Need your message to cut through the digital overwhelm? Graham Preston, Director at Simple Displays, talks to us about getting physical with your brand.
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These days, getting your brand in front of your audience and customers means jostling for attention in an overcrowded digital space. Conversely, the physical environment can be your most open and unfiltered communication channel. So how do you bridge the gap between a creative vision and a high-impact physical installation? In our first Expert Partners conversation, we sit down with a long-time Spiral collaborator, Graham Preston – Director at Simple Displays.
1 • The Psychology of Space
Spiral: Your business is all about bringing brands to life in the physical world. In an increasingly digital landscape, why is large format print and experiential branding more important than ever?
Graham: We feel both working and learning environments have an opportunity to be visually interesting, inspiring, mood-changing, relaxing or stimulating. Companies want their brand to populate the surroundings their staff and customers spend time in – a physical extension of the brand they can participate in, touch and feel. From our work with schools, we know the positive effect a stimulating and visually attractive environment has on students. That is also true in the work environment – people are visually attuned to branding and respond to carefully designed graphics within those spaces. We help create these spaces.
2 • The Technical Safety Net
Spiral: We know the journey from a creative concept to a physical installation can be complex. What should comms teams consider when planning to ensure a smooth process?
Graham: Strong partnerships form the foundation. When we work alongside design-focused clients like Spiral, we become their technical partner. For an office project, we start by surveying the space – measuring up and inspecting surfaces. Once we have hands-on knowledge of the site, this becomes the framework for artwork creation, print and installation. For events, our starting point is understanding the location along with height or loading restrictions. Our experience across the UK and Europe means we manage the behind the scenes elements so the client doesn't have to.
3 • Sustainability
Spiral: Sustainability is more important than ever. What are the common myths around achieving this – and how is Simple reducing environmental impact?
Graham: Sustainability is often a different way of approaching a problem, rather than just printing on a green material. A few years ago, an exhibition backdrop required two staff and a van full of graphics that often went to landfill afterward. Today, we ship that same sized backdrop as an aluminium frame with a fabric graphic in a small holdall via DHL. It’s easily assembled by the end user. When they need a refresh, the new graphics are sent in a small pizza box. It’s easy to store, easy to reuse – and drastically reduces the carbon footprint of shipping and waste.
4 • The Future
Spiral: What emerging trends are you most excited about for corporate communications?
Graham: The retail sector has always pushed boundaries because they need bold graphics and efficient seasonal changes. We see office environments borrowing these ideas. Branding doesn’t have to be a one-hit operation; with careful planning, spaces can evolve. The use of large, printed fabric graphics allows a space to change its look and feel in hours rather than days. We’re also seeing a shift toward branding that solves problems: way-finding that isn’t messy, maps for large offices or creating quiet zones. It isn’t always a big picture on a wall or an inspirational quote; it’s about how people interact with the space.
Graham's expert takeaways
Simple Displays collaborate with some of the UK's leading brands to produce digitally printed wall graphics, signage, window graphics, banners and display panels. To find out more, visit simpledisplays.co.uk
