News.

I had the opportunity to present a Pecha Kucha on the topic of being a designer in Los Angeles for the Society of Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD) LA Conference on July 20, 2018. I began by thinking about what makes my journey unique or meaningful. I soon realized that as Angelenos, our day is made up of mini-journeys; a series of trips as we navigate the city on our daily, sometimes arduous commutes. We are part of a county of 10 million people and we find ourselves sitting in our cars or the Metro, biking or walking the city streets from home to work each day. Our relationship with the environment influences the way we attribute meaning and understanding with our city.

In the seminal book, The Image of the City, Kevin Lynch explores the urban notion that “nothing is experienced by itself, but always in relation to its surroundings, the sequences of events leading up to it, the memory of past experiences”. The context simultaneously reflects and creates meaning and memories. In essence, the city shapes our point of view, bringing us into a particular relationship with other people and activities.

When I moved from Texas to Los Angeles in 1996, I quickly realized that Los Angeles was huge; a series of mini-cities that covered almost 5,000 square miles. I knew I needed a way to decipher this new city and I needed a tool that would help me navigate this massive connection of highways, roads and neighborhoods. Along with fellow pre-GPS Angelinos, I bought my first Thomas guide. I quickly highlighted, Post-it noted and dog-eared my relevant maps to make that driving down the 405 and simultaneously flipping spiraled pages effortless. In reflecting back on those days of driving while balancing the Thomas Guide on my lap, I realized that our journeys were deliberate, self-created, and relatively predictable. As a result, our daily experiences were finite and the mental image of the landscape was fairly constant.

Flash forward to 2018 and the tools have changed that paradigm. Angelinos are obsessed with checking traffic reports to fervently assess the road conditions, as much as having a morning latte. Waze has become our standard, crowd-sourced navigation tool to help us shave a few minutes off the morning and evening commutes. This tool has each of us bisecting, short-cutting and alley-hopping our way through the streets of LA. Waze (and other navigational map apps) save us precious time, seducing us to follow the line into off-the-beaten path into unchartered streets, alleys and neighborhoods, just to save a few minutes. We face a road network that is often disconnected, under construction, or unsafe, all of which digital traffic apps cannot prepare us for.

This city is an urban grid, but Los Angeles has four basic ecologies that form our network of roads and highways. Reyner Banham, architectural writer of Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies, wrote in the 1960’s, “The distances and the reliance on mechanical transportation leave no room for accident – even for happy accidents. You plan the day in advance, program your activities, and forgo those random encounters with friends and strangers that are traditionally one of the rewards of city life.” As we consider the current state of Los Angeles, we see that this observation by Banham is a valuable insight.

Navigational tools have changed as the city has evolved, and as our jobs and relationships have been altered, we see ourselves using streets differently. Our experience has become a series of unpredictable journeys, moments and experiences that are shaped by waypoints, mile by mile. The urban fabric of Los Angeles continues to be shaped by development. We see evidence of this through examples of “Ghost Streets” (Geoff Manaugh, 2015) that document the lost streets and spaces of the city’s past. These streets and places were once vibrant roadways that connected viable residential and commercial destinations. As development areas took shape and commercial priorities evolved, road networks were altered for traffic efficiency or political/economic boundary shifts. The effect of these manipulations in the fabric of the city include unique architectural or public spaces that become deviations from the rhythm of networks. As we layer the unpredictability of our daily journeys due to the unpredictability of road improvements, congestion or accidents we see a change in how we each experience the city. We begin to see connections, meaning and influences in places we had not known before.

At RSM Design, a “Principle-Centered Approach” allows the designers to stand on four fundamental pillars: Connect, Inspire, Think, and Activate. We build our creative culture around the ideal that people are at the core of everything we do. We believe that the work has to engage people at every human level – the body, the mind, the heart, and the spirit. The pillar of CONNECT is intrinsic to our business practice, allowing us to purposefully set out to shape and curate moments within the spaces we design. As designers that live and work in Los Angeles and Southern California, we believe that we must build on the past, examining the roots of a community or a culture to find deeper relevance. Hyper-localism is an important research tool that builds a strong storytelling layer and helps us create a unique sense of place.

