Everyday Materials in Unexpected Ways
Source: Unsplash
When you walk into a space, you expect to see certain things. In a kitchen you expect to see a sink. In a spa you expect neutral colors. In a restaurant you expect to eat what you perceive to be presented before you. But what happens when you don’t see those things? Or even more frightening, what happens when those items are replaced with everyday objects found elsewhere?
Grant Achatz made waves with his fine-dining restaurant, Alinea, not simply because the food was good, but also because it was elevated to art and a bit of sensory deception. Food was crafted to replicate elements such as wood and flowers. His “green apple balloon” looked and floated like a real balloon, but diners were delighted to realize they could not only bite into its edible covering, but it tasted great as well. Alinea has been awarded Three-Michelin stars. [1]
Changi Airport in Singapore has been consistently ranked as the best airport in the world. Yes, it gets planes out on time and offers a seamless travel experience, but its infusion of gardens, movie theaters, fine dining and play areas set it up to be a destination that was never before expected from the airport space. Changi has won 698 awards and has become the 4th busiest international airport. [2][3]
The Icehotel literally broke the mold when it carved a 55-room hotel in 1989 in jukkasjärvi, Sweden. From a place most people would shiver at visiting to a destination that lured people wishing to celebrate the most momentous of occasions such as honeymoons, retirement trips, and birthdays, the Icehotel flipped how most people defined a luxurious hotel experience. The Icehotel is able to charge over $3,000 usd per night for its premium rooms. [4][5]
And just like physical spaces, the best advertising in the world is often that which turns stereotypical ads for a specific category on its head. Tillamook cheese, with the help of 72andSunny, created its “Dairy Done Right” campaign in 2015 which highlighted the product ingredients through simple, dark backdrops which broke category norms. In 2017 the CEO was quoted as saying the campaign helped drive revenue 70% since launch. [6]
Are flowers, balloons, movie theaters, gardens, ice and dark, simple backdrops groundbreaking by themselves? No. But when put in context of what they are sitting alongside or grounding as a product, they showcase an innovation that surprises and delights audiences. All of these examples merely point to the idea that when you infuse spaces and experiences with elements that are unexpected, the results, if done right, can drive positive business results, word-of-mouth, strong branding and shift category norms. But one defining note, is the caveat of “done right.”
As Senaura Spaces approaches physical design, its important that in every output there is an element that gets people to stop and take notice. To smile with awe at how a space integrates something common, yet unique or take something familiar to then be loved in a new context.
So what does that mean? How do you ensure that you implement innovative design in the right way? Here are a few tips to help guide your design choices.
Tips to Guide Unexpected Design
1. Know Your Audience. Think about what they love, experience and dream about outside of your space.
Example: They love the outdoors? Cover your diner booths in Pendleton wool and use tin mugs to serve coffee.
Example: Audience has a nostalgia for candy and video games? Integrate cotton candy machines and pinball into your workplace
2. Tap Into Your Location. By tying into the community and landscape around your space you instantly build brand understanding through a known, appreciated entity.
Example: Located in vibrant Palm Springs? Tap into the energy and colors of the desert through majestic pinks and peaches for your storefront.
Example: Housed in a former warehouse? Leave exposed brick, vaults and railway tracks to pay homage to your spaces’ former life.
3. Study Your Competitors. Learn as much as you can about the brands around you so that you can learn from their strengths and break from unproductive norms.
Example: Everyone uses blue? Use green to break category norms in prescriptive, rationalized ways to cause a stir.
Example: Audience spending less? See where they are spending and take outside category norms to inspire your space.
Conclusion
What’s unique about interior design is that most often it starts from the same common elements: walls, floor and ceiling. But how you transform those elements, or even remove, is what will allow your space to transform. Innovation doesn’t always mean building from scratch. Sometimes it just means taking everyday materials and using them in unexpected ways. See how you can become positively unexpected by contacting Senaura Spaces.
Sources
[1]. https://www.alinearestaurant.com/
[2]. https://www.changiairport.com/en/corporate/about-us/accolades.html
[3]. https://www.oag.com/busiest-airports-world
[4]. https://www.icehotel.com/
[5]. https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/travel/at-this-hotel-guests-pay-3600-a-night-to-sleep-on-ice-at-5c-20230214-p5ckcj
[6]. https://thechallengerproject.com/blog/2017/patrick-criteser-tillamook-interview