.

Th answr ws ys.

Less than you think

What does it take to get your message across?

You don’t have spell out or explain everything literally to your audience. Leave something to their imaginations, people love to solve puzzles. It makes them feel smart.

How are messages interpreted?Everyone utilizes different channels of reference

Intellectual

Emotional

Graphic

Technical

3.0  How Are Messages Interpreted? People interpret messages on a number of different channels—intellectual, emotional, graphic and technical. The more channels your exhibit or image connect on, the more successful it will be in communicating your message.

Intellectual - Her face is dirty, her clothes are tattered, she must live a hard life. (She is only 12 years old)Emotional - Her eyes are amazing, what do you see in them, defeat? despair? defiance?Graphic - If you squint your eyes you can see the photo as shapes, color, and value. Her torn outer garment exposes a green under garment that almost perfectly matches the background.Technical - Great lighting, beautiful exposure, appropriate focus and depth of field.

Visual communication

40 percent of all nerve fibers connected to the brain are linked to the retina.

The brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text.

Less is More

- The “less is more” mantra carries through all design disciplines, it defines successful creative solutions because the message is clear.- What’s interesting is that regardless of the media or medium, the same principals are what makes it work. We’re going to point out what some of these principals are that can be carried over to our exhibits. These principles apply to any size exhibit.

“Good design is as little design as possible, less butbetter because it concentrates on the essential aspects,and the products are not burdened with non-essentials”

- Dieter Rams

- Dieter Rams is a German industrial designer who, among other things, has designed many products for Braun. Many of his coffee makers, calculators, office products and consumer appliances have become museum pieces.- Rams got right to the heart of the matter. Concentrate on the essentials and get rid of the non-essentials. In other words, Less Is More.

What is essential?

Elements that define your brand.

Information necessary for the environment to make sense.

Components that move the attendee towards engagement.

4.0  What Is Essential? Good design requires eliminating any non-essential elements that clutter, reiterate, confuse or bury your message. Essential elements are: those that define your brand, information necessary for the environment to make sense, and components that move the attendee toward engagement.

What is essential?A clock has only one essential task,

to let you know what time it is.

Another way to determine what the right amount of stuff to put into your exhibit would be to start taking things (non-essential) away and see what still works. First let’s apply this theory to a clock.

Pilot Design Clock - 1:50:00

This clock has numbers, hands, and a face. The design is attractive, but does not make it easy to tell the exact time.

Arne Jacobson Clock - 2:29:30

This clock has indicator marks instead of numbers, and has hands and a face. It’s easy to tell the exact time right down to the seconds.

Objectify Wall Clock - 1:33:53

This clock has no number indicators, but does have hands and a face. It’s fairly easy to tell the time. Are number indicators essential?

is Clock - 10:08:00

This clock has no number indicators or face, but does have hands. It’s fairly easy to tell the approximate time.

Ghia Woo Clock - 10:10:00

This clock has no number indicators, but does have a hand indicator and a face. It’s got a nice aesthetic but I find it confusing to tell what time it is. Is it worth the trade off?

Elio Bertin Clock - 12:00:00

This clock has numbers, but no hands or face. It’s fairly easy to tell the approximate time but you need to be in close proximity to read it. The design is clever but is it effective?

“Any fool can make things complex, it takes a

touch of genius to make them simpler”

- Frank Lloyd Wright

The clock example clearly illustrates this point about making things simpler. They were all interesting solutions. But how did they affect the clock’s ability to accomplish it’s essential objective?

How do you make things simpler?

Define what is non-essential.

Define what is essential.

Subtract anything that is non-essential.

5.0  How Do You Make Things Simpler? To make things simpler eliminate anything that is non-essential. This could be structure, cabinetry, graphics, copy, product samples, or anything else.

Let’s roll up our sleeves and give it a try

The following slides will show how we can identify what’s essential and remove (or don’t add) anything that’s

non-essential.