INSPIRATION comes in many forms within the RSM Design culture. We are constantly reflecting the cultures and communities in which we design. We use the stories, legacies and insights about a place to frame design cues. We do not believe in mimicry, but in creating and translating the familiar. These translations leave authentic touch points, moments of integrity and richness for the people who use them. We believe in the moments that are unused, unnoticed or left-over. We find beauty in utilizing surfaces and spaces left untouched that can serve as a catalyst for WOW.

We have found that moments which are designed with meaning in mind become landmarks over time. The work begins to have a life of its own, finding its way into the hearts and minds of its users. The way we THINK about the work we create starts by merging our understanding of place, story, and people. We have observed designed elements gaining symbolic importance for people and communities as a “symbology of place,” where meeting places become points of celebration or contemplation.

One of our core principals is to ACTIVATE our projects by connecting people to place. Whether you’re a LA local or an international visitor, the goal remains the same: we want guests to explore, be delighted and experience memorable moments. These impressions, especially in the context of a notoriously car-centric city like Los Angeles, build long-term connections with places that people identify with and crave to return again and again.

As I reflect on the city in which we design, I am reminded that we are building on a legacy, an evolution of place and culture. We are constantly evaluating and learning from our surroundings, finding inspiration from unlikely sources, and helping to tell untold stories in new ways.

Earlier this year, RSM Design attended the 2018 Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas, which partnered with the Society of Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD), to take an in-depth look at branded environments and the new technologies that are evolving how we use signage. The conference was balanced between a day of inspiring workshops and lectures, and a day of exploring the trade show floor, which radiated light from flashing LED’s, touchscreens and thinner than ever video displays. Below are five observations on new trends and exciting technologies that have held up the past few months, and are only beginning to be fully integrated into how we experience and navigate our environments.

1. WE ARE BEING WATCHED

Real-time data analytics were on display at the Quividi booth that are able to quickly identify viewer’s age, gender and even their mood. By combing that data with how long each person is viewing, where they are looking while they are viewing and a number of other qualities they are able to provide detailed information about the audience. Examples show digital advertising kiosks that instantly re-edit videos to respond to the age or mood of a viewer, creating a far more engaging and tailored experience.

2. DIGITAL PAPER PACKS A PUNCH

E-Ink has evolved form the low resolution and contrast of the initial Amazon Kindles and now is being used as highly dynamic and flexible signage. As a result of the technology’s minimal power requirements signs can operate wirelessly in atypical locations. Elegant and minimal examples were on display that functioned as dynamic door signs or menu boards. A wonderful use of the technology was implemented at the Estonia National Museum were sign messaging is able to quickly change languages to accommodate an international audience.

3. MAPPING FROM YOUR PHONE

Many software engineers are looking at ways to improve wayfinding by blending the use of typical directories with access to smart phones and opportunities in augmented reality. A major player in this arena is ride sharing heavyweight, Uber. In a session with SEGD, Uber Senior Designer Danielle Lindsay-Chung shared a variety of innovations they are developing to enhance the experience, improve safety and avoid miscommunication between riders and drivers. Other companies, like 22 Miles, were displaying wayfinding software applications that could automatically render pathways and preferred routes between multiple floors or buildings.

4. FLOATING HOLOGRAMS

One of this year’s notable attention grabbing displays was the Hypervsn module by Kino-mo. A spinning LED propeller that creates a floating holographic like image and can be tiled to create large and flexible wall applications. The video effect was surprisingly bright and sharp for a variety of highly rendered animations.

5. PROJECTING SCREENS ANYWHERE

Projection technology has increased considerably, creating brighter, sharper graphics at lower cost than ever. Companies like NEC were showcasing high power laser projection uses that can transform an entire space with motion and graphics that envelop the walls, ceiling and floor. Projection can turn otherwise static architectural elements into moments of surprise or an opportunity for signage without the need for mounting or fabricating a sign panel. With well concealed interior placement, video can be projected onto an exterior glass surface to create high impact visuals that are translucent and maintain visibility into a store or lobby.

