ABA Banking Journal - August 2008 - (Page 37) BRANCH DESIGN When translating brand into design, cling to the particular A ttending a meeting about branch refurbishment? If you as a branch manager, retail bank officer, or CEO find the design process somewhat mysterious, take comfort. Many of your colleagues would probably agree. In light of that, we talked to design pros about process and asked what inspires them as they translate a company’s notion of itself into the look of its branches. If you’ve ever wondered why designers ask the questions they do, understanding their mindset might make it easier to discuss your projects. When it comes to inspiration, if we expected poetic answers steeped in Majestic Nature, the Seven Wonders of the World, or deep theory about how interiors and structures affect human psychology, what we heard instead was the idea that inspiration comes from a love of the challenge (“I’m inspired to create something that exceeds the client’s expectations”) or answers that reflected the utility of the brand concept. Mind you, the theory is plentiful—many designers and architects draw on decades of research in areas like color, spatial navigation, and response to messaging in the development of their “design metaphors,” which can be thought of as the imagery coming from story lines about the company. It’s just that it tends to stay beneath the surface, where in the hands of talented denizens, it makes the difference between ordinary space and something that stops the eye. By Lauren Bielski, senior editor Understanding the new rules Design-speak may baffle many of us, but gradually, the banking industry has outfitted branches in more sophisticated ways. “We picked up banking clients about a decade ago,” says Chris Hamilton, principal at Seattle-based Callison Architecture, Inc. “In the conversations we were having at the time it was clear the [banking] vertical needed to understand the direction being taken in commercial design,” says Hamilton. By “direction,” the principal at Callison was referring to the then-emerging visual slickness of stores and merchandising of notable retailers including Starbucks (admittedly retrenching its retail delivery these days), Nordstrom, and T-Mobile USA, among others. In the period of trial, error, experimentation, and many individual successes in the years since, Hamilton has observed many banks picking up awareness of the relationship between design and brand—the latter defined as the promise you make to your customers about products and service. Wachovia, and its efforts around gaining LEED certification and engaging in green design, was cited by Hamilton as a bank that’s “got it.” He indicated that the bank made particularly sophisticated use of not only conveying brand (“We offer uncom- Subscribe at www.ababj.com ABA BANKING JOURNAL/AUGUST 2008 37 DEI CORP. What inspires most http://www.callison.com http://www.ababj.com
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