- So how do we start simplifying our design? For starters, don’t put in more than you need.- A good way to gauge this would be to look around your office cubicle. If you are a neat freak with nothing on your desktop, not even a stray paperclip, trust your judgement. You’re doing just fine.If you have some clutter on your desk, or more than two desktop toys, you probably need to cut what you put in your exhibit by a quarter. If your desk and floor are covered in piles, cut by 2/3. And if you have an old sandwich which you can’t even remember buying next to your file cabinet--I’m not sure you’re going to be able to do this.

ProductIf you’re trying to sell a product, make it the hero.

Don’t dilute it’s impact with non-essential components.

Let your product speak for itself by creating an environment to support it, not to compete or over power it. This presentation lets the flowing shape communicate the aerodynamic aesthetic of it’s fluid form. The reflection on the floor essentially doubles the product visibility.

ProductYou don’t need to show every product you have.

Show what is new, hot, innovative, or something that defines you.

- Showing everything you produce just adds needless clutter to your exhibit and the consequent message.- In this case the exhibitor showcased the product variety in just one of their color lines. Making it obvious that if you wanted something in the blue range they would have you covered.

ProductShowing everything you have can have negative consequences.Keep in mind you have to leave room in the booth for attendees.

This floor plan was done for us by one of our clients. I explained that if you fill your space with product and the necessary product support structures there is no room left for people. You have to create an environment that encourages attendees to enter your space or they won’t.

Product

If you really want to show the depth and breadth of your offerings, you might try a

subtle use of “product” as a fabrication element.

Here’s a great application of using product as building block elements for the booth fixtures. The company is a publisher and they can showcase the wide range of their offerings without adding clutter. It’s clean and clever, note the printed cushions on the bench.

ProductThis dominant product display is an integral part of the booth. In fact,

they apparently deemed the company name as non-essential.

The company produces a woven product so they let the raw material speak for itself. There is no graphic support visible anywhere in the space. The bonus is there’s a nice tactile component in play, don’t you want to go in and touch the product?

Product

You probably don’t need to show the actual product

along with a graphic depicting the product as a

photograph.

Redundant?

ProductHowever, there are exceptions to the rule. Here the product is small

and although presented nicely, it’s bolstered by the large imagery.

Headphones and microphones are small. Showing over the top large imagery can pay dividends in letting the attendees see what all the fuss is about. Note the minimal support text.

Graphics

Graphics should have impact.Your eye is drawn directly to the “9”. The curved shape contrasted with the angles, the scale, and the color all

make it easy to find:

9 West 57th Street, NYC

The bold “9” makes it easy to find the building on West 57th Street in NYC. This 3D graphic has become a landmark. However, if you come from the opposite direction it’ll take some interpretation.

GraphicsYour audience simply won’t read a boat load of text,

no matter how compelling you think the information is.

The only people you see in the booth are staff members. No one else was interested in coming in to read what amounts to a small novel. To make the design even worse, the light fixtures actually protrude through the headline text sight lines.

Graphics

This is a much better application of utilizing a lot of

support copy. You can get the overall idea and then read

more if you want.

The nice use of lighting and bold headline text along with the negative space on the wall make this successful. If you want to drill down for more product information it’s available.

Graphics

Graphics can be fun and deliver a message at

the same time.This company sells a

non-slip flooring product.

The signage here is used to mimmic a utilitarian warning sign, however the message is contrary to what you’d expect to see. I don’t know how they got away with placing a sign in an aisle but, for a while at least, they did.

GraphicsRe-think traditional graphic panels. You can call out product specific

designations by simply writing them on the floor.

Calling out product information in non-traditional locations can add intrigue and can be a practical way to avoid fabricating additional components (graphic panels and support structures).

GraphicsRe-think traditional header copy. What are you trying to say? Do

you even need to put your company name on the booth?

Is “Made to Display” the company name or is it their mantra? Either way they’ve made their point. They offer rental furniture options that are displayed as pieces of art as opposed to an inexpensive way to give someone a place to sit. The booth feels like a museum and there are only three words visible.

