Design 'N Architecture

In the art world, museums are trying to change the game by hiring new directors.  Jeffrey Deitch, a New York art dealer, has been hired to lead the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.  At the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York, they hired Bill Mosgridge, a design practitioner, industrial designer and businessman.  These museums are trying to shake things up. The simple act of turning a developer owned condo into a gallery for one night is gaining popularity, bringing creative types into contact with those looking to buy a place.  Developers get foot traffic while artists...

This post on art and residential architecture starts with an example about accessibility.  Over ten years ago, Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas (Office for Metropolitan Architecture)designed a house in France for a client who was confined to a wheelchair.  The three story house has an elevator platform, 10' x 10.75', that moves freely between the floors.  The 'room', with its permanent wall of shelves, travels up and down through the house transforming the architecture of the house, becoming part of the kitchen, living space or enclosed as an office.    Thinking about rooms as elevators or even rooms on tracks...

"It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises but only performance is reality."~American Businessman Harold S. Geneen Throughout this entire series, I've been speaking about "business promises." While it's important to have a "promise" to build your business on, the vital thing is to deliver on that promise.  This alone is what the customer will remember. As a close to this series, I felt it best to conclude with a short list of statements/questions that you should keep top-of-mind:• NO AMOUNT OF MARKETING CAN OVERCOME CONTINUAL POOR COMPANY PERFORMANCE.    • If you promise...

To renew their license, Minnesota-licensed interior designers, architects and landscape architects must have completed 24 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) during the two-year period immediately preceding each biennial renewal date, which falls on June 30 of each even-numbered year (2010, 2012, etc). Professional development may include technical, nontechnical, regulatory, ethical, and business practice content provided the education help safeguard and promote the public's health, safety and welfare. Source: Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience, and Interior Design Post comments or questions on this blog or contact Design Arts Seminars, Inc. For a list of continuing education opportunities...

Nevada-registered achitects, interior designers and residential designers are required to complete 8 health, safety and welfare CEUs annually, of which 2 must be code-related. The Nevada continuing education requirement went into effect January 1, 2010.  Registrants are responsible for tracking courses and maintaining supporting documentation in case of an audit.  A CEU Tracking Log must be completed and sent with each registrant's renewal for 2011.  Transcripts and other back-up information will not be accepted by the board, unless a registrant is audited. Source: Nevada State Board of Architecture, Interior Design and Residential Design Post comments or questions on this blog...

Most people think of art as something to be inserted into architecture.  While art as an addition to architectural space as well as the mechanics of display are discussed in the seminar, I am interested in the dialogue between art and architecture.  The two influence one another; art can be an integral part of architecture rather than an afterthought.  Art and architecture are often most effective when conceived and executed jointly.  I recently attended a lecture by Joseph Kuspan, AIA, who is the director of design at Karlsberger Architects in Columbus, Ohio.  (www.karlsberger.com)  The topic was the LEED platinum-level...

"Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends."~Walt Disney Disney's quote is the epitome of what companies should strive for: satisfied customers who do your marketing for you.  In the meantime, you have to rely on strong marketing materials. This post will focus on how to evaluate your advertising collateral.  One of the biggest mistakes companies make is spending money producing a marketing piece and realizing that it's too complicated or too ugly when it's too late. Hopefully, after reading this, it won't happen to you. First, find someone who...

The ARTworks seminar explores and examines the broad possibilities of engaging the end user with art and architecture - what is the dialogue created between the two, how do they affect each other, and when do the spaces and behaviors around them change.  Divided between public and private work, the seminar finds art that engages people and the places in which they find themselves. I recently attended a talk given by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer at the Art Museum of the Americas in Washington, DC.  Known for his large-scale interactive public art, Lozano-Hemmer uses new technologies including light, sound, video, robotics, internet and...

"Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify!"~Henry David Thoreau As a marketing and strategy consultant, I'm often asked, "What's the best way to reach people? Television, radio, newspaper, trade magazines, online, word-of-mouth?" My response is always, "Go where your customers are." In my last post, I talked about defining your customer - taking the time to specifically figure out who you want to reach with your organization.  A major aspect of knowing your customer is understanding how they get information about businesses like yours. The easiest way to find out is simply to ask them. No matter which...

"The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself."~Peter F. Drucker In my last post, I asked you to articulate your organization's "promise" - the main reason you're in business.  When doing this, you probably thought about your expertise, the products you offer or the specific type of service you provide.  While this is necessary, the second step to defining your promise is to fully understand who you're trying to reach with your business. In my consulting, I've heard companies say, "I'd like to reach everyone!"  Their...