Architecture’s increasing role in branding and advertising

Architecture Branding
Whether you recognize it or not, your home, workplaces, and streetscapes are a reflection of your brand. In fact, design is the single most important ingredient for brand loyalty. This is especially true for transportation and government offices.

For instance, you wouldn’t bother to park in a spot marked by a Muni orange arrow emblem, would you?

The University of the Pacific provides exactly that. The prominent Muni emblem allows our students to both establish the distinction and service we provide as well as develop their resumes. “The University of the Pacific, at the crossroads of a growing North Central California region and just happens to be one of the most architecturally significant campuses in the state.” – Hook Agency

Our master plan has gone far and beyond

Far and beyond the standards created by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOT). The physical project is stunning, and will continue to be architecturally inspiring as the remaining buildings are renovated and expanded, resulting in a vibrant center of innovation, innovation, and excellence. Our campus–a safe, healthy, and accessible place to work and play–will continue to flourish due to the presence of significant transportation infrastructure. University of the Pacific is the first California school and the fourth in the country to receive transit-oriented development (TOD) and transit-oriented housing status. It is the only large commuter school in the country to receive this ranking by state and the only state institution to receive both designation. In the next 18 months, we expect major traffic improvements, new and increased bike facilities, enhanced parking availability, landscaping enhancements, and the completion of the adjacent TOD– all designed to facilitate transit access, employee travel, and support unique student identity. In addition, we anticipate that more than 200 acres of the campus will become new open spaces adjacent to the existing center of campus. Through the TOD process, there will be two major roads redirected to cross the campus–one to the north, providing access from campus to downtown Stockton and the CSUS Hub. The future of I-209 in the nation and globally is one that encourages growth, promotes transportation access, and enhances quality of life through a higher quality of education. We need only a little imagination to envision a mixed-use pedestrian plaza fronting the UOP Farm, surrounded by rail and light rail platforms, providing access to downtown Stockton and the CSUS Hub. For most of us, a world-class campus is our calling card. The University of the Pacific is committed to becoming that for students and for all of our constituents.

These Bathroom Trends Will Blow Your Mind

There’s no better time for bathroom remodeling than the new year, but if you’re a little sidetracked this New Year’s Eve, we’ve got this perfectly doable bathroom design guide. Not only are these five baths over-the-top, but they’re guaranteed to bring your bathroom from like…well, to like, on the path to being completely gorgeous. Trio Bathroom by Houzz Trio Bathrooms by Houzz Love grey or warm, full-width baths with a drama-loving vibe? Need a color trend fix while you’re suffering from the cold snap? Take a cue from these 10 spaces inspired by their Houzz inspiration page. Click on the spots and open the few options that stick out. Kiss and Fly by Sentient Kiss and Fly by Sentient Ever seen a sink and a claw foot tub in the same space? Not now, friend. This place has it all: the spa bathroom, king sized tub and feature wall artwork. To make it all your own, stick one of your favorite soaps and lip balms in the wall when it’s time to change in for the next guests. Doesn’t this office have all the essentials of a normal, quiet place? For $4,999, you can have one too. These rooms should be just big enough for you to sit down, but not big enough to fill with clutter. With a wall of mirrors and a wall of mirrors covered in pearlized white-on-white paint, you have the perfect mirror display room. A gorgeous sink and toilet are where to start. Remember when we said this location was big enough for your queen sized bath? That’s exactly the size it should be, so apply for space with the largest amount of junk in your closet. Upcycling anything into something chic (and infinitely more useful) is chic. This cozy chair is such a practical addition that it’s just begging to be decluttered.

8 Kitchen Trends That Will Leave You Wanting an Apple Pie on Your Window Sill

“15 Minute Korean Makeover” Tracy Chun from Blend Expo on the top kitchen trends this year. See how to switch up your routine to tap into the best of these design trends.

There are eight kitchen trends that have emerged in recent years that all work well for entertaining, organizing and simply being a productive family. At Blend Expo, nine home office specialists hosted a 1.5-hour seminar with Kimura Kitchens to share tips on how to add features to any space.

Some highlights from that session included:

  1. A top showroom coup of the summer was an entranceway. The home office that featured big windows and lots of light was the highlight of an open floor plan where design featured breakouts and spaces to merge.
  2. If you’re trading up to a larger family room/living room or dining room, a wood addition can make a home feel more relaxed while letting each guest know it’s welcome.
  3. Makeup table? Sure. Having multiple places where your children can have their friends over works great for entertainment, and tables are more weather-proof for the kitchen than chairs.
  4. You probably know that oversized spaces are in, and if you want more room, new space means updating your floor plan to create a wow factor.
  5. Fresh is in! Brands like De’Go’It’s are making kitchens seem cleaner, crisper and brighter — and despite their recycled look, they are more durable and easier to clean.
  6. Adding ambiance can feel great. Simple lighting and mirrors can do the trick, as long as they are placed in a place where you can control the mood and focus.
  7. When combined with his “bluest” palette on the market, a well-placed rug in the kitchen can make the simplest space feel cozy and updated.
  8. Big space can feel bigger with oversized decorative knobs for specific areas such as the top of the cabinets.