The integration of these digital technologies will continue to revolutionize how we find our way, making it easier and more flexible. Navigation will continue to evolve based on the blurring of virtual and real world experiences and advertising will be more targeted than ever based on what information of ours is being constantly shared. As designers shaping how these opportunities will get realized, RSM believes it important to test and prototype often and through a variety of guest touch points. A multi-faceted approach that engages guests and enhances each visit will take careful consideration and curating. With the help of the right design team, a well-executed program will be seamlessly easy to use, creating a sense of wonder and delight as well as providing a truly responsive system that adjusts and adapts to every guest’s needs and desires.

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CORY CLINTON, SENIOR ASSOCIATE

Cory Clinton is a signage and wayfinding specialist looking to the future of the industry. His passion for groundbreaking design and intuitive navigation has inspired award-winning projects over his years of experience in branding and the built environment. Cory is actively helping to shape the implementation and innovation of digital signage and technology at RSM Design, and his contributions include:

– Developing an RSM Design digital signage task force
– Curating a weekly forum for RSM Design inspiration
– Actively participating in SEGD and other professional networks
– 15 years industry experience

Known as the “Gateway to L.A.,” Century Boulevard between the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the San Diego Freeway is the first impression of Southern California for millions of visitors a year. GatewayLA approached the Los Angeles Chapter of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to focus on potential development in this area and to complete a Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) Report for the arrival to and from what is the fifth busiest airport in the world. Harry Mark, FAIA of RSM Design was honored to be invited to participate in coming up with creative solutions for the study.

The study set out to address a number of key questions and concerns about the development of the district and how to realize the full place making and development potential of the site. Ideas surrounding development spanned hotels, creative office space, and retail opportunities, as well as an overall improvement of mobility for all modes of transportation.

RSM Design assisted in the analysis and enhancement of the environmental graphics and the way the guests move through the space, recommending a program that focuses on repetition, organization, and clarity in wayfinding, adding to and expanding the existing system. An emphasis was placed on integrating digital signage, which could play multiple roles including flexible and reactive wayfinding, an aesthetic cadence and order to the development area, and revenue generation. The implementation of a strong wayfinding program will ultimately add another layer to the guest experience and create a strong sense of arrival to LAX and Los Angeles.

Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team of creative consultants, RSM Design has crafted new public engagement experiences within the new home of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Dallas chapter.

Located in downtown Dallas, the newly named AdEx, The Architecture and Design Exchange, will be the home for the architecture community in the city. Anchoring an historic modernist iconic building, the brand engagement elements complement the building with bold dimensional and sculptural pieces.

The AdEx will be opening in October and will feature a number of RSM Designed identity, wayfinding, and brand touch points.

RSM Design is honored to be a part of the masterplan design team on the Missouri Riverfront Revitalization Project in Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa. The site spans over 200 acres, creating a network of park spaces, and linking Gene Leahy Mall, the Heartland of America Park, and the Lewis and Clark Landing, spanning both sides of the Missouri River. RSM Design is collaborating with OJB, Gensler, HDR, and a number of additional consultants working together with community leaders and stakeholders to define a long-term vision for a new world-class park space.

The project includes five distinct parks and amenities such as a dog park, a children’s play area, hiking and biking trails, cultural attractions, and an observation tower. RSM Design’s role has included:

• Project visioning, defining key characteristics of the community, and formalizing design goals
• Local pride, community connections, relaxation, and recreation
• Creating a narrative to unite the disciplines
• Diagramming the guest experience and user interface
• Master Plan Wayfinding Strategy
• Holistic wayfinding strategy
• Vehicular and pedestrian signage concepts
• Clarity brought to the diverse amenities and destinations

Stay tuned for additional updates on the RSM Design blog!