How to Design a Window Display From Concept to Creation - With Bonus Tips and Tricks Videos

Each year, I have the privilege to design the window displays for the Qualatex trade stand at Spring Fair, NEC, Birmingham, U.K. It truly is a job that I love doing, although challenging, I find that I can really allow my creative juices to flow!

Baby Boy Window Display by Sue Bowler. CBA.

Designing a window display is definitely worth pre-planning. Otherwise, you can end up filling a space without really knowing what you are trying to achieve. My role at Spring Fair is to showcase a range of new Qualatex balloon designs in a way that makes them look exciting and striking. 

Probably one of my favourite displays this year was the "Baby" window. I love the NEW "Baby Stripes" balloons; the beautiful pastels with gold and white are so elegant and completely on-trend!

18" "Baby Boy Blue Stripes"
also available in 9".

18" "Baby Girl Pink Stripes"
also available in 9".

Designing my displays

Sometimes I find the process quite easy, but not always, and so planning is especially essential for me. I start by creating a design board. I want to be sure that the ideas I imagined will be functional as well as pretty. I often use this same technique when I am proposing a design to a client, and have found that it really helps them to get a good understanding of what they will get. Below is the design/mood board that I made when working on this window. It helped me see how the balloon would look with a crescent moon shape and garlands. Although I did not re-create exactly what I had originally designed, I really did not deviate too far - that's pretty unusual! 

The ability to be able to download images directly from the Qualatex website in a png format (clear background) has made designing so much easier. I simply download all the balloons that I want to feature and then play around building shapes. If you are working on Columns, Arches or balloon walls, you can use Chris Adamo's fabulous design tool that will help you to produce good look design images every time! Designing the crescent moon was fairly simple. I import shapes into a Word or Pages document and build the shape that I am looking to make, add circles and fill them with the colours that I want to use. 

Making the design

The display was created from two main elements - the crescent moon and the air-filled garlands. Using air-filled balloons in window displays is the key to longevity. The garlands are extremely long lasting and could be easily stored and re-used for a future display. The crescent moon has a limited life but to ensure that it looked its best for the entire show, I double-stuff all the latex balloons or treat with hi-float.

The crescent moon frame was made from a length of 6mm aluminium rod bend into a crescent moon shape. I actually used one of my hoops from another display as a template to ensure that I had a good curve. I secured the frame to a NOT base, which worked perfectly for this design. If you look at the finished design you will note that the base is white. I like to spray my bases with a white, quick-drying floral paint when I am creating pastel and light-coloured designs. 

Colour

To achieve the beautiful pastel blue that has been used for the Baby Boy Blue Stripes balloon, I double-stuffed Caribbean Blue with either White or Pearl White on top. Using both whites and mixing them into the design gave a subtle change in texture, some of the balloons looked a little more shiny whilst others had a subtle softness.

I also added a few under-inflated 11" Chrome Gold and some Gold Confetti-filled balloons too! If you are wondering what the tiny gold balloons are, they are a mix of small gold baubles and the inflated tips of 260Q Gold Chrome balloons! Excepting the 11" Chrome Gold balloons and the 260Q bubbles, all the other balloons are 5" inflated to different sizes.

Air-Filled Garlands

Making the garlands takes a little time, but the effort is truly worth it! My garlands were made from 4" Metallic Gold Stars, 9" & 18" "Baby Boy Blue Stripe" balloons. These were all air-filled and heat sealed as required. Each balloon was connected together using a very fine monofilament line. The finishing touch was to decorate each balloon with a tiny hand-made satin ribbon bow - it's the finishing touches that makes the difference!

The Display

The window space is quite small, so to make the best of the space, I use a layering technique to ensure that each element stands out in its own right. The long garland with the 18" balloon at the base was positioned towards the front of the window. The crescent moon was centred and slightly angled, and the shorter garland was positioned towards the back of the window. This gave the display a visual balance as well as the opportunity to see each of the elements very clearly for every position. The gold glitter balloons added an elegant twist to the design and reflected the confetti that is printed on the balloons.

Tips and Tricks

Here are two very short video clips that will show you how to make the mini 260Q Bubbles and how to make 5" Confetti-Filled balloons using Hi-Float, both of these techniques I used for the crescent moon design. 

Getting both window and in-store displays right are critical for the success of a business. They are the opportunity to show your brand and to promote products or seasonal themes. 


Happy Ballooning!


Sue
www.suebowler.com
#suebowler

Glitter Balloons!

