Save the Date

Save the date. Thursday, October 25 is the Retail Design Challenge. Plans are underway for signature annual event to celebrate local design firms and showcase their creative talent.

Join member and friends of the Retail Design Institute by rolling up your sleeves for an evening of creative collaboration, education and networking!

There will be a tour of Quiksilver's 585 Boardriders' Store in Venice with store design insights provided by Paul McAdam (senior VP and GM, Retail, Quiksilver Inc.) store features in DDI Magazine's June Issue. The night's event will also include a showcase of Southern California's submissions to the 2011 International Retail Store Design Awards Competition. Also a show reel of the 2011 International Store Design Winning Entries.

Tickets can be purchased in advance through Eventbrite closer to the date. Check our website for details.

Please send us an email if you're interested in participating as an individual, a group entrant, or to become a Sponsor!

There will be food, drinks, and DJ. Come and join us for a creative night of design.  

Retail Design Institute Event

Tickets Going Fast!

We hope to see you in 2 weeks. A link to the self-guided tour locations will be sent out via email 1 week before the event, only those who pre-register below.

Register Here

for the

Retail Tour & Social Mixer

in West Hollywood, August 22

Afternoon Tour (Optional) & Evening Mixer from 6:30pm -9:30pm

Take a self-guided afternoon tour of the latest retail spaces in West Hollywood curated by  Trend Habitat, followed by drinks overlooking the Hollywood Hills from the deck of the Essensuals London Salon - a signature brand of the Toni & Guy portfolio.

The evening promises to be a "highlight" networking event with key insights by owner  Kiera Smith & designer James Schnauer of Glow Studio into the design of a new WeHo salon experience. Meet new members and some of the new faces on our local Chapter board.

Enjoy a well deserved drink on the deck of Essentuals' Salon to network with fellow members and guests of the  Retail Design Institute.

Details of the tour will be provided to those who register. Please RSVP with Eventbrite to help us cater to numbers and use social media to coordinate tours with one another.

Free to all Members & Members Guests

Non-members $10

Numbers are limited.

RSVP on Eventbrite only.

Please click here now to register and receive tour details.

The Southern California Chapter would like to thank our host and sponsors for their generous support of the Institute: Trend Habitat and Essenuals London.

Happy Fourth of July

Happy Fourth from all of us at nextGEN! We hope that you have a wonderful and safe holiday! Enjoy the sunshine,  food, family and friends!

Source Don't Stop This Train

Source LF Stores

Keep Up Your Skills

Our goal at nextGEN to expose you as students to the realities of the interior design industry. We wanted to take the time to stress the fact that you should keep up your computer skills and any other design related skills. There is no denying it, technology and social media are taking over the world! Not really, but in reality technology is become more and more advanced. Which brings us to the first point we made, "keep your computer skills up!" Many design firms are using programs such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign; just to name a few. Some firms are also making the transition from AutoCAD to Revit. What does that mean for you? Our answer, if you don't know it learn it!! In the land of the worldwide web, there are unlimited resources to help yourself strengthen your computer skills. We have previously posted about a valuable resource here. Maybe leaning online isn't your thing. Local community colleges offer classes for the various programs you are interested in learning.

However, even though technology is upping the ante you still need to keep up your sketching skills. In a world of smartphones, tablets, and computers, industry professionals still use hand sketching as a tool to convey their thoughts and ideas. Get yourself a sketchbook. Sketch the various thoughts that come across your mind. There is nothing more impressive that stacks of filled sketchbooks with your thoughts in them. Sketching is not only a creative outlet, you are able to strengthen your skills the more you do it. Sketch something today! One of the most common block for people when it comes to sketching is that is doesn't look right. Most people over think the idea of sketching. The goal is not to get a perfect piece of artwork. Sketching is a form of art, there are no mistakes in art!

Bottom line, keep your skills up. If you want to be competitive in today's job market you have to be the best of the best. Happy learning!

