Yotel, Schiphol

During the recent armageddon that was the snowy weekend in London, being trapped airside at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam I checked out the Yotel… I’ve seen the concept before at 100% design which is great; a bit more than a capsule hotel but not quite a full room. I had a single which had the bed at low level, next doors bed would be above it and every ‘cabin’ includes toilet, shower, tv and desk with controls for everything including the mood lighting right by the bed. I’ve noticed Yotel before at Gatwick but being that it was landside and the Travelodge is way cheaper it never quite seemed to work. Schiphol is different, its basically right in the departure lounge so given a last minute delay as I was or a long transfer you can check-in for a shower, use the free WiFi, watch some tv and have a snooze all within 5mins of the departure gate. Its not cheap at €35 for 4 hours (only £23 in old money I suppose!) but a bit of peace, quiet and comfort compared with a bench seat surrounded by screaming kids, priceless

What can you see?

How many times have you been pleasantly surprised by design?

Think hard about those little moments that made you think “they really thought of me when designing this”. Like the hook under the bar to hang your coat on so you don’t have to drop it on the floor. Or that hole in your jacket that you can feed your headphones through so you don’t have to unzip to get to your ipod out each time you want to change the song.

How many times can you remember this feeling?

Few and far between it seems. Too often design is seen as aesthetic and even a necessary evil by some.

Customer research and user design is nothing new – The British Empire was strengthen by a chap who realised if he could just get from A to B quicker and move multiple necessities on-bulk he could expand the Empire with an unparalleled advantage. Voila! Utilising the birth of the Locomotive and effectively creating modern-day logistics! Yet in today’s fast moving pace of business, the very essence of why and whom we are designing for is forgotten.

On a recent project with one of our clients we have yet again embraced customer research and observations to allow a greater insight to behaviours and desires. Following a ten-week process, our analysis showed dramatic negative effects by the current design on the customer.

These observations have allowed us to create new designs that dramatically change the use of space with simple, yet effective adjacencies. The outcome should be that we create a space that improves not only the general look-and-feel but also efficiency, productivity and customer satisfaction.

Our trust in observations and the ability to listen to users, suppliers and client alike will hopefully prove successful once again.

Berlin Skybars

On recent visit to Berlin I was amazed by the variety of design within this fantastic city. I had expected to see some great new architecture as well as remnants from the cold war and soviet blocks and maybe its these contrasts that have led to a new wave of design in the city where nothing is quite as expected.

Skybars are incredibly popular in Berlin in a way that I haven’t seen in any other city, its seems that in almost every tower there’s a slick modern bar at the top, all with stunning views and interiors and a mix of minimal, furnished with design classics to the retro and cheesy to the point of being cool. One of the slick examples is the Solar Bar. Set in an unassuming 60s block near Potsdamer Platz, Berlins Canary Wharf. Once you actually find the place after weaving through the car park and passing the main block entrance you turn into to a secretive looking door, opened by a concierge to a reception with an eerie feeling that you’ve stepped into somewhere you shouldn’t have… I actually had to ask if this was the solar bar… a few seconds in an glass lift and you re-enter the building on the top floor to a slick black and white interior with 3m high windows framing the city, the leather seating is suspended from the ceiling and arranged to take in the views with the mezzanine level giving an impression of floating above the city skyline. With the Cold war TV tower and Eastern accommodation blocks as a backdrop to a Champagne Mojito you could be in another era…

A World within a World

To follow on where Sammi left off, what a truly amazing place - potentially one of the best shopping-centre-experiences in the World?! Having spent time in HK and being blown away by their fascination with shopping Malls, Westfield White City is reminiscent of of their glamour and splendour.

As a customer it felt spacious, light and airy (bearing in mind this was a Monday evening). The absence of any hard angular lines makes the space feel fluid and easy to navigate. The wayfinding pods not only look fabulous but also work well with touch screen technology used in such a human way you'd think it was designed by Apple. The stores are great, feeling like a collection of flagships to the point that your never sure where to look next.