Last month when I created a design for one of the Spring Fair window displays, I decided to make glitter balloons to complement the new, beautiful — in fact, probably one of my favourite ever Qualatex^® birthday Microfoil^® balloons — 18" "Birthday Pink & Gold Dots," Who cannot love this balloon!

#49164 18" "Birthday Pink & Gold Dots."

Design by Sue Bowler CBA

Here is the design that I created to show off this fabulous new balloon. I decided to have a go at creating a design using the organic style, which is so very popular at the moment. It was so much fun adding in the balloons, but it's important not to go too wild and still consider elements and principles of design, especially proportion, line, colour, and visual balance.

Exploring Organic Balloon Décor Styles

Organic Balloon Craze: Not Just a Passing Trend

Some thought that the organic balloon craze was just a fad, destined to fade away. However, the trend has remained strong since its emergence around 2015. It's difficult to say who started it, as rumors circulate that it was someone outside of the balloon industry. For veteran balloon professionals, it was a hot topic, with some doubting the appeal and longevity of the style. After years of creating precise designs, the organic balloon trend challenged the status quo.

Mastering the "Organic Style" in Design

It can be difficult to fully understand the "organic style" in design, and if I'm being honest, there are some organic decor designs that I love and others that I don't care for at all. Would I consider myself an expert in organic design? Definitely not. However, I do enjoy the process of creating an organic design and find it to be a rewarding experience.

Decor by Zoe Adam-Jones, CBA of Jaz Trading, in Queensland, Australia.

I believe that many balloon artist learn to develop their own organic style, as there is no exact method. They have a formula that they like to work with to ensure they get the desired look time and time again. And for those without a formula, many struggle to get a good result, as creating good organic decor is not as simple as it seems! 

So what is Organic Décor?

Organic decor It is best described as balloons that are styled to attempt to mimic the beauty in nature. when a piece has organically or randomly sized balloons placed throughout, it adds an elegance within the design that comes together and helps set the mood of an event space.

However, organic décor is not achieved by simply using a range of different sizes of balloons. It is a combination of intentionally sized sized balloons that have been arranged to create a natural flow whilst also ensuring that the principles and elements of design have been applied to ensure that the design maintains rhythm, balance and harmony.

Why is Organic Decor so popular?

It’s very much like fashion, and it remains a top trend.

It has been popularised by social media, and you see many celebrities and influencers with organic decor on their Instagram accounts.

Structured Organic Decor

For those who are new to the world of organic décor, structured organics can be a good first step. It can also be a great starting point when making structures for organic balloon walls, ceiling clouds, topiary, puffed hearts and other designs.

Structured organics is when we use a classic décor style structure and add more balloons to the design to create an organic look to it. 

Organic Topiary Centrepiece 
by Tina Giunta, CBA of Shivoo Balloons, Melbourne, Australia

If you would like to learn how to create a Balloon Cloud using a structured base, check out this great video tutorial by Chris Adamo, CBA of Balloons Online, The Balloon Crew & Balloonpro.co in Sydney, Australia.

Organic Freestyle Decor

If you take a look on Pinterest or Instagram, you will see many different styles when it comes to organic decor. Organic décor, can be either straightforward, using limited variations of balloons and balloon sizes, or much more complicated with elaborate styled frames and many balloons inflated to varying sizes!

Here is a selection of organic balloon décor design by Chris Adamo. Chris in my opinion is one of the best freestyle organic balloon artists! He makes organic decor look effortless, and he always seems to get the natural flow of the balloons correct... with no awkwardly placed, over-inflated 3' balloons! 

If like me, you struggle to create organic style decor, I recommend that you watch Chris Adamo's "Organic Essentials for Today" video, available to purchase from Qualatex Online Training on Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/qualatex. 

Don't forget, Qualatex has some helpful social media resources, some of which display organic designs! These are free to download and use for your marketing. Visit www.Qualatex.com, go to INSPIRATION and then click on Marketing Materials.

And finally! There is a great article about the Organic Décor trend in the TRENDS section on the Qualatex website! Just click HERE for a direct link or visit https://us.qualatex.com/en-us/inspiration/trends-themes/organic-balloon-decor/

Happy (Organic) Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

Part 5. Beginners Guide to the Elements & Principles of Design - Proportion and Scale

Scale and Proportion are closely linked and both are concerned with size. 

So let's consider how important is it for us to understand proportion & scale when designing our everyday displays. 

Here is a scenario  - " I have been asked to create table arrangements for a party in a venue that I have never visited".

When we start our design process, we think about the colours that we are going to use, and if there is a theme that also take high priority, but I wonder how many of us consider proportion and scale?