Go For the Gold: Having a Successful Internship

After hours and hours of research you landed an internship in the interior design industry! Congrats! Now it is time for a reality check. You need to make the most out of your internship. In a way, an internship could be somewhat like "test driving" your future career. Many individuals go into an internship with the hopes it will turn into a full time position. Now that you have your internship, what do you do next?

First things first be professional! You are entering into the real world of the interior design industry, so it is important you act the part. This begins with your attire. You can take a few tips on what to wear from a previous post. Make sure you find out what the companies dress policy is because that will also help you when it comes to attire. You only have one chance to make a first impression, make it a good one!

Decide what you want to get out of your internship. It is helpful to make a list of the goals you have. Ask you supervisor to sit down to discuss your objectives. Let them know what you would like to get out of your internship. Do not be afraid to ask questions either. No one learned anything by passively siting down. Ask questions about the company's design philosophy or their design development process. Dive in to the company culture head first! Find out everything you possibly can. The last thing you would want to do is waste their time and yours.


At the end of your internship if you are not offered a position, that's okay. You can always ask for a letter of recommendation or ask if they know anyone who is hiring. If you have a portfolio or resume, ask your supervisor if they could critic it for you. It doesn't hurt to get a second set of eyes to look at your work. Who knows, you could get some fresh ideas to revamp the layout of your work.

Why Should I Compete?

A design competition can seem a little intimidating to a student. You have homework, models to build, presentations to prep for, and may even be working. Many students ask the question "why should I compete?" Students want to know if competing in a competition will benefit them. Here are some benefits in competing.

You are able to get practice. In the classroom, students may be given a set program they need to follow when designing. However, when you compete you are able to step outside of the classroom and implement design in the real world. You are also able to test your skills under pressure.


You allow yourself to be exposed to the design industry. These competitions are not solely attended by students, professionals in the industry attend as well. Let's be honest, it is intimating for a student to approach a professional. However, during competitions the atmosphere is pleasant and easier for students to mingle with professionals.  Competitions provide opportunities for emerging professionals to be recognized for their fresh ideas and a platform to showcase their work. If you do win you can create a social media strategy that will draw attention to the story by sending and cross-referencing the news via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, your blog and/or website, as well through the competition sponsors and by the press. Besides all the other pros, competing in competitions is fun!


We hope the next student competition that comes along, you decide to compete!

Competition Winner Spotlight: Rocio Vasquez

Rocio Vasquez was this year's student competition winner. We wanted to find out what Rocio is most passionate about the interior design industry.

What first inspired you about interior design? I grew up around "design" my whole life. My father is an automobile designer, so I loved learning about it. As I got older, I started understanding more about the field and the conceptual side of things and realized that buildings go through the same development process. That is where I developed my interest in architecture and interior design.

What area of the interior design industry are you most passionate about? I absolutely love hospitality and recreation design. There are endless possibilities in those areas. However, I am most passionate about institutional design. I feel most passionate when it comes to designing a place in which a person  is not only going to benefit from but also grow as an individual; whether it be anything from schools to religious facilities.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? In the next 5 years I see myself working in a firm here in Southern California and hopefully traveling at least once a year with non-profit organizations all around the world.

What would be your dream design job? Religion is a huge part of my life and defines me as an individual. My dream job would be to take part in the creation of a new cathedral. To me nothing would be more satisfying than to be able to partake in creating God's home.

Do you think competing in design competitions help benefit your career as a student?  I definitely believe that having taken part in the competition was a huge benefit for me as a student. Not only did it allow me to step out of my comfort zone when it came to presenting in front all the professionals, but it also tested my ability to work under pressure.

Would you recommend other students to compete in design competitions? Why? I would encourage other students to participate in design completions because it truly is a learning experience. It's also great and fun opportunity to network and meet professionals in the field.

For all of us at nextGEN, we wish you the best in your future endeavors!

Happy, Happy Birthday to nextGEN

Source Brown Eyed Belle

Today is our blog's birthday! It has been a year since our first post. We can't thank you you enough for all your support. We hope that you have enjoyed the posts we've made and the posts to come! Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on our various posts. 

