Visual merchandising displays tend to look better when they're upright.

 

When we arrived at a job site to find that the props sent to the store were top-heavy and would likely fall backward onto the sales floor, we started looking for options. The main prop was designed to hold a large frame and was topped with a heavier piece that would serve as a lid. During construction we noticed that the lid would wobble atop the main prop, which gave us and the store's management serious concerns about the entire structure's stability.

 

Instead of forcing the design studio to send a entirely new prop that was more secure, we were able to use a quick-drying epoxy with clamps (microfiber cloths were used to protect the prop), as well as discreet screws, to ensure the solidity of the lid. We filled the screw heads and used the provided touch-up paint to make them completely unnoticeable.  The store management was incredibly pleased with the outcome, as well as the savings of time and money. We always look for the best way to finish a job in the time allotted, without returning or needing additional support from the design studio.

 

Light boxes are significantly less vibrant when they aren't, well, lit.

 

The design studio had received a site survey (a service we also provide) from one of our competitors. Unfortunately, the incomplete site survey did not indicate the available power sources.  When the design studio shipped a large light box to serve as the store's central display, they didn't leave enough room underneath to plug it into the only available outlet, which happened to be directly below the desired location of the light box.

 

Fortunately, we were there. We were able to delicately remove the fabric on the front of the light box to determine the precise location at which to create a hole for the plug, all without making the light box lean like the Tower of Pisa. We proceeded by covering a large section of the floor, and then used our on-hand tools to fashion a hole that was completely unnoticeable to the public.  After replacing the fabric, the light box looked perfect and the clients were blown away.

 

A client needs a hole in their mirror like they need a hole in the head.

 

We were asked to install a faux wall in front of an existing wall in a retail store to give a new display an extra element of panache. When we arrived at the store and unpacked the materials, we found that the design was based upon the use of French cleats (or Z-cleats) that needed to be screwed into what the studio assumed would be drywall. Disastrously, the existing wall wasn't a wall at all, but a floor-to-ceiling mirror that would clearly make the installation of Z-cleats impossible.

 

We quickly improvised a plan to allow the installation to move forward.  Using painters tape to protect the mirror, we were able to apply our industrial strength Velcro to secure the new faux wall, all without making so much as a mark on the mirror. When we returned two weeks later to dismantle the display, we removed the faux wall, the Velcro and the painters' tape as though they had never even been there. The mirrors were as pristine as we found them and the design studio didn't need to make any changes or shipments in order to fashion a perfect display. Needless to say, the client was pleased.

 

Small feet don't lend themselves to heavy props.

 

A nine-feet-tall, 200-pound prop was shipped to a retail store and intended to be placed upright.  The feet, however, stood about four inches tall and had been fabricated by a different manufacturer in an entirely different country. Predictably, once the feet were attached, it was confirmed that the prop would most definitely not stand on its own. While we had no idea where the communication breakdown occurred, we knew we would need to find a fix it - and fast - as the store was opening in less than two hours.

 

After clearing our emergency plan with the design studio, we affixed Arakawa hanging products, which we had on hand, to the light box. We then attached the Arakawa to the vaulted ceilings using aircraft cable and two 285-pound-capacity drywall anchors and eye bolts.  While the design changed slightly with the addition of the aircraft cable, the design studio was elated to have the prop in place and the sales floor cleared by the store's opening.