For me this is now a very important part of the design process that I need to consider right from the start. 

• How big are the tables that the designs are being used on?
• What is the size and height of the room?

Without knowing and using this information very early on in our design process we could suggest, propose and cost work that is total inappropriate for the room that it is intended to be used in! Believe me, I have been there... balloons too small or too big for the height of the ceiling and the size of the room and centrepiece that are too big or too small for the tables! 

You are the expert and you can use your knowledge and skills to advise and recommend to your customers.

So lets look at proportion and scale in greater detail.

Part 1 Beginners Guide to the Elements and Principles of Design - Colour

Elements & Principles of Design

Creating the 'perfect' design is not something that just happens, well not for most of us anyway!  There are a number of factors that make it a perfect design, so lets take a look at what those factors are?

Elements of Design:

These are parts that make up the design, you can either touch or see the elements of design. These include colour, line, shape and texture.

Principles of Design: 

The basic principles of design include unity, proportion and scale, balance, rhythm and harmony.

By applying the principles to the elements of design brings them together into one design. How you apply these principles determines how successful a design may be!

A centrepiece design idea for Halloween

In my last blog 'Part 3 The Beginners Guide to the Elements & Principles of Design- Texture & Balance', I talk about how it can be harder to create designs that have contrasting textures as balloons  generally have a similar texture, however if we can create contrasting textures within a design it can give us a design that has greater visual impact!

So with 'texture' in mind, I set about creating a centrepiece design for Halloween.

Jack O'Lantern Qualatex Bubbles #18494 

Every centrepiece needs a strong focal point, and for my Halloween design I chose to use the 'Jack O' Lantern' 22" Bubble, there is another Bubble also 22" called 'Magical Jack' (see below) that is also perfect for this design!

I personally love these Bubbles and the vibrancy of the the colours, to me, they look like they are lit up and radiate a warm glow!

Can an unhappy customer be your key to success?

Guest blogger Jill Shortreed, CBA, of Charleston Balloon Company in Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.A. has a wealth of business experience. She enjoys  studying business books and engaging in online education seminars and classes to keep up-to-date. Jill has recently set up a new Facebook group called The Business of Balloons. This group is aimed at those who own and operate a business that sells balloon decor, retail balloons, balloon deliveries, or entertaining with balloons.

Jill shares her experience with us and explains how an unhappy customer can be your key to success.

‟All complaints have a similar theme – something that was supposed to happen did not. Something didn’t work(i.e., a balloon drop or a special effect.) You didn’t deliver on schedule, were late to set up, or missed a delivery. Your client’s expectations were not met; your client thought they were getting X, but you delivered Y.
By the time a customer is ready to contact you, they are upset and emotional. 
So how do you turn this around?

• Make your client feel heard, – Let the client vent; they deserve it. While it is only natural to get defensive, truly listen to their complaint and pick-up on nuggets of information that you can use to make them a loyal customer. 

• Do everything you can to delight your client. - Sometimes you cannot undo a problem, but there are ways you can find to make it up to your client. If you go slightly above what your unhappy client is expecting as a resolution, then it can go a long way into making them a repeat customer who will refer new business to you.

• Protect your Brand from negative mentions. - Before smart phones and social media, if a client had a complaint they called you or wrote you a letter. Now, it is easy for an unhappy client to damage your brand in a matter of seconds. So how do you handle this? Unresolved and ignored complaints tend to escalate. Respond promptly online and continue to update the situation so potential clients know that you care. This will go a long way and if the client leaves you negative feedback, you can try to balance it with a positive solution. Do not engage in an online argument with your client. This will just escalate and end badly for you with negative publicity.

• Build and maintain a positive reputation. – So what happens when your unhappy client is transformed into a satisfied one, or better yet, a thrilled one? They become more loyal than your best satisfied customer. Why? Because your satisfied customer received what they were supposed to receive from you. Your unhappy customer was hoping for a resolution that probably was not going to happen, and you delivered beyond what they were expecting. So you know that they will do? Tell everyone about their unbelievable story! There is nothing like unsolicited positive mentions to improve your brand – to me that is a win! 

• Welcome complaints as a way of improving your business. - If an unhappy client tells you about a problem, how many more have possibly experienced the same issue but haven’t said anything to you? When you incorporate complaints from your clients as a way of improving your business, you show your clients you care and help your business avoid the same issues in the future. Most clients will accept a human hiccup or occasional error; how you respond is what will distinguish you from your competitors.

