Changing luxury market

While doing some research for an informational meeting at Gensler tomorrow I came across several interesting articles. This one by John Parman gives insight into the way the economy is affecting the luxury market of hotels because of the changing mindset of travelers  into 'frugalists'. Suddenly people, even the incredibly wealthy, are turning away from high-end, luxury, exclusive hotels and opting for places that aren't as extravagant. People still want good quality, of course, but they are gravitating towards quality that is expressed in more subtle ways than glitzy, over-the-top glamour. 

Just as the SUV was traded in when gasoline prices went through the roof, leisure is (relatively speaking) getting back to basics. That doesn’t mean sophistication and service go out the window, but there’s a sense that less is more, the way flat screens have suddenly banished the two-ton armoire. 

Food packaging trends have also paralleled this idea in some ways. Many name brands have redesigned their packages to simplified versions, or even gone back a couple decades to a more retro design, giving the feeling of a better value. Some of these redesigns have been more successful than others.

Read the whole article from Gensler Dialogues here. It's a good one.

 

My library begins

Yesterday was my last official day of my internship and my two bosses, Sharon and Michelle, gave me a book as a parting gift. They said every designer should have a library, so thus my official library begins with Graphic Design: A New History by Stephen Eskilson. Sure, I've had graphic design books before, but this one is special to me. Now that my official library has started, I have an excuse to start buying some of the books on my list. (More to come on my internship experience as a whole.) 

Window shopping

Who doesn't love Anthropologie displays? Although stores are beginning to put out their fall collections, I was lucky enough to snag some photos of Anthropologie's summer displays before they come down.  Love the blue paint used as water.  

Ordinary

I made another color palette from one of my photos.  It's a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge at night from the South Street Seaport.  Instead of calling these "color 1, color 2, etc." I decided to name these color palettes based on songs that I think fit the mood of the colors. This one is called Ordinary... for now at least. 

Fun find

I just bought this book that I found at the gift shop of the Whitney Museum.  I really like the illustration style... fun and whimsical.