Miami, Florida – Chic NYC, a runway fashion company that has been featured at Fashion Week since 2015 has decided to turn its Miami Design Studio into a drop off station for shelf life food, goods, cleaning supplies and financial donations. The fastest growing fashion house has been the one New York City fashion brand to remain open during the quarantine, even hiring during the devastating time. “Now is the time to give back” says CEO Oz Avcioglu. “We have worked with federal and local authority to keep our New York operations open, but our South Florida team has picked up a majority of the work that our team in New York has not been able to accomplish. We feel that South Florida has became our home through the pandemic and we are looking forward to giving back to the tri-county area. We will be handmaking mask to drop off to hospitals, responders, grocery stores and other front line workers, along with turning our Miami Design Studio into a drop off station for the community to drop off canned goods, shelf life food, financial donations and cleaning supplies. From there, 100% of the donations will go to front line workers and families in need.” Says Oz.
For anyone who wishes to donate, all goods can be dropped off Monday – Thursday 9 AM – 5 PM at 20855 NE 16th Ave. Ste C19, Miami, Florida 33179.
In addition to accepting donations, CHIC NYC has also created a link on its website where anyone who needs assistance during the pandemic can apply for help. They are reviewing all applications on a first come first serve basis. Please visit www.chicnycrunway.com
Chic NYC is a fashion powerhouse that was featured at New York Fashion Week in 2015. Since then, the brand has became the fastest growing e-commerce and retail boutique, winning 8 awards. With offices and retail stores now worldwide, the CHIC NYC Runway Fashion Label calls Miami, Florida home to its design studio where it manufactures its very own organic cottons for its clothing and accessories.
Scottsdale, AZ (May 13, 2020) — Today Design Pickle announced the launch of Custom Illustrations, a standalone subscription joining the company’s flagship unlimited graphic design service. Custom Illustrations will allow businesses of all sizes and verticals to diversify their marketing and content through innovative, unique art, as a supplement to typical graphic design.
“After months of beta testing with our current customers, we are thrilled to release Custom Illustrations to the public,” said Russ Perry, Founder and CEO of Design Pickle. “Whether through celebrity illustrations for social media or colorful, eye-catching ads, this service has already significantly leveled up the ways we’re able to engage with our audience, and we can’t wait for other businesses to see the same staggering impact on theirown content and engagement.”
Unlike graphic design — where a designer manipulates pre-existing visual elements in a composition — illustrators create original, emotion-evoking art with all elements tailored to the request of the customer. Examples of custom illustrations include portraits, caricatures, custom typography, tattoo art, and coloring or children’s books.
The Custom Illustrations subscription, which includes unlimited requests and revisions, will be available starting today, May 13th, at $499 per month. For more information on the service, visit designpickle.com/custom-illustrations.
ABOUT DESIGN PICKLE
Design Pickle is the world’s #1 graphic design platform that provides unlimited, high-quality design work for thousands of businesses for a flat-rate.
Founded in Scottsdale, AZ in 2015 by Russ Perry, Design Pickle was born from the idea that everybody needs access to seamless, reliable, and professional graphic design on a consistent basis. Russ has successfully scaled Design Pickle from 2 employees to over 250, with thousands of global clients and over $10 million in annual recurring revenue.
• Four in ten UK adults (40%) have had their perception of a business or company negatively impacted by the quality and/or design of a business card alone, new research reveals. • Biometric analysis (using eye tracking, heart rate monitoring, and 1-100 dial rate scoring) reveals what overall designs, and fonts/colours are favoured most. • One in three (31%) say a no-frills design with only essential information was always their preference • Further information can be found here.
Four in ten UK adults (40%) have had their perception of a business or company negatively impacted by the quality and/or design of a business card alone, new research reveals.
The study with 2,000 people1, undertaken by online printing specialists, instantprint, showed just how impactful a bad design can be; sparking further investigation into what we consider to be a good design.
Following the initial nationwide poll, instantprint conducted in-depth biometric analysis2 with seven business card variations across ten industries (70 cards in total). Users had their eyes tracked (heatmapping and pupil dilation) and heart rates monitored as they looked over each business card; revealing what grabbed their attention first, what got their heart rates going, and which designs interested them the most overall.
