The
Solution
Knowing that the Design firm had
to deliver the right product on time meant that the correct approach
was key. Considering the scale of the the project and the tight
timeframe, I.D.milano realised that the best way to minimize risk
was to collaborate with external designers. Rather than outsourcing
part of the design activity, the company brought in 3 highly experienced
designers with whom they had worked previously. Talented individuals
from various backgrounds were brought in to work with the company's
Italian designers. The final mix was quite cosmopolitan. In addition
to the Italians, there was a Belgian, an American, and a Venezualan;
all from Milan. Essentially this approach was is what Americans
might call a "hail Mary pass". With no time left to work
the ball up the field, the quarterback lobs the ball into the endzone
where all the wide receivers are waiting. By doubling or tripling
the number of designers (or receivers), there is more chance of
achieving the most appropriate design.
This
strategy worked really well. As I.D.milano partner Fabio
Moneta explained, "because of our network of local designers
we were able to create some really exciting brainstorming activity.
In a sense the designers were competing against each other and there
was a lot of energy that came out of those meetings."
Because
of the associated lead time, the design of the booth was tackled
first. At a tradefair, this becomes the face of the company. The
booth had to reflect the values and the high standards of Telsey.
If it doesn't look appealing or professional enough, visitors simply
won't enter it.
For
the new gateways and the advanced concepts the designers created
hundreds of sketches which were either refined or rejected depending
on the result of a number of gating meetings. Eventually, over 20
designs were presented to the customer for final concept selection.
Only at that point were the designs taken into 3D for modeling and
presentation renderings.
Two
prototype shops were chosen in order to minimize risk and accelerate
the development. The advanced prototypes, some of which had fabric
elements, were crafted by hand. The gateways, shown on this page,
were created by stereolithography and then finished and painted. |