DDi - September 2009 - (Page 28)

28 | AWARDS 2009 Retail Design Influencers David Hoey Senior Director, Visual Presentation, Bergdorf Goodman Influential Work: Bergdorf Goodman’s exciting Fifth Avenue windows, including a major exhibit featuring selections from Baltimore’s American Visionary Art Museum. Q: What was your No. 1 “aha” moment related to retail this year? A: Hold on to your “haha” moments; a potent sense of design humor is more important than ever. Q: How has the economic environment changed your design thinking? A: Let’s take a hint from the late, great Tony Duquette, who said that he worked “equally well with real gold or gold paper.” Q: What will your design philosophy be for 2010 and beyond? A: Surprise everybody. Ken Nisch Chairman, JGA Influential Work: Designs for The North Face; Hershey’s Shanghai; Fantasy World Kuwait; The Store at the Museum of Arts & Design; Hot Topic; Timberland; and Hickey Freeman. Q: What was your No. 1 “aha!” moment related to retail this year? A: I have a cartoon behind my desk that shows two hamster wheels—one with a hamster running, and one with a hamster sitting, with the sitting hamster noting that he just had an “epiphany.” I think the “aha” moment is to take a little more time, think about it, dig a little deeper, be a little more self-critical—and get off “the wheel!” Q: What will your design philosophy be for 2010 and beyond? A: To be open, be curious, be willing to change and fight to resist the inclination to be less intuitive, less provocative, or to surrender to the machine of cookie-cutter options. Innovative, game-changing actions can’t be made in a factory. Diego Burdi Creative Partner, burdifilek (left) Influential Work: Along with partner Paul Filek, burdifilek has designed Murale, Ottawa and Montreal; W Hotel, Atlanta; and Brown Thomas Men’s World, Dublin, Ireland. Q: What was your No. 1 “aha!” moment related to retail this year? A: I was reminded this year of how flexible people are; we re-align ourselves within the volume of space we are given. Meaning, bigger is not always better, and people can be comfortable in any size space as long as it is well designed. Q: What will your design philosophy be for 2010 and beyond? A: Our design philosophy will remain the same moving forward: design with creative intelligence, embrace individuality and continue to refine our craft. | September 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - September 2009

Display & Design Ideas - September 2009
Contents
From the Editor
Newsworthy
Greentailing
Editor’s Choice
Portfolio Awards 2009
Retail Design Luminaries
Retail Design Influencers
Design Firms of the Year
Best Visual Merchandising Programs
Retailer of the Year
Best-Designed Stores of the Year
Best-Designed Hospitality
Retail Standouts
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Shopping with Paco

DDi - September 2009