So, what makes the perfect business card design? 1. Colour: Yellow and white are the most appealing colours for the background of a business card, according to the biometric analysis. Strong primary blues and green were also popular accent colour option across the board. 2. Text: All copy should be easy-to-read and evenly spaced, with black or white text colour most appealing. Classic fonts were consistently more popular than modern typefaces. 3. Logo: Users showed a preference for simple and representative logos that took up no more than 25% of the total business card space.
Overall, the findings outlined a tendency towards simplicity over more unique and statement designs.
This was again reinforced in instantprint’s poll, with traditional card layouts with logos/fonts/colours that accurately represent a business’ services favoured by nearly half (45%) of all respondents, and one in three (31%) saying a no-frills design with only essential information was always their preference.
Jon Constantine-Smith, Head of instantprint, commented on the findings: “It is fascinating to see just how much impact the design of a business card can have on the perception of a business, but also how opinions do vary between industries, generations and genders. “Driving new customers can be challenging for any business, so turning someone off when you hand a card over is of course something to avoid! “When it comes to the design of your business stationery, it can be tricky to get it right, but considering your audience, and following the advice laid out by this research – keeping it simple and representative of your services – is a great starting point.”
2. Biometric analysis using Gazepoint testing equipment, connected to a PC. This was conducted in November 2019. We set up an eye tracking camera, biometrics dial and heart rate monitor with a PC. The test itself involved using seven business card design variations across ten different industries (70 in total). Once the equipment was set up, it was time to start recording results. We invited a selection of people to undertake the test to ensure the insight was representative of a broad demographic. Each person had to sit directly in front of the GP3 eye tracking camera so the camera could focus on the individual’s pupils using infrared. Each user placed his or her index fingers in the heart rate monitor and placed their other hand on the 0-100% dial, to rate how they felt about each design. Before the test could begin, we calibrated the eye tracking camera for each user to ensure that their eyes were being accurately tracked. Once the calibration was complete, the user was then allowed to begin the test which took around 5 minutes. When all tests were complete, we exported the data and footage to analyse the results.
About instantprint
Founded in 2009, instantprint is an online printing company, made up of a friendly bunch of talented individuals with a hunger to help their customers reach their customers in the best way. With print that makes them look amazing. And helps their business to flourish. Making them so much more than a printing company.
instantprint are proud to offer sustainable print services, using the greenest possible paper options available, and on top of this they are FSC certified. The company are also ISO certified, and all of their packaging (even the plastic!) is recyclable. They pride themselves on their partnerships with several waste management companies, which means they recycle 97% of all their waste.
instantprint recently announced plans of their 2020 expansion. The printing firm will increase their total footprint by 45% to 145,000 sq. ft paving the way for its continual growth.
instantprint was named the national winner of the 2019 Customer and Market Engagement at the European Business Awards.
instantprint specialises in 24-hour flyer and leaflets, business cards, posters and stationery. Thanks to a recent 3.25m investment, the printing giant is now able to produce and deliver stapled booklets within two working days.
A collective of Bournemouth’s brilliant creative & digital agencies based in Boscombe have teamed up to work collaboratively, with the aim to promote the creativity in Boscombe as well as to inspire and nurture emerging talent.
Boscombe Creative Alliance (BCA) this week held their first of a planned annual Agency Open Day which saw them attract students from Arts University Bournemouth/ Bournemouth University & Bournemouth & Poole College to find out more about the career opportunities that are available in the sector. Students also learnt of apprentice and internship opportunities and meet the creative teams at the agencies. More exciting announcements on a Placement Programme and Creative Awards for students were later announced at an event held by the BCA at The Global Group with local businesses such as Rock Recruitment and course leaders from higher/further education institutions in the town attending.
One of the Directors of BCA, Darren Mooney and Founder of Global Group based on Shelley Road East created the BCA with other Boscombe based agencies and with backing from Bournemouth Borough Council. Darren Mooney comments “The BCA was born from the desire to raise the profile of the creative and digital sector in Boscombe. To connect businesses to opportunities, improve the fantastic area where we live and work, and to most importantly inspire and engage with the young creatives of tomorrow. Through this innovative partnership, the BCA is now actively involved with local universities, the wider creative sector in Bournemouth and in shaping the future of the area.”
On a weekly basis, the BCA family mentor students from St Peter’s & Avonbourne 6th Forms who have both formed companies through a partnership with Young Enterprise. Kate Greenham, Boscombe Creative Alliance Manger comments “ We are already seeing success from the programme of projects that we run and are immensely proud that both of our Young Enterprise teams are through to the Young Enterprise Dorset Finals on 11th May. We are committed to continuing our work with Young Enterprise, creating new opportunities for students in the town as well as attracting and retaining creative talent”.