Many thanks to all of YOU our amazing, encouraging, outgoing readers! We've not only made it through our first year, but we’ve also realized that this blogging lifestyle is something we love.  The past year has been more rewarding than we ever thought it could be and it’s due to the connections we have made through past events.

Recap of the Student Competition

The Southern California Chapter of the Retail Design Institute held it’s signature Student Challenge Event on May 31st in the heart of NicoNat Manufacturing’s facility in Commerce, CA.

In recognition of the Institute’s recently judged International Student Store Design Competition, the brief was centered on the creation of High End Accessory Store Designs, featuring students from California State Long Beach & the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.

The event provided local students the opportunity to demonstrate their creative talent and showcase their innovative competition entries to local retail design firms. Each student was partnered with a mentor from the Industry and given one of five brands to work with: Oliver Peoples, Tiffany & Co, Cartier, Christian Louboutin and Tous.

“What I love about this event most, is how energized everyone is!” commented James Farnell, President of the Institute’s Southern California Chapter. “Through this event, the students are given an amazing stage on which to perform, with an audience of leading industry experts and exposure to many other members of the local retail design community. Our professional members equally enjoy the opportunity - to get out of their studios and work alongside emerging Southern Californian design talent in a competitive, raw environment. It’s a win-win formula!”

During the course of the afternoon each team created store concepts and a presentation board against the backdrop of the raw manufacturing facility that hosted the event. As guests arrived for the evening event and took the opportunity to network on the red carpet, each student presented their work to a panel of industry experts.

Guests included professionals and faculty from H&M, Westfield, Disney, Forever 21, Little, Quicksilver, Callison, Pacific Fixture Co, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, California State University Long Beach, Hekman Company and several others.

The successful finalists were then asked to develop their designs into models for a final presentation as members and friends of the Institute were invited to join an educational tour of the facilities’ new technologies and energy efficient systems.

Congratulations to winning team Rocio Vasquez (CSULB) and Philip Otto (Callison) whose award was designed, fabricated and later fabricated during the course of the very same evening!

Check out the event photos here.

Students

Rocio Vasquez – CSULB

Nicole Robinson – CSULB

Deanna Pech – CSULB

Britt Lang – FIDM

Megan Moussamih – FIDM

Mentors

Josh Breeden, Designers/Project Architect, Gensler

Philip Otto, Director, Callison

Amanda Thevenot, Sr. Designer Store Concepts, BCBG

Hethe Breuer, Design Director, Kellwood

Michelle Tomlinson, Tomlinson Consulting

Judges

Jude Elledge, Creative Director, Trend Habitat

Christine Nakaoka, Director of Creative Services, Forever 21

Susanne Andrey, Owner- Founder, Infuse Ideas

Sponsors

NicoNat Manufacturing

Infuse Ideas

Signage by Victory Display

Credits

Photography - Kelly Nguyen

Special thanks also to board members Susanne Andrey, Mimi Yacobucci and Jenny Diaz for co-ordinating the event with Kelly Nguyen, Michelle Curry and Hedi Carrigan of the RDI nextGEN Team; and for the additional support from the staff at NicoNat Manufacturing. You made the evening a huge success!

Students who wish to join the institute or enter next year should register their interest with Jenny Diaz

For more details on our previous events visit us here or for general inquiries please contact caswpres@retaildesigninstitute.org

Let's Talk Discussion Group Etiquette for LinkedIn

We hope that after all the posts made about LinkedIn, you have made the decision to join the world of professional networking. If you are already a member you may have joined a few groups and may even received a few emails notifying you that there a new discussions in the group. Besides getting industry relevant information, it is also a great opportunity for you the take part in the discussion! Participating in group discussions are a great way to share your expertise, learn from your peers, and grow your network.

With LinkedIn discussions, you are able to view discussion threads, add a comment, start your own discussion,  or share links with other group members. Before joining the conversation it's important to understand the etiquette in participating in LinkedIn discussions.

