Environmental Graphics

Visual Feast: The Art of Produce Displays

By Delphine Hirasuna | May 30, 2014September 4, 2014

Of all the sections in a supermarket that have design display potential, the produce section is number one. Unlike branded packaged products such as cereal, ice cream and canned goods, fresh fruits and vegetables are set out loose without wrappers. They come in bright colors, different shapes, textures and sizes, and change frequently with the season. Speaking personally, I tend to judge the quality of a supermarket by the freshness and diversity of its produce. Nothing is a greater turnoff than limp leafy greens and overripe brown bananas. Artfully arranged displays emphasize the natural beauty of the fruits and vegetables, help shoppers instantly see the difference between each item to quickly pick out the red leaf lettuce from the Bibb, the onions from the radish, the bitter melon from the cucumber, etc. The marvels of nature’s bounty are a joy to explore. With a little effort at design, the produce section can become the star attraction of any food market. Shown here are a display of chard and bell peppers (photo by tretorn) from ICA in Tyresö, Sweden, and a display (photo by cool hand lucas) from Zupan’s in Portland, Oregon.

Public Service Campaign

Pink Glove Dance

By Delphine Hirasuna | December 1, 2009September 4, 2014

The feel-good video of the year, the Pink Glove Dance was put together by the employees of Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Oregon, to generate funds for and raise awareness of breast cancer. Created and directed by Emily Somers, the video features some 200 real St. Vincent doctors, nurses, lab techs, and kitchen and janitorial staff who volunteered to participate in the making of this joyful public service plug. Filmed at the hospital during a regular workday, the employees donned pink exam gloves (the signature color for breast cancer awareness) and danced to the beat of “Down,” the R&B song by Jay Sean. Medline Industries, Inc., the company that makes the gloves and produced the video, will donate a portion of the Generation Pink gloves toward mammograms for uninsured women. This all goes to show that public service videos, even for a subject as grim as breast cancer, can be uplifting and fun.