Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Designing Effective Iconography: Some Basics

We see them all the time —
A single “i” dressed in a welcoming serif font says “information here.”An exclamation point, obstinate and uncompromising inside its red triangle, barks “ALERT.”A bold and self-assured arrow promises “the exit is this way.”

Visual symbols, or icons, are used to effortlessly communicate essential information, despite
the barriers of language or geographic location. Whether guests enter a building, use a public restroom, cross an intersection, or read a map, the carefully coordinated placement of simple visual icons rapidly communicates a given set of information or instructions that can be instantly understood.

Considering the above, it’s no surprise that designers frequently use icons to globalize and simplify communication. As described by Aurora Harley of Nielsen Norman Group in “Icon Usability,” icons are easily seen, fast to recognize, take up little space, and are often visually pleasing. With infographics dominating today’s visual communication solutions, icons have become essential tools for today’s designers. In the themed entertainment industry alone, icons and infographics are abundant. They can aid in successfully pitching information to clients and clarifying crucial factors in plans, functional theories, guest flows, and guest attendance.

Yet, the successful communication of information through the use of visual elements poses a big challenge for today’s designers. As Hurley further explains, icons can be problematic in that they draw on a user’s previous experience to facilitate understanding. “If that object, action, or idea is not immediately clear to users, the icon is reduced to mere eye candy — confusing, frustrating, eye candy — and to visual noise that hinders people from completing a task.” Gone unchecked and combined with a complex set of data, color options, and style selections, this visual noise has the potential to crescendo to a deafening roar.


So, what’s a designer to do?

The answer lies in keeping simple, effective communication as the primary goal. The following guidelines can help facilitate a successful outcome.
  1. Understand and organize the content. When building an icon or an infographic, a designer needs to determine the essential message he or she wants to convey. Sometimes this is obvious, but more often than not, icons and infographics need to communicate more complex or abstract ideas. It’s helpful to organize content into an easily understandable structure. Break it down into smaller, manageable parts before attempting to design it. This is especially useful when determining whether multiple icons are needed to highlight key points.
  2. Keep it simple. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the details, but once non-essential pieces of information are stripped away, the task becomes easier. Keep shapes, styles, and colors simple. Avoid flourishes and color schemes that could detract from readability. Color and styling are secondary, and should complement the main idea being represented.
  3. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel; re-examine it and update as needed. When communicating basic information (i.e., restroom markers, directional cues, transportation), use icons that have already been created. Everyone sees them all the time, so there is no need to reinvent them. If a new icon is needed for something more specific, do some research. Focus on identifying key features that represent the subject, and use simple shapes and silhouettes when building the form. In doubt as to whether the icon reads well? Have a colleague take a look and give feedback. If there is a delay or struggle with the answer, or if the answer is completely different from what is intended, it’s a sign that some reworking is in order.
  4. Consider the client and/or audience. View the message from the audience’s perspective. Is the message something the audience might not be familiar with? Are there cultural references that should be considered? General symbols work well in these instances. Text labels can provide clarification.

Following these basic guidelines will help provide an effective plan of action for creating successful visual communication standards that consistently resonate across a global audience.

References:

  1. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/icon-usability/
  2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylsnappconner/2017/10/19/the-data-is-in-infographics-are-growing-and-thriving-in-2017-and-beyond/#3c1855bf137c

ITEC Entertainment appoints Carl Partridge Chief Operating Officer

To Drive Growth in Profitable Areas Including Themed Entertainment and Commercial Property Development.

ITEC Entertainment Corporation, an industry leader of worldwide entertainment solutions, today announced the appointment of Carl Partridge as Chief Operating Officer. Carl will drive ITEC’s corporate strategy to foster higher profitability and growth in themed entertainment and further expansion into verticals including commercial property development. Carl has over 25 years of experience leading operations for established private and public companies.

“ITEC’s ability to transform property into enthralling, immersive experiences involves complex resource and cost management that’s unique to each project,” says Bill Coan, president and CEO of ITEC Entertainment. “Carl’s leadership will be instrumental in helping us further improve these areas and put ITEC in a better position for continued growth.”

Previously, Carl was the Chief Operating Officer at Allivet, LLC, a pharmaceutical eCommerce company, where he oversaw distribution, supply chain, customer service, pharmacy operations, finance, IT and human resources. In this position, Carl forged a new vision and strategic direction to highlight key differentiation that led to 28% year-over-year growth. Prior to this position, he led strategic and profitable growth as COO for Unipower, LLC, SFC Brands, LLC, and AccuMED Innovative Technology.

“I am extremely excited to be joining the ITEC team and to be a part of a passionate and growing organization,” said Partridge. “My focus will be to keep the company’s high-level strategy front-and-center, while understanding and addressing the details of day-to-day execution to ensure what needs to happen does happen.”

