InsightInterview with Jonathan Posnett
Two Twelve has recently had the pleasure of beginning work on several projects in the Middle East. Creative Director Jonathan Posnett is currently overseeing the wayfinding and signage design for a large parking structure in Dubai.
What were the problems this project solved?
Well, it’s one of the largest malls in the world, and the parking garage is immense: it’s actually three garages, all completely different. Parking was essentially a maze. It was so difficult to find your way around inside the garage that management was receiving regular complaints from people who had trouble navigating the garages and couldn’t find their cars after leaving the mall. Something needed to be done. We were hired to refresh painted wall graphics inside the garage, but a careful strategy analysis resulted in a much larger project, reinforcing navigation into and out of the garages and internal pedestrian and vehicular orientation.
Were there design opportunities that the client did not anticipate?
The client had a definitive idea of what the solution needed to be: our task was primarily to address the painted wall directional and identification graphics. In the process, we realized that that there were inefficiencies in the overhead signage and that there was actually a need for fewer bolder wall graphics, not more, to make wayfinding clearer. Our solution was to use selected large-scale painted graphics in combination with bolder and simpler overhead signage. The end result will be an efficient integrated system of signs and graphics that should guide people smoothly through the garages.
Did anything else happen along the way?
In the process of solving the problem, I think we gained the trust of our clients. This was a challenging process, given the enormous distance between our office and theirs, and the fact that we had very little face-to-face time. It was a learning experience for us, having never worked in the region, understanding how to be effective and manage projects in a completely new cultural climate. We listened closely, trying to understand their needs and concerns while slowly assuring them that our plan would solve their problems and achieve the desired outcome. We tried to remain flexible throughout the process: we learned when to say no, and when to let things flow. Our intention with this project was to learn as much as we could, build new relationships, and demonstrate our expertise and ability. I think we’re off to a great start.
Any interesting discoveries you made while doing the project?
We are fascinated by Dubai. It reminds me of Las Vegas, where I just completed a project. It’s a newly fabricated, glittering city in the desert, filled with glamorous attractions. In the downtown area, everything sparkles and there is water all around. When you look at the people, you quickly see that it’s not Las Vegas. There are so many languages spoken and there are people of all races. Many dress in Western garb that is quite familiar to us New Yorkers. Others dress more traditionally, either in clothes typical of the Gulf region, or perhaps from Africa or South Asia.
To us New Yorkers, Dubai seems so far away. Yet it’s location on the edge of the Persian Gulf makes it’s central to so much of the world, close to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. It’s a fascinating and wonderfully multicultural place.
Were there unexpected obstacles?
There is a huge variance in the timing of the workweek between the U.S. and the U.A.E.. In the Middle East, the typical workweek is Sunday through Thursday. Combined with the time difference, we had to adjust to new and unusual deadlines: “Monday morning” in Dubai is 1-2:00am Sunday morning in New York, their end of the week falls around 10am on Thursday morning our time. That took some adjusting to.
As a Creative Director, you have seen a lot. Did you learn something new from this project?
The biggest thing we learned through this process was how to manage a project effectively with a new type of client, one from a profoundly different cultural background. We focused on listening and being respectful. We learned to get our point across while navigating a new way of communicating.
While working on this project, I realized that what I enjoy most about my role as Creative Director is learning how to understand, empathize, and get the most out of a client relationship. It’s a real life skill, having sensitivity to people and learning how to make an effective connection. There was certainly some self-reflection - I found I truly enjoyed the challenge of this new type of cross-cultural relationship building. I believe the signature of a successful project is having created a deeper client relationship and having cultivated the ability to do good work. You learn to strike a balance, how to negotiate the give and take. When a client likes you, genuinely trusts you, and wants your help, that’s when you know you have created a strong personal link. In the process of working on this project, I think I have grown as a manager, as a designer, and as a consultant.
