An illusion is a distortion of the senses, as interpreted by the organization and the sensory stimulation of the brain. Even though visual illusion or optical illusion is more commonly understood, all of our 5 physical senses participates in the creation of an illusion. For example, the graphic design below: at the very first glance seems to be all tied in together. {Conscious effort was undertaken to keep it seperate.} When the eye sweeps it again, it becomes evident that the projects are very different. The first one, is a trade show booth design and the overarching second, is the award winning Polish Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010. It was this Polish Pavilion that inspired me to write this article.

The pavilion was designed by architects Wojciech Kakowski, Marcin Mostafa and Natalia Paszkowska. The building was inspired by traditional polish folk art paper cut-outs reinterpreted in a contemporary fashion. The team sought to create a 'cultural ideogram' that would signify the country of origin in an iconic way. The ramp that is created by the folded exterior enables visitors to climb onto the roof of the building, making the entire building a functional exhibition space. The choice of materials and the character of construction were to a large extent dictated by the idea of possible future reclaiming and recycling of the pavilion structure or its parts, e.g. by reconstructing it in one of the polish cities after the expo ended.

The illusion factor embedded in this trade show booth design: It is the 50' wide x 14' high, overpowering graphic. To put in perspective, the billboard signs, noticeable along the freeway is 14' high x 48' wide. This super size sign emphasizes the vertical volume of the space and creates the illusion of stupendous brand empowerment.

Brainstorming is a process for developing creative solutions to problems, inside and outside the tradeshow design world. It goes back as far as 1953, when Alex Faickney Osborn, an advertising manager, popularized the method in his book, Applied Imagination. Ten years later, he proposed that teams could double their creative output with brainstorming (Osborn, 1963). Here are quick 7 ways to do some power brainstorming. Good Luck!

If you are brainstorming Alone, 'Simply Allow'.
As the great Chinese mystic, Lao Tzu (500 BC) mentions in "Tao Te Ching":

There are ways but the Way is uncharted ...
There are ways but the Way is uncharted;
There are names but not nature in words:
Nameless indeed is the source of creation
But things have a mother and she has a name.

The secret waits for the insight
Of eyes unclouded by longing;

Those who are bound by desire

See only the outward container.

These two come paired but distinct

By there names.
Of all things profound,
Say that their pairing is deepest,

The gate to the root of the world.

Translated by Raymond B. Blakney, 1955

In this epoch of instant "sense-perience", I often turn to solitude and inner darkness. It is BLACK. Black is restful emptiness into which anything may emerge and disappear only to reappear again. It is being in a state of inherent potential and immense possibility.

Black flourishes in opposites. "Favorite color of priests and penitents, artists and ascetics, fashion designers and fascists–has always stood for powerfully opposed ideas: authority and humility, sin and holiness, rebellion and conformity, wealth and poverty, good and bad." In his richly illustrated book, Black: The History of a Color, the acclaimed author Michel Pastoureau tells the fascinating social history of the color black in Europe. It is this book that inspired me to write this blog.

In the beginning was black, Michel Pastoureau tells us. The archetypal color of darkness and death, black was associated in the early Christian period with hell and the devil but also with monastic virtue.

In the medieval era, black became the habit of courtiers and a hallmark of royal luxury. Black took on new meanings for early modern Europeans as they began to print words and images in black and white. During the romantic period, black was melancholy's friend, while in the twentieth century black (and white) came to dominate art, print, photography, and film, and was finally restored to the status of a true color.

A color never occurs alone; it only fully “functions” from the social, artistic, and symbolic perspectives, insofar as it is associated with or opposed to one or many other colors. Hence the example of the trade show booth design below, is a palette of opposites the all absorbing black and the reflective white.

For Pastoureau, the history of any color must be a social history first because it is societies that give colors everything from their changing names to their changing meanings–and black is exemplary in this regard. Black has always been a forceful and ambivalent–shaper of social, symbolic, and ideological meaning in our societies.

Michel Pastoureau is a historian and director of studies at the École Pratique des Hautes Études de la Sorbonne in Paris. On the shoulders of giants like you we rest, we dream, we aspire and we thrive. Thank you.

While this is going on, a deliberate disconnect with technology has been brewing as more people begin to disengage with technology and bond with themselves and the human factors around them.

Some global corporates are imposing “thinking time”, during which they do not take calls or respond to emails; a move that has blossomed into increased productivity, teamwork and collaboration.

Global marketing campaigns encourage children to put down their game consoles to go play outdoors. There is growing number of “Isolation Vacations” where travelers surrender their technological gadgets upon arrival at their destination in order to enjoy a tech-free vacation experience that allows them to distance themselves from the distractions of work and home.

Given this trend, in the ever changing technological landscape, graphic design and visuals must reflect this mood of inner resolve and tranquility: people spending quality time alone and with others, embracing the subtleties of the world around them. Technology should emancipate us, not be our masters. Visuals and metaphors of relaxation, unwinding and tranquility is the key to our survival in an age of continual technological infusion.

The vast media landscape has changed. In this vibrant era of social networking, the audiences are fragmented and customer loyalty is  questioned every track of the way. Content is no longer delivered to an audience. The audience now decides on what kind of content it wants to see and when to see it.

Given the above parameters, trade show marketers have to be in constant dialogue with customers and prospects. Messaging has to be more interactive and personalized. According to one study, "Visuals will be user customized as ....each user will experience different visuals and messages based on their preferences and interest." This era of personalization will demand the heightened power of engagement. Content has to be "catered toward users and user experience."

As people indulge into ways of communicating remotely, they are seeking to balance their lack of contact with the need for emotions and experiences. There is an increased focus on "sense-perience". Successful trade show displays and trade show stands needs to cater to this "sense-perience". Interactive media and experiential design is the wave that is here to stay a while. 

Having noticed this trend, DesignView™ came into existence a year ago. It won accolades that we are all proud of. However, we do have to go long ways before we perfect this idea of "sense-perience". We can be co-creators in this mission and give shape to this new concept called "sense-perience".