Finding Beauty in Imperfection APPLYING ‘WABI-SABI’ TO SPACE DESIGN

For anyone related to the field of design or any brand marketing agency, the subjectivity of the field is not a topic that is undiscussed. Although design has a strong base of strategy and logic, conversion of any strategy into aesthetics that suit an enterprise does involve contrasting opinions.

Space design, Space Branding are known to be fields that require a large team with distinct expertise. While working on such projects, difference in opinions is inevitable. Using the ancient Japanese concept of ‘Wabi-Sabi’ has proved effective for both management and aesthetics in such situations.

What is Wabi-Sabi?

Wabi-Sabi is an ancient Japanese concept that advices people to accept and appreciate the beauty in transience and imperfection. Wabi – Sabi is a composite of 2 terms Wabi and Sabi, Wabi means Austere, Subdued Beauty and Sabi means Rustic beauty.

It accepts the lack of knowledge and urges inquisitive thinking and curiosity. By disregarding the concept of ‘perfection’, Wabi-Sabi allows us go further and explore possibilities that might seem imperfect which helps foster creativity.

How is Wabi-Sabi relevant to Space Design?

We have seen and read about the use of Wabi-Sabi in Japanese literature, architecture, art and design. Many of the principles can also be used to create distinctive spatial designs for brands.

Methodology

Wabi-Sabi, by overlooking the concept of perfection allows the exploration and research in the areas that seem less than perfect in the early stages of any projects. The exploration and the gaining information or knowledge and translating that knowledge into aesthetic is what is recommended especially for creative design agencies.

Management

Much like Design, the concept of Wabi-Sabi is also known to be subjective. The teachings of wabi-sabi eliminate the concept of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ as the perfection that one expects doesn’t exist. This helps keep an open mind to ideas that seem unconventional or different in the start. Allowing exploration that seem a little offbeat may lead to an unexpected, innovative solution and reflect in the growth of individual employees as well as the brand design agency.

Aesthetics

Wabi-Sabi believes in designs inspired from Nature. Wabi-Sabi defies the modernity that forces us to create perfectly flat, symmetrical, edged designs that aid mass production. It encourages organic forms and shapes that allow craftsmanship to bloom. It also allows the design agency to use regional handicrafts and artifacts.

How Interics Designs follows Wabi Sabi?

Knowingly or unknowingly, Interics Designs has been following and promoting the use of Wabi-Sabi in many ways.

Through Methodology

Interics Designs has developed a unique methodology, fine-tuned over years of extensive experience in space design. The methodology suggests that any project that we take on, must start with thorough research and exploration. Any topic, any idea must be explored.

Each level of the methodology prompts us to explore various options in the theme, designs, layouts, stories, shapes, forms, languages, material.

Through Refurbishing

We urge our clients to allow us to accommodate the use of antiquities that we refurbish and install that create a unique value in the space. We also encourage them to reuse as many old products as the space and theme permits.

Wabi- Sabi celebrates the transience and imperfection, hence the use of these artifacts resonates with the principle.

Sustainability and Aesthetics

The use of natural and sustainable material is one of the most important features of the wabi-sabi design aesthetic. Also, the use of non-geometric organic forms in the aesthetic that is visually more natural is recommended.

We try our best to use sustainable and natural material for installations and combine it with supreme aesthetics. We use forms other than geometric shapes and create a language that is unique to each brand that we work for.

Conclusion

The use of antiquities, Sustainable Material; Creating a unique, previously unused language; following a research-oriented methodology allows Interics to create aesthetic and logical designs that are unique .

Connect with Interics INSpaces for all international exhibition stall design, spatial branding, experience center and corporate office branding needs. INSpaces is a specialized vertical of Interics Designs – a full-service creative design agency in India, Branding agency, digital branding agency and Brand design agency– with over 3 decades of rich experience in Brand Strategy, Brand Image Building, Graphic Design, and Environment Branding.

