Thread by @_lightcapital

I'm staying in a 5 star resort. It's early evening and I'm sat at an outdoor bar with my girlfriend having a couple of drinks.

It's generally pleasant, but the scene could be better.

And once you see it, you can't unsee it

THREAD

#designthinking

I can't not notice these kind of details.

It's a hexagonal shaped 'tropical cocktail' bar hut with a central drinks display island.

Over this display, highlighting the bottles of spirits, are some pendant lights. But it's not as good as it could be.

Something's a bit off.

For hospitality, particularly at night, it's absolutely crucial to get this stuff right. Elementary design.

Here's a quick breakdown of the visual experience.

Top 3 things I'd improve asap.

1/ It's immediately obvious to me what the first issue is, and it could be fixed for less than the cost of a bottle of decent champagne.

The lighting is overly cold, giving an unwelcoming, slightly sterile appearance which kills the vibe.

Explainer:

https://twitter.com/_lightcapital/status/1518167752774721536

The candles on the bar top are a nice redeeming feature, bringing a touch of animation, warmth and life.

2/ More subtle, but nonetheless important, are the light sources they've used to highlight the drinks display area - they're cheap, you can tell this because the colours of the bottles are dulled and washed out.

The vibrancy isn't there.

Explainer:

https://twitter.com/_lightcapital/status/1512785945959051272

A bottle of Bombay Sapphire should look a vibrant ultramarine turquoise.

The whiskey should look a rich caramel colour.

The other patrons, lit in a flattering warm light giving everyone a healthy glow.

3/ Most light is diffuse - no real highlight or contrast.

Accent highlighting provides visual cues in the scene to direct the viewer's attention. It should instil a hierarchy to the space.

Not knowing this stuff has an opportunity cost for that bar.

For hospitality: experience is everything.

#design #hospitality #hotel