By Keith Curtis
What first drew you to branding environments? Since my earlier days working for branded environments design firm Eva Maddox Associates in Chicago, I had always experimented with how a space could be inspired by a story. Twenty years ago, I developed stories that linked to things like the specific movements of the human body, the aesthetics of a famous artist or the words of a particular poet. Today, I am applying the same type of logic for brands throughout the world. I research them, I personally get to know them, what they stand for and what stories they desire to communicate to their audiences. Then, I find new innovative and creative ways to tell them.
Why should corporations consult branding experts before opening up a new office? All clients have stories to tell. Chubb Insurance in Atlanta was full of great stories. But it was not until we fully immersed our team in their people, their history, their culture and their mission that we identified their unique brand DNA to develop the right messages for their various audiences. The tone of voice we developed was innovative, unique, energetic, authentic and trustworthy. We decided the visual aesthetic for the brand would be “traditional progressive,” where tradition and heritage is equally balanced within a modern, forward-thinking workspace environment. Our expertise in creating experiences help communicate their mission and values to anyone who enters their doors: their staff, their clients, their partners, the community and their industry.
What environment is in desperate need of a redesign? I would have to say the DMV. I do not understand why the brand experience at the DMV has to be so terribly miserable. I am the proud father of five, two of whom are now driving. Their experience at the DMV was not celebratory at all. I know I could help that department!
What project are you most proud of? In 2011, I jumped at the chance to work again with a client I had worked with nearly 20 years earlier. Carpet manufacturer Invista wanted to reach beyond its carpeting peers to attract customers in the architecture and design community. Our message focused on the four major attributes of carpet: Color, Reflectivity, Pattern and Texture: CRPT. CRPT also happens to be the A+D’s industry standard abbreviation for carpet. We developed a fully immersive experience with an emphasis on these attributes, using nearly 300 miles of raw carpet fiber to design the entire space. We integrated LED color and interactive technologies that allowed guests to transform the hanging fiber with patterns and textures. Ultimately, we crafted an experience that created such a phenomenal buzz at NeoCon [a design exposition for commercial interiors] that we increased Invista’s traffic from 300 visitors in the previous year to more than 3,000 active participants at the 2011 showroom. The project received the IIDA/Contract Best Small Showroom as well as the Best of Competition awards!
What advice would you give to a budding branded environment designer? A successful branded environments designer must be able to fall in love over and over again. Our clients are not like normal design clients. They want us and need us to fall in love with their brands. We must mine for clients’ stories and listen carefully. We must think strategically and design with passion.
What excites you about branded environments right now? We are continuing to expand our work into so many new practice areas. In 2014 alone, my firm has branded environments for science and technology companies, city master planner and even a civil rights organization. In the past, our work focused mostly on corporations with mainstream brands, museum exhibits, retail and showrooms. Today, however, everyone has a story to tell, and we are helping them understand who they are and how they can engage their audiences. We are working with doctors, scientists, researchers, manufacturers and educators. We get to design their stories and their experiences. This is what excites me!
Why should corporations consult branding experts before opening up a new office? All clients have stories to tell. Chubb Insurance in Atlanta was full of great stories. But it was not until we fully immersed our team in their people, their history, their culture and their mission that we identified their unique brand DNA to develop the right messages for their various audiences. The tone of voice we developed was innovative, unique, energetic, authentic and trustworthy. We decided the visual aesthetic for the brand would be “traditional progressive,” where tradition and heritage is equally balanced within a modern, forward-thinking workspace environment. Our expertise in creating experiences help communicate their mission and values to anyone who enters their doors: their staff, their clients, their partners, the community and their industry.
What environment is in desperate need of a redesign? I would have to say the DMV. I do not understand why the brand experience at the DMV has to be so terribly miserable. I am the proud father of five, two of whom are now driving. Their experience at the DMV was not celebratory at all. I know I could help that department!
What project are you most proud of? In 2011, I jumped at the chance to work again with a client I had worked with nearly 20 years earlier. Carpet manufacturer Invista wanted to reach beyond its carpeting peers to attract customers in the architecture and design community. Our message focused on the four major attributes of carpet: Color, Reflectivity, Pattern and Texture: CRPT. CRPT also happens to be the A+D’s industry standard abbreviation for carpet. We developed a fully immersive experience with an emphasis on these attributes, using nearly 300 miles of raw carpet fiber to design the entire space. We integrated LED color and interactive technologies that allowed guests to transform the hanging fiber with patterns and textures. Ultimately, we crafted an experience that created such a phenomenal buzz at NeoCon [a design exposition for commercial interiors] that we increased Invista’s traffic from 300 visitors in the previous year to more than 3,000 active participants at the 2011 showroom. The project received the IIDA/Contract Best Small Showroom as well as the Best of Competition awards!
What advice would you give to a budding branded environment designer? A successful branded environments designer must be able to fall in love over and over again. Our clients are not like normal design clients. They want us and need us to fall in love with their brands. We must mine for clients’ stories and listen carefully. We must think strategically and design with passion.
What excites you about branded environments right now? We are continuing to expand our work into so many new practice areas. In 2014 alone, my firm has branded environments for science and technology companies, city master planner and even a civil rights organization. In the past, our work focused mostly on corporations with mainstream brands, museum exhibits, retail and showrooms. Today, however, everyone has a story to tell, and we are helping them understand who they are and how they can engage their audiences. We are working with doctors, scientists, researchers, manufacturers and educators. We get to design their stories and their experiences. This is what excites me!
With a background in architecture and interior design, Keith Curtis boasts more than 25 years of experience in the creative field. Now a branded environments specialist at Perkins+Will, Curtis’s work runs the gamut from retail and restaurant design to healthcare and museum design. He builds and strengthens brands by exploring new ways to tell their stories.
