Transforming London City Airport: The Design Solution on “a distinctive passenger experience blended with Sense of Place”

Dermot Davitt interviews Design Director Kevin Patience on our work for London City Airport

Sense of Place: Tradition, partnerships, culture and craft

Aer Rianta International (ARI) has long championed the concept of Sense of Place and has partnered with The Moodie Davit Report for our successful column dedicated to the subject.

The Design Solution: Tapping into athleisure – a US$350 billion opportunity

Is travel retail ready to run?

Robbie Gill of The Design Solution looks at a potentially huge emerging opportunity.

The Design Solution: Creating an experience through airport departure lounge seating

Are you sitting comfortably?

Passengers bring a myriad of needs and moods into the departure lounge. For some it’s a feeling of excitement, to others it’s an indifferent business trip. Of course, our feelings towards airports vary and depend on our personal experiences and expectations.

Nick Taylor’s perspective on King Power Rangam and the official opening

Rangman artivle focused on the design from NT’s point of view. The piece looks into out return to Rangnam and the changes that we have noticed, even in the industry, between then and now.

The Design Solution: “An explosion of Mexican colour and energy” at Cancún Duty Free

The Dufry Group’s ‘New Generation’ store at Mexico’s Cancún International Airport Terminal 4 boasts an ‘extraordinary’ and ‘colourful’ first impression, says London-based design and architecture firm The Design Solution.

The Pop Up Revolution – Trends in the Global Retail Landscape

The Pop Up is now a mainstream retail channel bursting with creativity. Travel retail should embrace the Pop Up in order to create fresh and exciting experiences…

The Design Solution hails rising recognition of design’s importance in travel retail

Importance of design in Travel Retail, RG – article placed ahead of TDS presence at TFWA Cannes 2017.

The Design Solution: Lighting up the travel retail experience

Anticipation, anticipation, anticipation – whether a visit to an airport is for business or leisure almost every traveller experiences this emotion. Will the trip be a success? Will the family enjoy themselves?

The Design Solution: The food & beverage revolution leads to Rome

“When thou art at Rome, do as they do at Rome.” Cervantes.

Airports have become modern day gateways to diverse cultures, bringing almost every culture within reach of the traveller, but not every gateway leads to a truly authentic or memorable experience.

A Venetian Grand Design – how design has shaped the most beautiful store in the world

In the latest instalment in our series, Nick Taylor, Director, The Design Solution, shows how T Fondaco dei Tedeschi by DFS has blended great design from the 13th century with contemporary vision to create a retail masterpiece.

The Design Solution: Virtual Reality – Bringing the design experience to life

Throughout this article you can view a selection of VR images from our work with RIOgaleāo Tom Jobim International Airport in 2016, creating stunning new retail spaces. Simply follow the instructions below each image.

The Designed Experience: Introducing a new series in partnership with The Design Solution

“Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works.” Steve Jobs

The late great Steve Jobs always understood how design is not about surface decoration; it goes much deeper into our lives, writes The Design Solution Director Robbie Gill. After all, Apple has moved way beyond simply being a brand, it’s a lifestyle – a lifestyle shared by millions of people across the world.

The Design Solution brings golden touch to Rio Olympics airport

The Design Solution has announced details of its role in transforming RIOgaleāo – Tom Jobim International Airport ahead of the Olympic Games in August

Pathway to Retail Heaven

Shopping is a fabulous activity, you have product selection, the wrappng process and even paying for the item can have an element of fun attached to it…

Material Comfort

The Design Solution based in London was commissioned to redesign the Duty Free area at Pulkovo Airport at St Petersburg, Russia. Here there is not only sense of place to contend with but also different levels of retail such as luxury…

Sense of Time – New Duty Free at Athens Airport

The Design Solution architects and designers of the new Duty Free area at Athens airport came up with the overarching principle of “the olive branch” which is the ancient symbol of Athens…

Airport Shopping ‘Boring’

Expect the unexpected for the facelift about to take place at Rio de Janeiro’s international airport.

Architect Robbie Gill, owner and director of The Design Solution says airport retail needs to be shaken up. “Jesus it’s boring,” he tells The Latin America Report. “They (airports) all look the same.”

Gill and his team are working with Rio Galeão…

Leader is the Pack

When one is thinking about opening any type of retail operation you have to prioritise various thoughts. Apart from the money aspect of things there are some key principles. First comes property, it’s the most expensive, then staffing and probably towards the end is any form of design let alone packaging!…

Hail that Taxi at Heathrow airport

There are many ways a work of art comes into being. It can be private or corporate patronage, or just for the artist’s own private pleasure. When we concentrate on corporate patronage this also can be for many things and ego being at the top of the list! For Heathrow Terminal 2 Departures lounge a totally different reason came into play…

The Walls Came Tumbling Down

Retailing is all about open spaces, letting the consumer see and experience the product. Walls have their uses, a display facility and holding the roof up and what about windows? Light is an obvious quality but they are about letting the ever eager public see the goods for sale. So keep them clear of clutter!

We are going to the Movies

‘Video killed the radio star’ went the 1970’s hip record. Yes, it was a record, certainly not a ‘music download’ into you mobile phone via something called an ‘App’. Life was so simple then…

Sense of Time for a Sense of Place

India is a vast continent littered with cultural gems, which is what has made it so special for a long list of travellers over the centuries. Fast forward to today and it is developing into a global economic power with an extraordinary contemporary culture right along side…

Kindred Spirits

Kindred Spirits are like souls, similar but not the same. It is a term usually referred to among adults and certainly not products that are for sale in a shop, but why not? Why can’t we have products that are kindred spirits?

Duty Free takes off

Imagine you are a retailer on any High street in Britain, when your shop is at bursting point you lock the doors for a minimum of two hours, usually three, and you have these consumers all to yourself. Is this retail Heaven? Imagine the shock when you re‐open the doors and let them out and only 26% have spent money over and above a cup of coffee and a newspaper! Welcome to airport retailing.

Brand Behaviour

“The views of the younger age group are very interesting. Market research tends to concentrate on adults and not necessarily the motivation behind making their purchases.” This opening comment is made by Robbie Gill, Managing Director of The Design Solution.

Retail Rampag

‘Who are you? I really want to know.’ These are words from a song by sixties rockers The Who. It is unfortunate that this does not apply to owners and managers of the world’s airports when it comes to catering for the retail demands of today’s teenage consumer. When BAA plc…

Lighten Up

The Lighting of an airport – let alone a passenger terminal – is a very complex business; it differs greatly from ordinary retail facilities such as…

Luxury Retailing – but not as we know it….

One person with his finger on the “Luxury” button is Robbie Gill, Managing Director of The Design Solution….