DDi - August 2013 - (Page 8)

8 | From the Editor From the inside out Y ears ago, I wrote for a trade magazine that covered the convenience store industry. That’s right—for about a year and a half, I researched and wrote in-depth features about candy, beer, snacks and cigarettes. (And gained about 10 pounds per tradeshow, I might add.) While at said position, I continuously pitched a story idea to my editor that I wanted to spend a day working in a convenience store, documenting the little-known nuances that made the retail channel distinct and newsworthy. My editor always said: “If you can find a store to let you do it, I’m all for it.” Therein lay the problem. In 15 months, I never could find a retailer that wanted to open its doors behind the scenes, and let a young, eager reporter uncover something interesting or, daresay, journalistic. Perhaps too many c-store owners had too big a list of things they didn’t want me to see. Fast forward to today, and I still have a fascination with seeing how people do their jobs on a daily basis. I’ve read that the latest trend in reality television has begun to swing from the occupational competition show (read: “Project Runway,” “Top Chef,” “America’s Next Top Model,” etc.) to the “occu-drama.” Now, watching how someone literally does their job has become a fascinating 30-minute chunk out of my day. On my home DVR, you can regularly find episodes of “American Restoration,” “Bar Rescue,” “Deadliest Catch,” “Pawn Stars,” “American Pickers” and (this last one, courtesy of my husband) “Swamp People.” (Side note: a few months ago, I found myself sitting across from Troy from “Swamp People” at JFK airport in New York. A bird randomly landed on the floor in front us, and he pulled breadcrumbs out of his pocket and fed it. Right there in the Delta terminal. True story! But I digress…) Watching as much occu-drama TV as I do, I often wonder if mainstream America would be as fascinated with the visual merchandising industry as they are with the industries covered in some of these popular shows. Having recently witnessed the students frantically trying to complete their window designs for the second DDI Student Window Competition at Saks Fifth Avenue, I can honestly say it was absolutely captivating. (For more on that “day in the real life” drama, see page 44 of this issue or watch our video of the entire process unfold at www.ddionline.com/dditv.) Watching the students interact with each other and seeing the good ol’ fashioned, down and dirty design work that goes into each store window presentation you walk by is a sight to be seen. I’m here to tell you the final designs may look to be all pomp and circumstance, but anyone who has ever stepped foot inside a store window and created something for the outside world to see knows better. Visual merchandising is about hammers, nails, T-pins, drills, wires, paint, clippers, ladders, sore knees, blood, sweat and— oftentimes—tears. It’s about concepting creativity, adding a dash of spontaneous design ingenuity and efficiently executing a heroic ideal. All while on time and under budget, of course. I think, perhaps, that heroic ideal was what I was hoping to find while spending a day behind the cash register of a convenience store. But now, I’d rather spend my day inside of a store window, watching the magic happen. Alison Embrey Medina Executive Editor alison.medina@ddionline.com | August 2013 www.ddionline.com http://www.ddionline.com/dditv http://www.ddionline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - August 2013

DDi - August 2013