Branding for Interior Design Businesses

Why is a store front designed for business? What is the mission of your business? What do you want your brand to portray? Will your customers identify with a purpose or a purpose behind your products? Choose your message very carefully. Choose your media very carefully. What media do you want your brand to appear in? Do you want it to be visible at all? If so, choose different media to reach the highest possible audience. Should a business like yours pursue a social media presence? If so, how do you reach your audience? Most of all, do you know why you want to do that? You may find that trying to control and manage the entire design of your brand is prohibitive. Be open to any and all options. A menswear store without a logo may have the exact same services as your competition but they would never be seen in the same light. Your target customer is more than just your product’s user or a household name. Assume that they are a customer for the design industry. What value do they bring to your brand? They are not motivated by price. How do you reach a them? Find what aspects of your business they would find the most attractive, maintain a positive messaging and add some flair and character. Being consistently inclusive and inviting, they will eventually see the benefit in your business. You should consider these five questions for any branding project you undertake: Did you select the right person? Is the identity optimized for the client’s visual perception and not just on the surface? What is the overall design goals of the logo and above the product message? Is this a creative project? Is this a business project? You have chosen a client. Is he or she their brand? Are the designs aligned to the overall message and product? Is the design identifiable from traditional call to action materials? Is there a long term strategy?

Tips for a New Construction Companies Marketing

Construction Marketing
Let’s be honest, when you’re building a brand new business or startup, sometimes it can feel like you’re carrying around the burden of the world’s weight. But if you choose the right approach, working under you and learning how your business operates, you’ll soon feel at ease. Here are 39 Ways to manage a brand new construction business:

Choose a business identity or brand.

To start, you’ll need to decide what kind of construction business you want to run. A full-service construction company will attract bids from all kinds of potential customers, including contractors and even new housing developers. You’ll have a perfect place to build up your brand.

Begin marketing immediately.

Let’s say you’re considering marketing your construction business. If you’re going to be building new homes, a contractor profile and brochure is a necessity, as is a “Builders Directory” and a forum for contracting clients and interested workers. If you want to be a construction company that runs on small contracts, and/or maybe turn a home owner into a construction consultant, you’ll want to get on a city’s schedule for public-works meetings and get that info into a handy business planner to publish.

Take a Career Transition Planning Workshop.

Build your business early, be ready for opportunities later, and give yourself the space to grow if and when you need it. You can find a list of these online and provide it to your trainer for feedback. They may also suggest doing this course yourself or seeking out someone local who’s done this before. Make room to breathe. Life is unpredictable. As a sole proprietor or contractor, a lot of people will come and go, the contracts you expect to secure may go away or may be delayed, and things may happen that may keep you from getting what you need. But at least as a construction business, there’s always a chance of starting a new job when the old one is completed or even requesting payment for an existing project. This will become more and more important when you’re running a home builder. But at the same time, you’ll want to project a positive attitude and take care of the smaller details. Understand the cost of building new homes. A new home can cost a developer as much as $200,000. That’s a lot of money to work with, so you’ll need to spread the risk, so you’ll want to find a contractor who has good bids and can actually deliver and price out the work. Find a contractor who does their work properly and competently and, if you get business, just be sure they take good care of your work so you won’t have to worry about that in the future. Stay in touch with your insurance agent and build some continuity into your contract. Talk with your agent to find out the annual contract limits of the policies you’re working with. If you have a good relationship, they’ll have some helpful tips to give you about how you can lower your exposure or change things around to make your business more manageable. Also, find out whether the policies you’re working with now will fit in well with the smaller ones that might be in place in the future. Present a realistic budget. As you craft your estimates, take care to check the contractor’s experience and see if the estimate you’re giving him is accurate. And to add more comfort, come up with how much you would like him to earn. By offering that number, you can better determine the amount of work that should be committed. It helps when the estimation is different and even gives you a point of reference for bigger projects. Show true loyalty. When people are purchasing a home, how are you going to advertise to prospective clients? Your best chances are through advertising or networking. Remember to keep the client’s name and contact information in your computer’s mind at all times. You can also reach out and say when the contracts will be settled so you can build a timeline with them so they know when to make a decision. Learn how to navigate insurance. According to Home Builders Magazine, adding materials to a home is the single largest expense for most contractors. Although there is no one solution for insurance, most companies can help with a host of common policies, like general liability insurance, worker’s compensation, collision and motor-vehicle liability, and self-insured occupancy. Embrace video. Install webcams all around your place to record the progress on home construction. You can make your business look official by recording it for YouTube. This is also a good place to keep customer comments and frustration, and is a great way to build good relationships with happy customers who you’ll be hearing from again and again.

Interior Designer Branding Trends 2019

Brand Interior Design

Some things to consider before creating your brand for your interior design firm. A brand is not just a logo.. but rather has to do with the entire feel your company is trying to put out in the world.

  • Brand = Promise of the experience of working with you.
  • Identity = How you visually show up online.
  • Logo = Simplest way to identify your company online.
  • Website = Your online space to connect with dream clients.

Get Futuristic with Abstract Shapes

If vintage is not your thing, why not get a little futuristic with abstract and geometric shapes?

Be Bold

A bold brand is a memorable brand, so don’t be afraid to take chances with your image. This can be executed using dramatic photographs, dramatic drawings or artwork that uses bold colors, lines and patterns. 

Less Is More with Neo Minimalism

There’s a certain simplicity in the minimalist look that can make a brand’s logo more memorable.