Councillor Jane Kelly, Cabinet Member for Regeneration added that “The collaboration with Boscombe based creative agencies and the Council is unique. The commitment of Boscombe Creative Alliance in collaborative working for the benefit of Boscombe and to young people is exceptional”.
For more information on the BCA and the projects that they are involved with visit: https://b-c-a.org
How 3D Technology is Transporting Manufacturing into A New Dimension.
3D glasses – front view on white background
Often linked with headaches, seasickness, dodgy glasses and poor CGI effects, it’s safe to say 3D technology hasn’t always had the best reputation. Although there have been major enhancements since the days of flimsy cardboard glasses with one red lens and one blue lens, 3D technology is still having difficulty moving into the mainstream and convincing the public that it’s more than just a gimmick.
When launched in 2010 3D TVs had a surge in popularity, but by 2017 all major TV manufacturers had discontinued their production, with 3D TV content been relegated from bespoke channels to on demand services only. 3D cinema viewings are becoming increasingly scarce, with IMAX declaring that 3D ‘is no longer the default’ in 2017. It could seem that 3D technology was nothing more than a passing phase, however there is one surprising area in which 3D is really coming into its own, and that’s in manufacturing.
The manufacturing industry is in the midst of a transformation known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0. Exactly what that transformation will involve is yet to be seen as the technology roadmap evolves at rapid speed, but advancements such as the Internet of Things (IoT), nanotechnology, robotics, platform business models and biotechnology are all vying to transform the industry as we know it – much as the introduction of the personal computer and the internet changed the landscape for businesses during the previous Digital Revolution. It’s clear that whatever the mix of technologies that ultimately merge into mainstream production, future production will be safer, cleaner, sustainable and more cost-efficient – all areas in which 3D technology adds real value.
The concept of 3D in the manufacturing industry is not a new one. It was back in 1977 when French Aircraft Manufacturer Avions Marcel Dassault began in-house development of a CAD solution which would enable designers to work in 3D rather than 2D. Initially named CATI (‘Conception Assistée Tridimensionnelle Interactive’, French for ‘interactive aided three-dimensional design’), the software evolved into CATIA, which continues to this day to be the World’s leading solution for product design.
But advances in technology mean that 3D is becoming ever more important to the manufacturing community, both from a design perspective and increasingly into other departments of a manufacturing organisation. One of the major benefits of 3D technology is visualisation, where a company can use their design data to create a virtual prototype without the need for any physical production. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an aeroplane, a bag, a watch, a plate or a building – visualisation allows a company to digitally create any product and not only see the finished life-size product in photorealistic glory, but to experience it. For example, an aeroplane manufacturer could visualise their latest model concept, pop on a virtual reality headset and take a stroll around, allowing them to physically experience their craft as a passenger would. But visualisation is not just for large companies – a jewellery manufacturer could produce concept pieces as digital prototypes and use the photorealistic assets they create to gauge public interest in their latest range. Small-scale manufacturers adopting this approach could even take orders on an item that doesn’t yet exist and build to order, reducing the inventory they need to hold and encouraging a return on the investment made in the new product.
Visualisation not only dramatically reduces the cost involved in manufacturing prototypes, but it encourages collaboration both internally within a company and further out to its supply chain, enhancing and streamlining the design process and reducing errors. This in turn leads to a quicker time-to-market, enabling companies to be more agile, responding quickly to trends and demand from their consumer base. Innovation is also enhanced using this approach as it’s much quicker and more cost-effective to take a gamble on new ideas in the virtual world than it is to invest in prototypes that may not work.
Physical prototypes are unlikely to ever be completely redundant – but by 3D printing them you could save time and money. Rapid prototyping is a way of producing a prototype of a 3D design, often to a smaller scale and/or in a different material to that which would be used in production, but still allowing the design to be physically tested and viewed. These prototypes are often made via a 3D printing process called Additive Manufacturing, where a product is built layer by layer of incredibly thin coats of material, a relatively new process which is allowing manufacturers to produce complex shapes and innovate new designs.
Manufacturing companies don’t even have to have the inhouse resource and equipment to 3D print, they can simply visit the 3DEXPERIENCE Marketplace – an online qualified ecosystem of industrial 3D printing suppliers worldwide, where you can either submit your 3D design to be made to your own specifications, or source the part you need from an online 3D component catalogue, saving a company time, resource and eliminating the need to stockpile a large inventory of parts.
