Before the Lights, Camera, and Action, There's Set Design...

image from oscars.org

Last evening, I was watching a documentary about the history of the Academy Awards,

and observed that a part of the older ceremonies was to describe the category being recognized.

For example, before "In recognition of Art Design, the nominees are..." was uttered,

something along these lines was offered:

"Production and Set Design is the practice of turning ethereal words and ideas into a very real and controlled environment, one that encompasses the history of the characters while providing a space for them to grow and evolve before our eyes as the story unfolds. It is the crafting of 'place', the creation of new unseen worlds and times, and the visual representation of the mood of the story using lumber, paint, fabric, and furniture..."

See how that translates to YOUR store design after the jump...

Your Journey from Wonderland to Success!

 My friend Sharon Hughes is the founder of Launch Your Creativity,

an inspiring resource for women.
.
She hosts a women's business event each spring here in Southern California,

gathering a group of women speakers who share

their experiences, their struggles, their journeys, and their tips

with an audience of women hungry for support, encouragement, and helpful resources.
The women on the stage were once in exactly the place the women in the audience are now -
dreaming of starting a business, but not knowing WHERE to start -

so the stories told and the information shared really resonates with everyone.

Fall down the rabbit hole after the jump....

Displaying Jewelry

This Cartier window display is an exercise in restrained elegance....

it is simple, crisp, clear, clean, and precise.

And, forgive me, but it's also BORING.

If you are viewing it from precisely the distance and angle that this photographer was,

it's not so bad.
But back up a foot or two on the sidewalk.
Better yet, get into a car and drive past it.

The product disappears and you are left with whiteness.
Except for the stunning red jeweled neck piece, everything is too small to be seen.

How do you overcome this in displays?


Find out, after the jump...