DDi - June 2011 - (Page 8)

8 | From the Editor have always loved discovering how things are made. As a child, I found it fascinating when “Sesame Street” would take you inside the Crayola factory, and showcase the process by which my favorite Crayola Crayons were created. From the pouring of the wax for Purple Mountain’s Majesty and Cerulean (my two colors of choice), to the wrapping of paper and packing in cartons, I was mesmerized at seeing how the entire process unfolded before my eyes. Somehow, just seeing the close-ups of the crayons as they were bundled along the assembly line through the TV screen, I could physically smell that brand new Crayola box opening in front of me. I can still smell it right now, in fact—because my art director made me draw the so-professional picture above. This has not changed in my adult life. As editor of a design magazine, I have toured many manufacturing facilities, and always enjoy watching a product being born from start to finish. (Have you ever seen a flooring tile cut into a company logo? I have! Jealous?) I’m also a huge sucker for delectable TV time-wastes like VH1’s “Behind the Music” and E!’s “True Hollywood Story.” So, it is really no surprise that at some point in my tenure as editor of DDI, I would bring my love for the “behind-the-scenes” story to the pages of this magazine. Flip ahead to page 28, and prepare to have fun. Paul Olszewski, director of windows for Macy’s Herald Square and a longtime friend of DDI, allowed us an up-close-and-personal, behind-the-scenes look at all that goes into preparing for the annual Macy’s Flower Show windows. What fun! Special thanks go out to our contributing photographer, Adrian Wilson, who spent days with the Macy’s crew, following their every move and capturing it for our eyes to see. For those of you in the visual field, this may seem like a photo album of your daily life—but for the rest of us, what a treat. I You’ll also find a new column in this issue called “Visual Perspectives” (page 16), which will appear here and there throughout the year, covering the nuts and bolts, if you will, of the visual merchandising profession. Originally, we had dubbed the column “The Visual Corner,” but the column’s writer, Ann Fine Patterson, instantly scratched that name out. “Visual has spent far too long being pushed into the corner,” she said. Too true. Reminds me of my favorite “Dirty Dancing” line from the late, great Patrick Swayze: “No one puts Baby in a corner.” Thanks, Ann, for keeping us editors straight, and believing in the power of your craft! In this industry, you—the readers of DDI—are the experts who see every day how the inner workings of stores are made, crafted, budgeted, put together, installed and ultimately placed in front of the customer. It is all quite fascinating. Feel free to share your stories with us any time. And don’t forget to stop and smell the Crayola box every now and again. Alison Embrey Medina Executive Editor alison.medina@ddionline.com | June 2011 www.ddionline.com http://www.ddionline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - June 2011

DDi - June 2011
Contents
From the Editor
From the Show Director
Newsworthy
Shopper Insights
Visual Perspectives
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
ASICS Amsterdam
Behind the Scenes: Macy’s Flower Show
Shopping Marketing & Consumer Insights Section
Focus on the Shopper
Shopper Marketing Roundtable
POP Products
Right Light
In-Store Technology
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Shopping with Paco

DDi - June 2011