First, understand what is acceptable for each group. Each group has its own tolerance for promotional content in group discussions. Some groups encourage its members to share links to their own websites, blog posts, or any other group relevant material. However, other groups all that type of posting in moderation. In other words you should use discretion when make a post. The point of the group is not about self-promotion. Before adding your own commentary, review the group's profile for posting guidelines. You can also read existing posts to assess what is acceptable to the group.

Focus on demonstrating your expertise and knowledge about industry relevant topics. The best way to participate in LinkedIn groups is to focus on intelligent, meaningful posts that add value to a discussion. Share relevant information that will benefit other members. Demonstrate your expertise in the industry by answering questions from other members. Whether you are looking for a job or potential clients, sell yourself by showing you expertise rather than posting overt sales pitches or pleas for employment.

Use the promotions tabs for sales pitches. LinkedIn groups offer a "Promotions tab where members can post announcements related to products, services, and events. If you have something to sell, it is preferable to post it on the "Promotions" tab.

There is also a "Jobs" tab. If you want to announce a job opening, talk about the current job market, ask a job related question, or  post a career discussion do it under the "Jobs" tab.

Bottom line, you should be an active LinkedIn user. Make the most of your time on LinkedIn!

Color Forecasting in Real Time

Is it possible to forecast color trends in real time around the world? Pimkie Color Forecast thinks it is. They show you in real time what people are wearing in Europe's fashion capitals.

 High definition cameras were installed in Milan, Paris, and Antwerp (Europe's fashion capitals). The cameras are connected to Mac Mini's with color tracking software developed by Pedro Cruz. 

The software analyzes the passing colors and shows in real time which colors are worn most. A ll colors are then complied in nice infographics, so you can follow how the cities evolve and how trends change.

 What is even more fascinating Pimkie even suggests clothes to purchase based on the current color trends. You are just one click away from being  on trend when it comes to color.

There is even an archive of the past color trends that where seen from the previous day or month. This is a unique concept for retailers and color forecasting. 

You can even take your color forecasting on the go. Download the app on iTunes here.

Check out how it works...

Source Vimeo

Design Milk on Parsons

Design Milk is a modern design blog and magazine sharing contemporary art, furniture, architecture, interior design, style, technology, and home accessories. Recently Design Milk has made a post about Parsons The New School of Design. Parsons is located in New York City and is made up of five schools that bring together undergraduate and graduate programs including art, media and technology, art and design/history and theory, design strategies, fashion, and constructed environments.

Parsons has been considered a pioneer in art and design education since 1896. They have cultivated their students into becoming outstanding artists, designers, scholars, business people, and community leaders. Parsons is the only integrated school of architecture, interior design, product design, and lighting design in the United States.

To a student tools make all the difference in the world. Parsons has its own signature Design Workshop. The students are able to come into the workshop to design and construct projects for non-profit clientele. The goal of the school is equip students to use the keytools to solve problems with design everyday.

Photo by Bill Handelman

To read more about Parsons click here. If you are a student interested starting your journey in the design industry, Parsons is a great school to consider to get your education.

Pantone + Gap

Pop up stores have become a popular trend in the retail industry. Last year, Gap and Pantone partnered together opening a pop up store on 5th Ave. Combining the iconic and popular Gap t-shirts with the vibrant hues, created a energetic color filled t-shirt shop. Who doesn't love color? The store featured Gap's upcoming spring collection in the true Pantone Colors, including a limited-edition tee in Mimosa (Pantone's color of the year 2009). 

“We wanted to create an explosion of color and bring some warmth and optimism to our customers,” said Patrick Robinson, executive vice president of design for Gap Adult and gapbody. “Mixing Pantone’s vibrant colors with Gap’s signature t-shirts gives everyone an opportunity to find the perfect tee they can mix and match for their own personal style.”