So next time you have an unhappy customer, sincerely thank them for bringing this to your attention and take the appropriate action to turn this into a positive way to build your business.”

Jill Shortreed, CBA – Charleston Balloon Company 

A huge thank you to Jill for sharing her experience with the Very Best Balloon Blog! If you have not already found her group “The Business of Balloons,” I strongly recommend it, as it is a wealth of information and business support! 

Happy Ballooning!

Sue Bowler
www.suebowler.com

Classic Balloon Décor vs. Organic Balloon Décor

When I look at Facebook, Instagram, and other social media channels, I see far more displays of organic balloon designs and installations than I do of Classic Balloon Decor. I believe that social media has played a huge part in the rise in popularity for the organic style of décor. So is Classic Décor going 'out of fashion?' Before we look further into this possible change of trend, let us look at what is meant by each of these styles of balloon decoration.

Classic Balloon Décor

Classic Balloon Décor is the building blocks of ballooning, and almost all balloon artists/decorators begin here! It is as basic as learning how to inflate balloons to a specific size, tying a duplet, twisting balloons into clusters, as well as the art of adding balloons to line or framework! Classic Balloon Décor is taught as part of the Qualatex Fundamentals course. Fundamentals is the balloon course for beginners, and it provides the grounding that retailers and decorators need before starting a business that includes professional balloon work. It is also taught as part of the QBN Program (Qualatex Balloon Network).

Striking Balloon Arches by Dianna Glandon, CBA, of Above the Rest Event Designs, 
Knoxville, TN , USA.

So what is Organic Décor?

Organic decor is best described as latex balloons that are styled to mimic the beauty in nature. When a piece has organically, or randomly, sized balloons placed throughout, it adds an elegance within the design that helps set the mood of an event space.

However, organic décor is not created by simply using a range of different sizes of balloons. It consists of  intentionally sized balloons that have been arranged to create a natural flow whilst also ensuring that the principles and elements of design have been applied to ensure that the design maintains rhythm, balance and harmony.

Balloon Decor by Sue Bowler of Balloon Art by Sue Bowler & Nicci Gibson of Balloon Bouquet Events

So is it actually true that there is a greater demand for organic décor, or is it that we are seeing more of it on social media and therefore are led to believe that it is more dominant?

I recently asked some of our QBN members if they are offering Classic Balloon décor more often than Organic Style Décor? Here are some of their responses:

Cindy Chait of Balloons N Beyond, LLC, USA, reports "I do more classic over organic; almost 2 to 1 classic vs organic."

"Corporate customers love Classic Decor!"  is the statement from Nina's Balloons, CBA, in Norwalk, California, USA.

Balloon Columns by Ninas Balloons

Kahla Sharp-Leggett of Altitude Balloon Décor in Naperville, IL, USA. "I love the classic style, and try to steer customers to it. Corporate clients prefer it."

Red, White and Blue Columns by Kahla Sharp-Leggett of Altitude Balloon Décor

"Classic can look fun and hip!"  suggests Rachel Porter, CBA, of Balloon Splendor of Mount Vernon, Washington, USA.

 

How fabulous is this balloon arch! Rachel describes it perfectly on her website.
 "Bright fun colors served as the entrance decor to an outdoor company picnic at the Microsoft campus. 6 colors in a well-disbursed pattern accented with small round balloons attached to long skinny balloons (balloon bauble accents) made the cold July day not seem so dreary."

 Bob Armstrong, CBA, of Doctor Bob's Balloons Unlimited in Barry, Wales. "We create the same amount of classic and organic. It’s good to offer both."

Bob uses Classic Décor to create these fabulous letters to spell out 'PRIDE' for an event in Cardiff, Wales.

Maria Alvarez of Balloon Decorations by Maria, in Los Angeles, California, USA says "I love classic décor. Too bad Customers prefer organic right now hopefully it will pass soon."

Classic Balloon decor is often described as being "Timeless", "fast to create, making it highly profitable", and as a balloon companies "bread and butter" work!

Reading the responses from some of our QBN members, it is apparent that many of them still prefer to offer classic over organic décor. This is mainly because their client base is more corporate-based, and that the classic style of Arches and Columns lend them better décor opportunities for corporate events. However, organic décor can be visually softer and often offers a sense of artistic creativity and elegant movement, which are usually better suited to more personal occasions such as birthdays and weddings! 

I know that there are a number of balloon companies, possibly those who have started ballooning more recently, who only offer organic décor, and equally there are some more established balloon businesses that only offer classic décor! In my opinion, I believe that both are missing out. Being able to offer both styles of decor makes a balloon business more appealing to clients. 