Pay a visit to INSpaces’ splendid portfolio at www.smartexhibitiondesign.com.

TIME EFFICIENT DELIVERIES THROUGH DESIGN PROCESS

 

At the beginning of any new design project, the excitement is contagious. Being in the creative field, each team and each team member has countless ideas and different visions for the project. For any creative branding agency to be able to come up with an accurate solution, Design Process is a must. 

Each project, especially large-scale projects with a bigger number of deliverables must have a pre-decided methodology which is to be followed. 

What is a Design Process? 

Space Design projects require separate teams with distinct qualifications and equally important roles to come up with a concept for the space. Each role requires a process to be followed. The processes followed by each team should be collaborated for an aesthetic and timely design delivery. 

The standardization and documentation of these processes at every level which is to be followed by each team is a Design Process.

 The importance of the Design Process

 An efficient design process is a methodology that helps simplify large complex processes into easy smaller stages for a time efficient delivery. Other than providing a structure, a design process also helps maintain and augment the quality of the work produced.

 A few other benefits of following a structured design process are: 

-Enhance collaborative working

Regular and to-the-point communication with the client ensures a brief with clarity and keeps the client in loop throughout the design process. 

-Ensure Good Quality Designs

A structured design process ensures apt research and a well-grounded brief which helps avoid confusion. This helps the creative team to give their best and achieve a new benchmark for quality.

 -Fool proof delivery

Following a design process results in 

-Time efficient delivery

Through efficient collaborative efforts and avoiding mistakes and rework, a design process ensures on-time, high-calibre deliveries.

 -Precise communication

Design Process helps the design team to come up with exact designs based on the expectations of the client. This avoids both underachieving and overachieving the expected standard. 

Our Methodology 

Interics designs being one of the topmost brand design agencies for almost 3 decades has articulated a fool-proof methodology fine tuned over the years of experience. 

We start with simultaneous procedures of a detailed space analysis along with an in-depth brand research and market research. 

The team then creates a spatial theme/ story to unite all zones of the space and promote brand enriched content. 

The next step is content mapping where the space is divided within zones and further divided into individual touch points. Brand related/ Theme related content is then assigned to each individual touch point. 

Then the touch points are designed with theme related graphics. Installations, signage’s and interiors. 

Interics then refers to the huge global and local network of production experts and vendors to find accurate and cost-effective execution partners for the project. 

Coordination with separate vendors for each type of touch point, planning a timeline for the execution and finally application of the prints and installations in the space is the final step. 

 Our Experience 

Interics recently worked on a large-scale space design project with an uncompromising timeline. The project included space design strategy, graphic design strategy, and signage strategy. Each of these deliverables required a separate expertise and had a team designated for these deliverables. 

The project was at a construction stage while team Interics was working on the designs. Interics created separate communication systems with the client as well as a timeline for internal communication among the teams. The timeline included weekly internal meetings as well as weekly progress reports with the client. This ruled out any scope for confusion and miscommunication. 

The first step of the design process which is the Space analysis happened simultaneously with the in-depth brand research. This was possible due to the correct division of teams according to the expertise of each member. 

The teams together then came up with a theme – Layered excellence which was then translated into a design language used across graphics, installations and signage’s in the interior, exterior and the factory premises. 

After developing brand enriched and aesthetic designs, the designs were explained and shared with our network of vendors and production sources which made the pre-production files working easy. 

The design process developed over years of experience helped Interics deliver yet another successful space design project. 

Conclusion 

Being an International design Consultancy, Interics Designs provides both time-efficient and cost-efficient solutions for all space design needs. 

Contact INSpaces for all international exhibition stall design, spatial branding and corporate office branding needs. INSpaces is a specialized division of Interics Designs - a renowned creative design agency in India, Branding agency and Brand design agency- with enormous experience in Brand Strategy, Brand Image Building, Graphic Design, and Environment Branding.

Pay a visit to INSpaces’ splendid portfolio at www.smartexhibitiondesign.com.