Topic Five: RIGHT NOW
Everyone wants information immediately. In a service business, you need to master both the message and the technology to reach your audiences clearly in an increasingly noisy world.

People create “false lives” around informational immediacy; thinking that they have to be plugged in at all times. We need to pull back and see the big picture without being distracted by information overload.

—Work is always due “now.” Step back and analyze. What’s necessary? Is the client asking for real results or do they just want information quickly?

—Framing the project: ask “why” before asking “how.”

—Maintaining quality in the “right now” is the most challenging part. Are we working so fast that we lose sight of project objectives?

—Know who you are, what you stand for, and why you’re relevant to clients so you can respond to the “right now” in appropriate ways.

—There will never be enough time. Carve time out of your life to build the firm you want to be in – know your brand and own it!

–Mark VanderKlipp, Corbin Design

Forever 21’s new interactive billboard on Times Square uses high-tech surveillance equipment and sophisticated computer vision software to wow the crowd outside the store. Like the most successful installations of its kind, it leverages the power of vanity and voyeurism: a virtual model takes Polaroid snapshots of the crowd, then shares them on the 61-ft. screen. She plucks bystanders from the crowd, kisses them, then turns them into frogs or drops them into her yellow Forever 21 shopping bag.

space150, creator of the billboard, says its software identifies and maps people on the street—especially those carrying the store’s shopping bags—then builds composites in near real-time, which it uses to build simulations for the display. It’s good clean fun and a crowdpleaser so far. — P.M.K.

Times Square Billboard by Space150 from Cliff Kuang on Vimeo.

But you had better get used to these strange blob-like creatures because Wenlock and Mandeville, as they are known, are the mascots for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics respectively, and will be all over Britain for the next two years.

Following the ridicule over the £400,000 Olympic logo, their creators will be hoping that Wenlock and Mandeville get a more favourable reception – even though they too carry the much-mocked 2012 image.” — A.M.

Billed as “an intense multi-sensory experience and a must-visit for enthusiasts, fans, and families,” the park consists of 18 buildings under an iconic sleek red roof inspired by the classic double-curve side profile of the Ferrari GT.

The roof area is 200,000 m2 and carries the largest version ever created of Ferrari’s storied prancing horse logo. Project architecture is by UK-based Benoy Architects, while Jack Rouse Associates (Cincinnati) is responsible for the conceptualization, planning, design, and implementation of all the rides, attractions, and media experiences under that huge roof.

Visitors will enjoy more than 20 attractions, including (of course) the world’s fastest roller coaster (see a preview at the Ferrari World website), a Grand Prix racetrack next door, a G-force experience, and a flume ride through the heart of a Ferrari 599 engine. What can you say, really, except, hold on and enjoy the ride? — PMK/LGD

Photos/drawings courtesy Jack Rouse Associates

Opened in 1914 as the only overseas branch of England’s famous Harrods department store, Harrods Argentina was an institution on Florida Street in Buenos Aires’ prime shopping area. It closed in 1998 as the result of debts and legal actions. But in March the company announced that it will reopen.

Thirty-five years ago, Diseño Shakespear (the Buenos Aires design firm founded by SEGD Fellow Ronald Shakespear) designed the color and logo for the store, and now, at the reopening, the same logo will be used. Now that’s timeless design. — P.M.K.

Now here’s an idea. Danish firm bayarch is proposing a 10-story, 308-room Hollywood Sign Hotel. They say it would preserve the landmark while making good use of its location. The hotel would be complete with an observation deck and amenities such as a cafe, movie theater, and conference faciliities. More photos on designboom. –L.G.D.

Former SEGD Board member JP Lacroix’s company, Shikatani Lacroix, has created DesignLounge, an expansive online educational program containing white papers and webinars on a number of business, brand, and identity topics. You can also sign up to receive updates on future courses. –C.B.