For more information on ITEC Entertainment and their turnkey entertainment solutions, visit www.ITEC.com.


About ITEC Entertainment Corporation

ITEC Entertainment Corporation is a global industry leader of award-winning, entertainment solutions that ignite the dreams of hundreds of millions of people all over the world. ITEC’s culture of performance and innovation pushes the frontiers of themed entertainment design, production, and technology to new heights. Founded in 1985, ITEC has delivered over 300 of the most successful and comprehensive guest experiences spanning: theme parks, rides, and shows; cultural attractions; resorts and mixed-use; themed dining; entertainment centers; and themed retail. ITEC is headquartered in Orlando, Florida with offices throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.ITEC.com.

Friday, March 29, 2019

ITEC Entertainment Los Angeles Office to Provide Local Support for Themed Entertainment Projects


ITEC Entertainment Corporation, an industry leader of worldwide entertainment solutions, today announced the opening of a West Los Angeles office. The new location enables ITEC to improve services and support for West Coast and Asia clients. The office is being led by Steve Alkhoja, Executive Vice President of Entertainment Technology for the company.
“This office expands ITEC’s existing relationships and presence and allows us to reinforce on-site support for our long-standing entertainment clients in areas such as creative design, entertainment technology, and sustaining engineering capabilities for attractions and shows,” says Steve Alkhoja. “It’s also well positioned for meetings with our international clients, especially those headquartered in Asia.”

ITEC Entertainment is a 30-year veteran in the industry, providing planning, creative design, entertainment technology, and project development for the largest companies worldwide including Universal Studios Theme Parks, Six Flags, Sony, and Wanda Group. ITEC’s turnkey Experience Design Process (EDP) creates a story that serves as a project foundation, orchestrating all components of development to build the most immersive, comprehensive and iconic guest experiences for theme parks, attractions, retail, themed dining, resorts, and more.

“Creating world-class immersive guest experiences requires a great deal of strategic alignment, creativity, and collaboration at various milestones throughout the development process,” said Bill Coan, president, and CEO of ITEC Entertainment. “Through this process, our team is able to consistently deliver upon the high expectations we’ve been known for over the last quarter-century. Being closer to many of our industry-leading entertainment clients will help strengthen our approach in this region and explore opportunities beyond themed entertainment design such as mixed-use, office campuses, and retail.”

Some of ITEC’s recent Los Angeles projects include Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™; Despicable Me Minion Mayhem; Jurassic Park; Kung Fu Panda; and Fast & Furious – Supercharged – all at Universal Studios Hollywood.
For more information on ITEC Entertainment and their turnkey entertainment solutions, visit www.ITEC.com.

About ITEC Entertainment Corporation

ITEC Entertainment Corporation is a global industry leader of award-winning, entertainment solutions that ignite the dreams of hundreds of millions of people all over the world. ITEC’s culture of performance and innovation pushes the frontiers of themed entertainment design, production, and technology to new heights. Founded in 1985, ITEC has delivered over 300 of the most successful and comprehensive guest experiences spanning: theme parks, rides, and shows; cultural attractions; resorts and mixed-use; themed dining; entertainment centers; and themed retail. ITEC is headquartered in Orlando, Florida with offices throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.ITEC.com.

Friday, March 22, 2019

Things we learned from Charlie Wissig's Speaker Series discussion

A big shout out to teachers everywhere for inspiring students who eventually turn into talented artists, designers and even Creative Directors like our Charlie Wissig!
Charlie’s high school art teacher, Tom Knowland, at Centereach High School in Long Island, New York encouraged him to keep honing his craft and passion. His advice stayed with Charlie for decades and helped him acquire skills that took him through his storied career and eventually to ITEC.
ITEC staffers were intrigued to hear of Charlie’s experiences and the advice he passed along:
  1. Say “yes” to every opportunity to learn something new;
  2. If you don’t already have the skills you need to get ahead, learn them on your own;
  3. Don’t be discouraged if one door closes. Another will always open, and
  4. Keep reinventing yourself.


Thursday, March 7, 2019

CHARLIE WISSIG JOINS ITEC ENTERTAINMENT AS CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Former Walt Disney & Dreampark International Senior Art Director To Join ITEC’s Creative Leadership Team


ITEC Entertainment Corporation, an industry leader of worldwide entertainment solutions, today announced that Charlie Wissig will join the company as Creative Director. Wissig has over three decades of experience in creating, overseeing, and implementing new concepts in mediums for themed entertainment design and development. As an expert illustrator and designer in the theme park industry, he will spearhead creative projects for ITEC’s clientele.