As a designer, inspirational. Enough said. Any aspiring designer should get down there and understand not only that it looks good, but also why it all works so well.

As a real person in the real World at a time of an economic downturn....its timing is the only downfall. Nothing Westfield could do about that, but it does feel slightly superficial and not part of the real World.

Still, great experience. Go see it.

Westfield

Just before Christmas I visited the new Westfield store which is located in White City, Shepherds Bush.



The experience began when I stepped of the train. The whole surrounding area has been reworked from the pavements to the buildings to the trees, plants etc. It feels as if walking in to a picture everything looks so perfect and new.

The design of the building is quite extraordinary when entering Westfield you feel like your leaving the world behind and stepping into the future. The outer shell is very impressive and almost has a Buckminster fuller feel to it with the interior housing a fascinating wooden structure.





They have managed to capture this luxurious futuristic feel with all the high-end retail stores being present and each offering a design experience of their own.



The touch screen monitors in the main complex offer you information on all the stores and where they’re all located and the small cafes individually placed throughout the complex also fit in with the design of the building.

Unfortunately I didn’t get chance to look around it all but will definitely be going back, a great experience all in all.

Gaucho Grill

Gaucho Grill Manchester, after attending earlier this year I was very impressed with the new refurbishment that has taken place.





Upon entering this opulent interior you are instantly made aware you are standing in a place of quality and attention to detail. With a warm greeting at the door you are taken through the impressive reception area to the main dining space, which is certainly no disappointment. The luxury continues from the soft, deep pile carpet to the designer hide print chairs which are everything you look for when it comes to comfort! Other great design features include the open kitchen layout which runs down one side of the restaurant allowing you to see the chefs at work, the large white church organ adding character and reminding us of the buildings former purpose (Methodist church) and the striking head to toe hide skin covered spiral stair case which carries the black and white theme through to the mezzanine level.



Aside from the stylish, theatrical interior, the service was second to none. We were introduced to our waiter who was extremely attentive and always wanting to please. Firstly he started of by bringing us the different ranges of steaks that they offer in their raw state. He then educated us about the different types of steaks, their particular flavor and texture and finally the best way to cook them. For example I had the rib eye steak which they offer in a number of sizes and I was told that it’s best to have it cooked medium to well done as this allows the fats running through it to melt, which improves the flavor and heightens the taste of the steak! Impressed? Well I certainly was! I had been introduced to a new dining experience where you don’t simply go to a restaurant to eat but to be educated in what you are eating!

We were more than satisfied with our mains and for desert decided to order cocktails. Our waiter asked us what flavors we like and advised us of what cocktails we might like. We took up his advice and went for a Mojhito and a Campaneros which was the perfect end to an amazing dining experience.

I would highly recommend going to this restaurant even though a little expensive I feel that the experience and the quality of food truly make it worth while.

Old v's New

Just the other day I was telling some friends about the beauty of old and I gave an example of a fishmongers in Borough Market, London. I didn't know the shop name but what I do remember was it's authenticity and refusal to change even though many of the original surrounding stalls and shops were shedding their old, traditional look and feel for a more modern and contemporary facelift.

My point was that with the recent rise in consumer trends towards organic, healthy and eco the more traditional shops were likely to benefit as consumers return to the 'local, independent green grocer' appeal.

The thing that I really loved about the fishmongers stall was that it had an old, gnarly wooden counter which was piled high with ice and many different types of fish. I didn't mind that the counter was crooked and leaked, in fact quite the opposite, it made the shop feel more authentic and like they were real fish experts. All in all a very authentic experience, a bit edgy and tired but cool all the same - in fact it reminded me some of the store in the gritty parts of west end of London.


(Above - A picture of the original store)

I returned to Borough Market and to my dismay they were just finishing a new fit out of the fishmongers - it's still a fishmongers but now it has a restaurant aspect and there is a brand new counter, all straight and leak-free! I must admit that the fishmongers looks great with it's new facelift and if i didn't know what it looked like previously I would be very impressed - but I miss the age and tradition of that counter and what it gave to the stall.


(Above - A picture of the new and improved store)