“We are thrilled to be working with Gap to bring PANTONE Colors to life in such an accessible way,” said Lisa Herbert, executive vice president of Pantone’s fashion, home and consumer division. “We recently selected Mimosa as the 2009 color of the year because yellow, more than any other color, best expresses hope and reassurance. During this time of economic uncertainty and change, we are excited to bring optimism and joy to consumers by offering products in this imaginative color at the Gap & Pantone T-Shop.”

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A New Form of Job Hunting

With the ever changing job market the way you search for a job will change. Path.To has a new outlook on searching for a job. They mission is to connect the right people to the right job opportunity. Path.To sets out to accomplish this by creating personalized recommendations that deliver the best compatible matches for talent. Path.To calls themselves the "e-harmony for jobs." Path.To features the "Path.To Source." This is a personalized system that analyzes to unique characteristics of each job seeker. This is used to develop a sense of compatibility between job seeker and business. Path.To even asks questions like your preference of dress code, benefits, and company size. To further the personalization of your job search you are able to "like" or "dislike" the job openings that have been found for you. 

Check out Path.To's blog or follow them on Twitter. 

Source Path.To

Tires Made High-End

When you think of luxury high-end jewellry, do tires come to mind? Tires a commonly associated with cars, trucks, bikes, and all other things using wheels. It may boggle the mind that tires could be considered luxurious and glamorous, however, not to Studio Kattentidt. Studio Kattentidt was given the ultimate challenge of converting an old shop beneath the S-Bahn rail line that connects East Berlin to West Berlin into an innovative store concept. The goal was to create an interesting, entertaining and inspiring environment that is appealing to both customers and professional buyers.

Keeping the character of the rough brick and arches of the existing structure, Studio Kattendit created a pared-down gallery atmosphere. The studio avoided the typical sleek and glossy imagery of high-end designer boutiques by turning to using recycled tires.

Three impressive chandeliers are made from large lorry tires, construction lamps and oversized crystal are suspended from the ceiling. Tires are stacked and groups throughout the showroom. The fixtures a lit with LED lamps to illuminate the jewelry.

The accessories and leather products are placed on platforms and are lit by the frosted glass surface. Clothes rails and reconverted bike stands are suspended from the walls, along with cabinets made from tyres 

that have been cut in half and topped with glass.

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To check out more photos of bow.berlin click here.

Second Annual Student Competition is Coming Up

Should You Apply?

When looking for a new job, there can be a sea of possible job opportunities. What happens if you stumble upon a position that you may meet all the stated requirements? You may ask yourself, "should I apply?" The answer is, YES! Here's why. Most people conducting an interview don't know exactly what they are looking for. 

After reviewing the overall job description, stating the amount of years of experience required, and the tools and skills needed to perform the job; you would think that the employer knows who they want to hire. After all they were the one who created the outline for the position in great detail.

The job description may have been written by someone by someone in human resources, not the person who is interviewing you. Even if it was written by you potential boss, what is stopping you from applying? Interviewers have a broad sense of what they are looking for in a potential employee.

Don't limit yourself, apply for that job!

3D In Living Color

"From catwalk to the crayon box, the lure of the 3D image has capture designer's imaginations. But rather than an influx of expensive production techniques an hi-tech, time consuming processes, the creative world has returned to the art of the red-green 3D image." Source Stylus

What is a anaglyph, you ask. An anaglyph is a red-green or red-cyan 3D image that has the ability of the human brain to create a sense of depth within a 2D image. It forces each eye to simultaneously look at a slightly different version of the same object. It's all about tricking the mind into precieveing depth. Here how the process works:

Using anaglyphs is nothing new. The process of creating depth with color was first demonstrated in the mid 19th century by Wilhelm Rollmann. Rollmann exploed the effect of a red-blue anaglyph line drawing viewed through red and blue lined glasses. A few years later Joseph D'Almeida began showing red-green magic lantern slideshows to audiences with red-green glasses.

