It’s already been more than a month since the most exciting and rewarding project we’ve worked on at Urban Gemini, and we want to tell you about it before we forget how intense it was, but mostly because it’s worthed to give details about the work behind the scenes.
On May 13th, together with MC CLEAN, our oldest client, we celebrated 15 years dedicated to cleaning services with an unique expo-event, which exceeded all our expectations. But this was not accidental. From the outside, it is sometimes difficult to recognize what each piece of the puzzle of an event entails, especially if it was organized properly and the participants had a seamless experience. It took five months of active work for a five-hour experience with 90 guests, much like in the saying “overnight success takes ten years”.
It was a collective effort that proved once more that people are what really matters.
Our three-person team expanded with every need and emergency that came to light along the way, but the creative side was Irina’s responsibility, our graphic designer, who faced all kinds of challenges.
The concept of the exhibition and the panelling was based on a plan of the location redone on a scale of 1:10, countless calculations, measurements for each display and exhibition space, simulations and redoes – no matter how meticulously you build your scenarios, you always notice differences on site, but the good part is that almost every time you get a better result than in the simulation.
All aspects regard print and printing materials required special attention and many weeks of consultation with local and national collaborators. We analyzed and tested all kinds of samples, for some products we specifically went outside Iași because we couldn’t find anything suitable locally, and we became a regular presence in many stores in the city where we returned (often) for new searches. We adapted the graphics for each type of material, did detailed simulations and tested everything several times on a smaller scale before placing the final orders.
A detail that made a difference in the viewing experience and of which we are especially proud is the 3D printed portrait holder system, based on the idea of our friend Gary who made the prototype. The aspect
that probably tested our nerves and stress resistance the most, this fastening system went through many drafts and travelled from England to Iași, without a clear delivery date. Because postal services (international and Romanian) are full of surprises, we printed a backup set at a local 3D printing company that also improved the prototype. The fastening system has been checked multiple times to make sure it will hold up, but we‘re not letting you know how many failed tests we’ve had (and potential work accidents).
From idea to implementation, we went through many discussions, planning and tests from which we learned a lot, which helped us grow and convinced us to think twice before judging the events we will attend from now on. Sometimes there’s a story full of adventures behind them.