GraphicsThis company designs

retail store environments and they’ve delivered

that message by use of their name along with a large Barcode image

that also serves to showcase their creative staff on card handouts.

The graphic impact here is bold and delivers the message intuitively. The placement of the company name One along with the barcode image let’s you know immediately that retail is their game. It’s secondary function is to introduce their creative staff via card handouts.

Booth architectureYes, you have to build stuff. There are certainly necessary structural

components. But let’s consider non-traditional building materials.

Structural elements are needed to accommodate product display, graphics, storage, communications, seating, way-finding, etc. But why restrict yourself to plywood, laminates, metals, and fabric? Your alternatives are only limited by your imagination. This booth was fabricated out of cardboard mailing tubes. The advantages are it’s an inexpensive, recyclable, and a lightweight fabrication material.

Booth architectureThis company is showcasing their product in a non-traditional

way by using illusion in a tongue in cheek application.

The use of a graphic depicting a solid brick and masonry wall that is beautifully printed on fabric material is a fun and effective way to make an attendee look twice at their booth.

ColorThis is a great example of controlling product color to simplify

the look of the booth while maximizing its impact.

In order to make this happen, the designer had to “negotiate” with the Audi exhibit and product managers to limit the vehicle colors to red and white. The result is a much more cohesive look than would have been possible with the full range of vehicle colors on the floor. Sometimes to be bold you have to break with tradition.

ColorThe exterior architectural shapes are accentuated by the use of color

which then disappears when you enter the interior space.

These muted tones help define the architecture by delineating the horizontal elements but then pretty much disappear creating a mostly neutral space on the inside. The exterior surface topography is also highlighted by angular lighting. They chose to showcase their various locations on something other than a map or globe.

FoliageThe rationale is plants will warm the environment and make it more

inviting. It can also add clutter unless it’s done right.

This is a nice example on how to integrate foliage into a booth in a non-gratuitous fashion. It’s dramatic and the colors reinforce the color scheme of the architecture.

FoliageWhat other function could foliage have? How about as a storytelling

device incorporating text along with a green story.

This product is called “Living Wall” and is a vertical application of living foliage. It can grow to tell your story but does require some maintenance. The exhibitor manufactures tires.

“It seems that perfectionis reached not when there

is nothing left to add,but when there is nothing

left to take away”- Antoine de St-Uxepery

Now that we’ve simplified, let’s enhance what’s left

Add implied messaging elements.

Exploit other messaging channels.

Utilize engagement strategies.

6.0  Enhance What’s Left. Once you’ve stripped your exhibit’s components down to the essentials, you can up the volume on your message through a number of techniques. This includes adding implied messaging elements, exploiting other messaging tools, and utilizing engagement strategies.

The sign in the window reads “OPEN - PUSH-”, that’s a literal invitation to enter.

However everything else on the door, the locks, the steel bars, the “no loitering” sign, the word “killing”, all imply

that you should stay the hell out.

Literal vs Implied messaging

Here’s a great example of the two messaging platforms. Literal means just that, using words or other elements that are not really open to interpretation, you take the meaning at face value. Implied elements are more nebulous and can be more subtle, but they also speak volumes if you take the time to pay attention.

Implied messaging can sometimes go wrong.

Lots of exhibitors offer snacks for their patrons, in this case however, the colorful spheres

were made of plastic.

Implied messaging

Any one who has walked a trade show floor has seen containers offering up some tasty treat to passersby. This clear container contained plastic balls. After numerous people took advantage of the snack only to end up dissatisfied, the booth staff placed a note in the container.

The architecture should imply or reflect your message. At a

glance it becomes obvious what your message is without

any further explanation needed.

Architecture as a metaphor

The idea here is simple and effective. Take your product, make it really large and use it as architectural element throughout the booth. The architecture becomes a metaphor for your message. We make an interlocking floor material.

Architecture is part of the message. The ice wall with the car hanging on to it’s vertical face ties to the “Goes well over ice” tag.

