An action sport eyewear brand specializing in sunglasses for skate/surf and snow boarders, invited Grand & Benedicts to participate in a design competition for eyewear displays. Never stepping down to a challenge, we were thrilled to exploit our creative minds and compete against some of the country’s top design firms. Bring ‘em on! Among several design parameters given to us, the one we ended up following most closely was “thinking outside the box”…and let me tell you why.
Our youthful, British designer, Michael, was given the task. With an eye for details, I’m convinced he sees life through a different lens, but as a former bike designer, he combines it with simplicity. It’s evident Michael enjoys incorporating used parts into his designs. One time he turned a PBR beer can into an aroma therapy candle and another time he converted a grocery store shopping basket into a bike basket for his wife’s cruiser. Still, Michael has a serious side. Being schooled at Pasadena College of Art and teaching part time at the Portland Art Institute, he has a reputation for setting the bar high. Shoot for the stars or else!
Full of enthusiasm for this design contest, Michael, literally overflowing with creativity, came up with some nifty and even thrifty ideas. Michael started hitting up thrift stores where he stuffed his Chrome backpack full of teddy bears. Back at the office, Michael started chopping them up into pieces. Go at it Michael!
Before we knew it, Michael had turned the teddy bears into monsters and monkeys (with some sewing help from our receptionist). Where Michael got this “off-the-wall” idea from will remain a mystery but his displays totally worked! At the end of the day we didn’t win the design contest but we had fun while it lasted. Next time we might think twice before we monkey around or turn fixtures into monsters, but who knows where these displays will end up. Sometimes the best ideas come out of mistakes.
Camilla Chalmers, Marketing Manager
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