The process boomed in the 1920s, however the term 3D was not coined until the 1950s. Anaglyph imagery began appearing in popular publications and movies such as The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Dispoable 3D glasses with the colored acetate became a popular giveaway with comics.

Now let's fast forward to present day. Anaglyph images have recently began to resurface in today's society. History always seemes to repeat itself. These images have been have been seen in fashion and publishing, packaging, technology, and even children's toys. The technique gives a retro 3D effect and feel without the high budget and lengthy post-production treatments used in films such as Avatar.

Anaglyphs were first seen in Alexander McQueen's Autumn/Winter 2006-2007 show, Baillie Walsh's 3D approach to fashion in motion was revisited in September 2010 in KM3D-1, an anaglyphic film starring Kate Moss.

Sephora Goes Mobile

New York is known for being the city that never sleeps. So there is no doubt that it's a busy city. There are always meetings to go to, people to see and places to go in Manhattan. Now you can have your must have mascara, skincare product or favorite lip gloss in a New York minute. Sephora wanted to launch a same-day delivery service for online cosmetics sales in New York. 


ACCESS agency designed a series of six different head-turning MINI Cooper wraps for their fleet of six vehicles. Bold was the name of the game. These designs will stand out in the busy New York street scene, among the taxis and delivery vehicles. They were gunning for big impact and quick recognition, immediate attention, a bold and cool vibe, something that would generate on-street buzz, even with only six vehicles.

Re-Thinking Retail: Anti-Malls

"People today want to have more of a relationship with their purchase. Creating an environment for communication and interaction will allow retail to act as an agent for social change with the SoCal community, beyond weekend farmer's markets and evenings out in the surrounding affluent neighborhoods," says Shaheen Sadeghi. Sadeghi spent almost 20 years building a successful career in the sportswear retail industry. He was the president of the world renowned  brand Quicksilver, executive LABve vice president at Gotcha Sportswear, and merchandise manage at Jantzen/VF Corporation. Sadeghi successfully created "community-oriented" retail shopping centers in Southern California; the LAB and the CAMP.

"When I started my career in retail, I saw a lack of community. There were only large air-conditioned boxes sprawling around Orange County," says Sadeghi. "I was 20 years old with a surfing industry background, frustrated with the limited retail spaces I had available." The traditional mall has become of a large box with many stores inside. In today's society, people are interested in having an unique shopping experience. This need for and unique and individual experience has people flocking to anti-malls.

The LAB Anti-Mall

It all began in 1992 when Sadeghi built the LAB (Little American Businesses) Anti-Mall. The LAB is an Orange County, California retail destination with the urban youth in mind. Orange County was on the brink of bankruptcy, Shadeghi transformed his first Bristol Street venue into a lively, arts-focused indoor-outdoor retail and restaurant mecca. "I'm selling culture, not fashion. We're moving away from being a 'mass nation' to a 'niche nation,' declares Shadeghi--who believes we're currently experiencing a paradigm shift where consumerism is based on smaller, niche interest groups rather than everyone chasing the same ideal.

The CAMP

In 2002, Lab Holding opened the CAMP retail complex. The CAMP caters to eco-conscious Orange County families, environmentalists and outdoor-sports enthusiasts. There a great environmental conscious features like a grass roof, on site watering system of the grounds, use of California redwood trees and indigenous landscaping. The award winning venue showcases like-minded, one-store retailers and restaurants, which target healthy living in an unique, green-oriented environment. "Sadeghi labels his ventures as “retail activism” but is keen to emphasis the link to “real things beyond just a philosophy” as part of his long­term vision. He reiterates his belief in the capacity of innovative retail areas to affect both social change and provide positive business results for retailers such as The SEED People’s Market – a shop dedicated to handmade, sustainable and local products plus a full­stock of leading brand Patagonia (of which it is consistently the largest seller of the major brand’s products outside of the Patagonia home stores). It also hosts classes, such as jewellery making in an upstairs workshop setting, and a monthly Handmade Fair. Since initiating these kinds of activities, the store has also seen an overall 45% increase in sales."