VMSD - December 2012 - (Page 56)

CO CHECKING OUT Interview by Steve Kaufman Bill Hartman Gensler’s design principal talks about transportation. And why not? He’s a Detroit guy, after all. Is everyone from Detroit automatically a car guy? Perhaps. I’m the son of a retired auto executive, so it’s in my DNA. Car showrooms used to be the epicenter of culture, but that’s changing, isn’t it? Yes, cars are less connected to today’s youth culture. Now, a kid’s coming of age is a first cell phone, rather than a first car. Kids don’t tinker with their jalopies anymore; they’re uploading videos to YouTube. So car showrooms have had to change. Today, people know the brand and the product long before they walk into the showroom. They’re often just going in to order the car. But if the dealership experience does not meet their expectations, it can sour the deal. And that means… It means removing clutter and visual chaos and tying design to the brand image. For Cadillac, dark wood and stone; for Chevrolet, colorful paint and lighter-colored floors. Do you see more customer traffic in the showrooms? Yes, and I also see it in the parking lots. Look at any stadium parking lot on Saturday or Sunday and you’ll see all the tents and stands – GMC, AT&T, Budweiser. You can’t find a tailgate area in America that doesn’t have pop-ups. Is retailing on an upswing generally? Maybe. I had a railroad client tell me you can tell how Christmas will be by how much the trains ship in July. And they shipped less this summer. Then you’ve designed for railroads, too? One of my favorite Gensler projects was the corporate headquarters for Union Pacific Railroad, including a company store that sold heritage items. That became all about the romance of the brand – the robust, muscular, colorful nature of the railroad’s can-do spirit. Railroad culture, too, has evolved away from its romantic past. Yes, and air travel took its place, but who thinks of air travel as exciting anymore? Many airports have become places to struggle through, not luxuriate in. How can airport design improve that experience? It’s critical to reduce passenger anxiety. We renovated terminals in San Francisco and Detroit recently, using the design to give people back their dignity. After they go through security, there’s comfortable furniture and lots of light to help them as they get their shoes and belts back on. In Detroit, we positioned security checkpoints so people could see the airfields. Now they know they’re near a gate, not in a catacomb of concourses. That makes them happier travelers. Yes. And better, more relaxed consumers. x 56 DECEMBER 2012 | vmsd.com Always a designer We can’t mention Detroit without discussing the World Series. Swept by the Giants in four innings. Tough loss. But boy, didn’t the Tigers’ home uniforms look sharp, simple and bright? Best in the league! ROBERT BRUCE, ROYAL OAK, MICH. http://www.vmsd.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of VMSD - December 2012

VMSD - December 2012
Contents
From the Editor
VMSD Editorial Advisory Board
The Goods
Design Detail
Gemstones and Cobblestones
Out of the Case
On the Big Screen
Showroom
Ad Index
Checking Out

VMSD - December 2012