On my online workbook this week: Autumn's Brightest Wanted:
Dear

This week’s inspiration is the clear generosity of autumn.

This week’s design note is a sneaky solve for a design problem you might face as a professional (not to be mistaken with “profession”, your paid occupation, but rather designing in a polished and well thought-out manner) flower arranger. You will need to add credibility to your clever design techniques.

Wherever we gather as designers we share our passion for arranging flowers. This turns looking at designs into a participatory activity. We like looking at each other’s designs because we are creative and clever and enjoy figuring out things for ourselves. Never tell your onlooker how clever you are. Instead let them discover how clever they are.

Because maybe you have experienced how being oh so clever can backfire, I know I have. Let’s say you have a really innovative way of keeping your plant material hydrated for your design. If it is too cleverly done it can easily be overlooked and there will be an assumption that you have included none. This is especially important to consider when you design floral objects that are to be presented (competition designs or club designs or designs that are evaluated or used as training material, for instance) to someone where you are not always present to explain yourself.

This week’s design is a great example. Transparent designs have nowhere to hide so-so design solutions. Every layer needs to be just so. But if done right it can easily be underestimated.

Some of the layers do not require a water source and can be added to enhance that “light as air” quality of transparent designs by allowing the design details to hover over the design itself. But then, when design details hover like this it attracts attention. How do we make sure the onlooker notices (let’s say your teacher or competition design judge) what I need this onlooker to notice? In this case I would like you to notice that yes the design details hover but all the fresh plant material is in water, happily hydrated to go the distance.

Focus the attention: try tucking your flowers low to entice the onlooker to lean in closer to discover more is absolutely one way. Another is to add a clever little mechanic to spark their interest such as hooking the nasturtiums over the twigs to position them. Again they will lean in closer.. and notice the stems in the water.

But here is the magic (or art, same thing): make sure what you did to make your clever trick obvious looks like it is actually not so obvious. "Only clever onlookers would notice this" because no one wants to be designed down to, right? Something so subtle as keeping the water impossibly sparkling clean (another transparent layer) gives you points for your professional practice AND it elevates your design solution even further because you are tempted to poke it, to see if it is actually there.

Enjoy!

Every good wish,

Christine