“Charlie understands the evolving theme park industry and the ever-expanding creative role within it,” said Bill Coan, President, and CEO of ITEC Entertainment. “His expertise and vision comprise all aspects of the creative and development processes unique to themed entertainment, allowing us to continue to provide our clients with best-in-class guest experiences.”

Wissig joins ITEC from Dreampark International, where he served as the Senior Art Director and oversaw the creative design of all themed structures, walkways, and rides for projects throughout Asia while maintaining the integrity of intellectual property for accuracy and quality. Prior to Dreampark, he worked at Walt Disney World Company as a contracted Senior Art Director and managed the design and installation of multiple Disney displays in Asia regions. He also served as a designer and illustrator for Universal Studios and designed multiple attractions for Islands of Adventure, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Halloween Horror Nights.

“I look forward to supporting ITEC Entertainment as a key player in development markets globally,” said Wissig. “My extensive experience working on major themed entertainment projects in China, Korea, and Thailand will allow me to continue growing ITEC’s international presence in the market in addition serving to our domestic clients.”

About ITEC Entertainment Corporation

ITEC Entertainment Corporation is a global industry leader of award-winning, entertainment solutions that ignite the dreams of hundreds of millions of people all over the world. ITEC’s culture of performance and innovation pushes the frontiers of themed entertainment design, production, and technology to new heights. Founded in 1985, ITEC has delivered over 300 of the most successful and comprehensive guest experiences spanning: theme parks, rides, and shows; cultural attractions; resorts and mixed-use; themed dining; entertainment centers; and themed retail. ITEC is headquartered in Orlando, Florida with offices throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.ITEC.com.

ITEC ENTERTAINMENT UNVEILS ‘EXPERIENCE DESIGN PROCESS’ AT IAAPA ATTRACTIONS EXPO

Transforms Property Developments into Comprehensive Guest Experiences

ORLANDO, Fla. – ITEC Entertainment Corporation, an industry leader of worldwide entertainment solutions, unveiled its Experience Design Process (EDP) at IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, Fla. ITEC’s end-to-end methodology transforms property developments into compelling guest experiences. EDP creates a story that serves as a project foundation, orchestrating all components to build the most immersive, comprehensive and iconic guest experiences.

The company transforms projects from concept through construction including mixed-use complexes, lifestyle centers, commercial centers and more. The EDP process spans program & planning, design, project development, as well as the orchestration of technologies that bring entertainment experiences to life:

Program and Planning: The process begins with a robust validation and planning stage, which establishes master site and facility plans to define project parameters and organization. It addresses such issues as the Client’s vision and objectives, market, visitor profiles, annual attendance, key entertainment, and support activities while developing multiple high-level concepts that could become the best use of the site and/or facility.


Design: The entertainment experience and creative content is developed in this stage. After confirming the programming and provisional land and facility opportunities, ITEC leverages its team of writers, illustrators, graphic artists and production designers to establish the story narrative and theme which becomes the foundation for a memorable Guest experience. This stage also adds design details to the creative content and program while communicating those ideas and design principles through narratives, illustrations, and digital modeling.

Entertainment Technology:
ITEC’s Entertainment Technology team is responsible for building the complex backbone and technical elements of projects that bring the story to life. Their work ensures ITEC provides the most immersive guest experiences governed by the highest ride and show safety standards in the industry. ITEC’s Attraction Technical Design team, Manufacturing team, and Sustaining Engineering Group work collaboratively to develop, build, install and commission a variety of entertainment systems. They are responsible for ensuring its developments are well-maintained for maximum enjoyment and minimal downtime from inception through opening day.

Project Development: The ITEC Production Management team executes and delivers themed entertainment projects by utilizing a variety of strategic delivery and management processes. From basic creative and technical oversight to comprehensive turnkey project delivery, the team is engaged from the later stages of design through the handover of projects. The resources and disciplines required vary according to individual project requirements, and may involve Project Managers, cost controls, Schedulers, Show Production Managers, Creative Directors, Technical Directors, Show Architects, Procurement Managers, automation and Controls Managers, and Ride Managers – all of which ITEC is expertly able to provide.

“Transforming land into enthralling, immersive experiences require a diverse and unique orchestration of skills ranging from design, technology, architecture and the financial and project management capabilities to ensure all aspects of a development are seamlessly woven together,” says Bill Coan, President, and CEO of ITEC Entertainment. “We are proud to offer this end-to-end service to some of the most coveted names in themed entertainment and commercial real estate.”


ITEC offered a personal tour of its Experience Design Process at their booth at the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, Fla. As part of the process, the company offered private hands-on demonstrations of how the guest experience is vetted by clientele prior to production through immersive VR Head Mounted Displays (HMD), as well as a chance to play their new mobile game Icebreaker – Rescue, featuring line breaker style gameplay that allows players to control a ship and cut back and forth between ice flows. While experiencing the game, ITEC representatives discussed how gamification and innovations in technology will impact the themed entertainment industry moving forward.