3D printing is becoming more and more commonplace, one example of this is in the car industry, where companies are offering the consumer added customisation and performance from 3D printed parts. For example, Mini offer completely customisable side indicators, dashboard trims, door sill inlays and LED puddle lights. Yet there are some that would argue that 3D printing is yet another 3D fad, a phase that will also disappear over time – this seems unlikely however as more and more companies are investing in 3D printing technology. With what is being heralded as the world’s first mass-produced printed vehicle, the LSEV, scheduled for distribution in 2019, time will tell if 3D printing will form an essential part of Industry 4.0.
Sustainability is an ever-increasing factor in everything we do as individuals and businesses and will only increase in importance as resources become increasingly scarce. We’ve already discussed how 3D visualisation reduces the need for production of physical prototypes and minimises inventory and floorspace required. Although these benefits alone encourage sustainability visualisation has the potential to go far beyond this into helping us plan our everyday existence. There is no better example of this than ‘Virtual Singapore’, a 3D model or digital twin of the city itself commissioned by a collaboration of the government and research associations and representing a $73million investment over a five-year period. The model, constructed in Dassault Systèmes pioneering 3DEXPERIENCECity platform and expected to complete in 2018, will allow members of the public and organisations to model and simulate infinite scenarios, giving a greater insight into the workings of a city than ever before. More than just a virtual map, the model holds detailed information on textures and terrain attributes such as water bodies, vegetation and transportation infrastructure. The digital twin will be able to simulate anything from mobile phone coverage to energy usage and traffic congestion. Virtual Singapore will help enrich decision making as well as creating plans for disaster recovery and will allow optimal future growth planning for the city.
If 3D visual technology has the potential to save our cities – where can it go next? How about exploring the solar system with a quick trip to Mars? When BMW launched the X3 it created a digital prototype of its latest vehicle and simulated the terrain of Mars, creating a 360 degree video allowing consumers to take a virtual test drive on the planet’s surface. OK, so maybe this is not quite as accurate as a digital twin, but it certainly is a creative way of using a virtual model in an advertising campaign. Reusable 3D digital assets can transform advertising and marketing strategies in a cost-effective and creative way, encouraging interaction and engagement with prospects across multiple platforms.
3D technology not only allows the consumer to better visualise a product, but it also can enable them to personalise a product too. My Retail Theatre is a solution where consumers can configure their dream product online, bring their creation to life in photorealistic quality and interact with the finished prototype. From there they can proceed to check out, save for a later date, or even share their future product on social media to gain feedback from their friends. A shopping experience like this has far greater emotional investment and impact on a consumer, as well as giving companies a clearer indication of their audience’s preferences and tastes. Although 3D has yet to fully find a place in the home environment it’s clear that it’s increasingly valuable to manufacturing organisations – no longer as gimmick but as an essential strategic tool for creativity, collaboration, growth and sustainability.
Editor’s note: If you want to ensure you keep up to date with press material, opinion focussed blog content and case studies from Design Rule you can visit the company’s news page: http://www.designrule.co.uk/news
For further information contact: Katie Bowley, Design Rule Innovation Centre, Silverstone Technology Centre, Silverstone, Northamptonshire, NN12 8GX
If you are a manufacturing organisation, creative agency, design house or journalist and would like more information on 3D visualisation you can visit our 3DEXCITE Deltagen webpage or contact Design Rule via the contact information below. Telephone: 01604 491661
About Design Rule: Design Rule is one of Europe’s leading suppliers of digital end-to-end business solutions to manufacturing companies. Our long-term successful partnership with Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE company, gives our customers access to world-leading software enhanced by our local knowledge, customisation and support. For further information please visit www.designrule.co.uk
About Dassault Systèmes
Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, provides business and people with virtual universes to imagine sustainable innovations. Its world-leading solutions transform the way products are designed, produced, and supported. Dassault Systèmes’ collaborative solutions foster social innovation, expanding possibilities for the virtual world to improve the real world. The group brings value to over 220,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 140 countries. For more information, visit www.3ds.com
3DEXPERIENCE, the Compass logo and the 3DS logo, CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, ENOVIA, DELMIA, SIMULIA, GEOVIA, EXALEAD, 3D VIA, BIOVIA, NETVIBES and 3DEXCITE are registered trademarks of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries.