Architecture as a metaphor

The ice wall structure becomes a 3D billboard with a car magically gripping it’s face. The tagline is understated which adds to the overall effect. This is a compelling visual. There are also British icons in the booth heralding the automobile’s heritage.

Here’s another example of architecture becoming an implied messaging device. This company produces

“Bubble Wrap” and actually covered the exhibit walls

with it.

Architecture as a metaphor

The obvious implication here is the Bubble Wrap product is a protective packaging material that is “protecting” the exhibit walls. Planned or not, everyone who passed by the wall reached out to “pop” a bubble or two. No one could resist the tactile and audio feedback. The wall actually became an interactive element with a high memory retention quotient.

Shapes have a psychological impact on us. Hard, angular, aggressive shapes are exciting but not friendly or inviting.

Shape

This designer of this space did not create a welcoming environment. The black angled shapes create sharp edges that don’t promote a place that you want to spend time in. Adding to the coldness, is the harsh lighting and hard finishes. Note the person at the reception counter is the only person in the space, that’s no accident.

These shapes, colors, and lighting all conspire to create a very warm, welcoming, and comfortable space to be in.

Shape

This designer did a nice job of creating a space that people want to enter. The soft curvilinear shapes combined with the warm lighting and natural looking materials certainly drew a substantial crowd.

Lighting Lighting can do more than simply illuminate, here it’s used to entice

attendees to enter a partially obscured interior space.

Lighting is a powerful tool that we should exploit. People are drawn to light. Consequently it can be used to guide attendees to move through, or in this case, to enter the booth space. The effect is aided by keeping the exhibit exterior relatively dark and understated for contrast.

How does a lighting manufacturer handle lighting

and product display intheir own booth?

Quite nicely.

Lighting

Light has many qualities like beam spread, falloff, color temperature, hardness, etc. How those qualities are orchestrated into the display scheme will have a huge effect on the overall effect. Also notice the restrained use of graphics and the sculptural display of product.

Lighting can also be used to subtly create a mood or

atmosphere. It can influence color and the effective quality

of illumination.

Lighting

The fixture shown here effectively uses color filter layers of various shapes and arrangement to affect the properties of the lights.

TextureTexture is almost totally dependent on lighting to maximize it’s

effect. This booth sends it’s message with a textured wall and logo.

The texture is powered by directional lighting with a warm color cast. The message is clear, this booth is all about lighting although there is minimal graphics and product visible.

TextureTexture can be used in many ways to enhance your messaging.

In this instance, the “texture” becomes a text vehicle.

The tone on tone color scheme makes the text legible because of the angular lighting effect. Originally I thought there was a typo where the word “arm” should have been “harm” (Light can do good or arm: use it wisely) Then I discovered “arm” was the name of their product. What a delightful play on words.

TextureFrom the same booth, here is a great example of texture enhancing

the product. The fixture is a circular articulating LED light.

Imagine this light fixture sitting on a typical flat top pedestal as opposed to this concentric grooved surface. The product appears to fit like a puzzle piece, it’s right at home, grounded. Plus, the light from the fixture plays nicely off the texture while the product shape is echoed as well. This display is close to perfection.

ColorThis booth is dramatic in large part because of color. But, color brings psychological ramifications that have to be considered.

Red is an exciting color, literally. Proximity to red increases heart rate, blood pressure, and agitation. Hotels like to use red carpet in hallways so guests won’t spend a lot of time congregating there. This is good to know if you don’t want your attendees to stay in your booth too long. In this case, the table is made of wood which is a natural welcoming material so it should help mitigate the red effect.

This may be an over the top use of a monochromatic color scheme but it certainly grabs

your attention.Note that they even took the “orange” into the juice in their

glasses.

Color

Orange is a bit less powerful than red. The inspiration for the color can be found in their line of lighting products which feature an orange accent component. Is it my imagination or is the women’s hair a bit orange?

Color Blue is calming which dovetails nicely with the exhibitor’s message

that they strive to eliminate stress from medical procedures.

The color blue is associated with the sky and with water, both of which have a calming influence on most people. All the coloration on this booth was done with lighting. That makes it pretty easy to change the look and feel of the property for later uses.