For more information on ITEC’s services, visit, itec.com.

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Comparing Themed Entertainment in the U.S. vs. China: A Designer’s POV








As an experienced show designer with a deep understanding of Chinese culture, I am responsible for communicating deliverables and objectives between our creative team and the Chinese themed entertainment market, which has significantly matured over the last twenty years. My interest in the theme park industry started at a young age and my background has since provided me with the experience and skill sets to lead projects and provide entertainment solutions in China and across the globe.  

After visiting Hong Kong Disneyland when it first opened, I knew at age 16 that I needed to be in the theme park industry. Born and raised in China, I searched for opportunities to get involved. This led me to study industrial design at Chongqing University and enroll in Disney’s international college program. After college, I knew where I needed to go to get experience: the U.S., home of the world’s first roller coaster and Disney’s headquarters. While attending the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, I was introduced to ITEC Entertainment through a professor, and proceeded to intern for the entertainment solutions company before joining full-time. Serving as both an intern and a show designer at ITEC, I have noticed several key differences between themed entertainment in the U.S. and in China. 

Starting a Project and the Use of Intellectual Property (IP)



Compared to themed entertainment projects in the U.S., Chinese projects allow for incredible flexibility and endless creativity. Chinese clients often come to ITEC with “blank slate” projects that allow our creative team to run wild with our imaginations. Catering to a massive population with a keen interest in entertainment in the form of theme and amusement parks, as well as other attractions, Chinese developers want to build projects that are unique. They strive for the most over-the-top designs with the biggest, latest, and newest in entertainment technology, which is a feat ITEC can deliver. 

While the United States’s history of theme park development is longer, with more deeply ingrained practices, its culture somewhat inhibits industry innovation when compared to China. This is because a lot of American theme parks rely on the use of IPs. By tapping into the emotional connections franchises foster, U.S. developers have a head start on cultivating major interest for new rides and attractions and tapping into the franchise’s fan base such as Harry Potter. However, this takes a lot of raw creativity away from designers and puts additional pressure on them to deliver an IP ride that meets the expectation of its target audience. In short, while IPs may boost the appeal of a ride, they may also remove some creativity from the design process and limit the potential outcome of the attraction. As time goes on, it will be interesting to monitor the IP trend in both the U.S. and China.

Tailoring Attractions to Reflect Local Culture

Every country has its own captivating culture, storytelling traditions, and folklore, that theme park developers must follow to be successful. Naturally, themed entertainment in the U.S. and in China diverge and cater toward each nation’s respective culture. When designing Disneyland in Hong Kong, Disney strategically adopted cultural aspects into its theme park design. This not only promoted sustainable growth in the region and attracted more local guests, but also ensured that no attractions missed their marks with the new audience. 

As a theoretical example, when I designed my graduate thesis project, I showcased how Hong Kong Disneyland could best design “The Tower of Terror,” an accelerated drop tower dark ride featuring ghosts in America. I explained in my thesis how it would need to be changed to “The Evermore Tower” at the Asia-based theme park. In general, it is not appropriate in Chinese culture to portray ghosts in the same manner that the U.S. does, and the theme park ride would not have been popular. Thus, Disney’s story concept for the ride was altered with new culture-conscious characters. Despite the cultural differences at Disneylands around the world, they all still manage to evoke the same key themes of discovery, adventure, and exploration. No matter the location and no matter the culture, it is a theme park designer’s duty to create immersive experiences that are enjoyable for everyone. 

The Rise of Mixed-use

In the U.S., theme parks are fun destinations that usually stand alone. Visitors do not expect much else in the area. In contrast, theme parks in China are becoming more intertwined with mixed-use developments and commercial real estate centers. While this real estate trend is also emerging in the U.S., as exemplified by the American Dream Meadowlands in New Jersey, it is much more established across Asia. For instance, elements of theme parks are incorporated into all types of projects in China including Ocean Flower Island, Fairytale World theme parks, Wanda Movie Park, and OCT theme parks and resorts. 

In contrast, Chinese developments usually share one main objective: to sell condos and apartments and generally boost property value in the surrounding areas. This is because housing is always a priority in China due to the massive population and lucrative real estate market that investors are eager to fund. In order to increase their own profits, developers are pressured to make their projects stand out from competing developments so that people readily buy units in them. One strategy to appeal to more Chinese buyers includes the use of theme park elements and attractions. People want to live in or own real estate at popular destinations or in close proximity to them. Entertainment solutions greatly contribute to making developments and otherwise unnoteworthy locations into fun destinations. As the combination of mixed-use and theme entertainment expands in both China and U.S. markets, it will be important to monitor how these trends develop and grow.