From my own personal experience, I like to mix both styles when decorating, especially corporate events. I love the crispness of classic décor, especially when it comes to building Balloon Walls and Columns. But equally, there is definitely a time and a place for offering organic decor too. 

I designed and created this 'Sculptured Column' for an event I decorated in 2019. The client  loved it so much that they ordered 12 for their forthcoming event later this year!

I love to create balloon walls, they make the perfect photo backdrop. Personally, I prefer the classic style wall compared to an organic balloon wall, however, each event is very different and therefore we should adapt our décor to suit the event and our clients needs. 

Here is a "Yin and Yang" Balloon Wall where I mixed a classic wall with an organic Garland, and I loved the end result!  

So which is your preference, classic or organic?

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @Suebowler

Monochromatic Decor — Stylish, Elegant, and Fun!

When it comes to choosing colours for decor, remember that a monochromatic colour theme can look very elegant and stylish, too. So what is monochromatic?

Monochromatic (mon·o·chro·mat·ic)  - consists of one hue (colour) and its tints, tones, and shades, creating a striking yet subtle colour contrast. A tint is made by adding white, a tone by adding grey, and a shade is when we add black to the colour that we are working with.

Sometimes it is very hard to work with a single colour. This is a fantastic way to create a design that has contrast, but without introducing a second or third colour.

Decor by Sue Bowler, CBA and Nicci Rene of Balloon Bouquets, London, U.K.

I have recently had a few opportunities to create decor with a monochromatic colour theme. 

Decor by Sue Bowler and Nicci Rene

This shades of Pink decor was ordered for a corporate Valentine's marketing event. We were asked to create organic style decor to grow up and around an open cube shape. We used a range of pink balloons from Wild Berry, Rose, Pearl Pink, Pearl Magenta, and Pink, plus we added some double-stuffed balloons using Jewel Magenta and Sparkling Burgundy to create some deep rich tones. We also added some White, Diamond Clear, and a smattering of the new Chrome Mauve. For added texture, we used paper honeycomb and tissue balls.

This was one of my first attempts working on a large scale organic style project. I really enjoyed the experience and believe that it was absolutely perfect for the event. I think that it is very easy to forget the elements and principles of design when creating organic decor — visual balance and proportion should not be forgotten.

My second recent experience working with a monochromatic colour theme was last September when I was asked to design and decorate the Pioneer Balloon 100th anniversary Saturday night party at the Wichita Country Club. My objective was to create elegant decor with a fun twist, and that —I believe — is what we achieved.

Guests were greeted at the entrance with this fabulous photo booth. The frame was made using Black & White SuperAgates^®, Black with White Polka Dots, White with Black Polka Dots, Spray Decorated Black and White Polka Dots, and Onyx Black Balloons. The combination of these balloons created fabulous visual texture. We made a White Quick Link balloon wall that was positioned behind the booth to give a neutral background.

I love elegant lines, and this arch and the giant numbers looked fabulous, creating a truly stunning backdrop to the main reception room. It also became a great photo opportunity with people posing through the numbers!

Probably one of my favourite designs from this event was the circular wall. Luc Bertrand, CBA, of wAw Balloons, in Vichte, Belgium, created the original wall for a trade stand earlier in the year and when I saw it I really wanted to have a go making it!  Luc very kindly shared his design with The Very Best Balloon Blog. If you would like to know how to make it, click HERE

Giant balloons are very trendy! With the very high ceiling in this venue, it was the perfect opportunity to create these giant balloon bouquets! Using confetti-filled balloons also added a little glamour and a silver sparkle to the decor! 













It truly was an honour to be asked to design the decor for this party, but as you know, it takes a team to create decor on this scale! I would like to thank everyone who worked with me; Cam Woody, CBA, John Bowler, Amanda Armstrong, CBA, LaDonna Belcher, CBA, Cheryl Skoric, CBA, Eve Antonello, CBA, Syliva Santos, CBA, and Edward  Muñoz, CBA —  you're the best!! 

To see more photographs from this event, visit Qualatex.com - Inspiration - Balloon Decor - Black & White or click HERE. If you are a QBN member, you can download the photographs to use for marketing purposes.

I love working with a monochromatic colour theme. It gives me the opportunity to use the full range of balloons that fall within the parameters of the colour that I am working with, plus all the additional colours that I can create by double stuffing! I love being able to add visual texture by using printed and the new Chrome Balloons™. It's certainly not boring!

Happy Ballooning!


Sue
www.suebowler.com