Element of surpriseEverything should not be spelled out for your audience, the sense of

surprise or discovery can leave a strong impression.

I really don’t know why they decided to hang cured meat inside their oversized light fixtures. Maybe they produce heat lamps, who knows. The point is that until you got underneath the fixtures the props were not visible.

Sense of TouchThese people make commercial freezers, so they chose real ice to

fabricate the walls. The bonus was the tactile sense of cold.

Why not go into a booth and experience the message in a visceral sense. They make freezers and you’re welcome to come in and see what a side of beef feels like once inside their product. The ice walls also emit a wonderful glow of light along with a translucent effect.

Sense of SmellTo be honest this display had no “scent” component, but imagine if it did. There are several products that allow you add aroma to the air.

Our sense of smell is powerful, why not leverage it? There are several products (Scent Air) that allow you to introduce various aromas into your environment. Of course you have to be cautious when using it to re-enforce your message. Real estate agents often ask home sellers to bake bread or cookies before prospective buyers come to see the house. The smell makes the house seem homey and comforting, it’s a great tool when used wisely.

Sense of HearingThese giant blocks of granite can actually be played like musical

instruments when struck with mallets.

The granite monoliths had kerfs cut in them which allowed a variety of musical tones to emanate when struck with a mallet. It made for a wonderfully interactive experience as several people could actually accompany each other in real time. Adding to the effect was a video screen that mimicked the notes as played giving you a visual of the sound, much like pebbles dropped into a pond.

Sense of HumorWe know that humor isn’t really a sense, but humor and fun can help

you drive your message home, if you know how to manage it.

An exhibit house brought this “unfinished” booth to the show with a sign that read: “We missed to build our own booth due to the fact we were (are) constructing your booth.” The booth had half painted walls, incomplete construction and monitors half in their cases. The implication being their customers are more important than anything else. What a great message.

Booth talent

Live talent performing in your booth can be a huge draw.But it must be targeted as a

vehicle that will deliver or enhance your message, otherwise it’s just clutter.

It’s critical to make sure the performance is targeted and focused. People tend to get caught up in the cool factor and figure as long as I can keep my booth full of people it’ll be great. But you don’t want to fill your space with bodies if they’re not potential customers.

Refresh your booth

This booth changed it’s appearance everyday and it kept people coming back.

They had an artist constantly produce new paintings as the

show progressed filling the voids with art.

How do you get attendees to return to your booth multiple times? One way is have your booth morph, evolve, grow, rearrange, move, etc. If the changes are compelling they will come.

EngagementEngagement strategies encourage interaction.

This booth asks a question and encourages responses.

Encouraged by the booth staff, attendees left comments on the booth walls. The comments were a mix of questions, ideas, and miscellaneous ramblings inspired by a question. Although this is a decidedly low tech approach, it gave the attendees a voice, they felt like someone was listening and interested in what they had to say. An unexpected side effect was that the look of the booth changed constantly as notes were added. Note the “question mark” shaped sofa.

EngagementThere are many high tech engagement tools available. The trick is to use one that supports your message as opposed to just being cool.

This large format multi-touch screen was the product.

EngagementThe control panel allows the attendee to adjust a myriad of

lighting effects and view the results real time.

This setup becomes a learning tool. By modifying the settings, you can create lighting effects that have an impact on how the motorcycle is perceived. Note the use of textures on the walls.

“Everything should bemade as simple as possible

but not simpler”- Albert Einstein

Cost BenefitA simple well designed, thoughtful exhibit can actually

cost you less while giving you more.

Less to ship.

Less to fabricate.

Less drayage.

Less to ship back.

Less to setup.

Less to store.

The obvious cost benefit to simplifying is there is less stuff in your booth. That should equate to more savings to you. Your boss should be very happy about this.

RecapImplementing Say More with Less.

Identify what is essential to communicate that message

Decide what your message is.

Eliminate anything that is non-essential.

Employ other tools and techniques to amplify the message.

Thank you.