The Posterfix Revolution

Innovation in an unlikely place.

With the display solution marketplace flooded with all kinds of products, you wouldn't expect anything truly new for wall mounting signs, posters or any other document. Posterfix seem to have broken this rule by innovating such an elegant and practical solution it really leaves you wondering why you would ever use anything else!

Posterfix At Orchard

A SIMPLE ELEGANT SOLUTION

With simplicity at its heart, Posterfix makes displaying A5 / A4 / A3 / A2 / A1 / A0 posters in landscape or portrait so straightforward, neat and professional that almost any public, retail or corporate environment would benefit. Posterfix can be mounted on walls or windows in a matter of seconds with no need for sticky tape, staples, blue-tac or glue - its self adhesive strips secure it firmly to almost any flat clean surface but can be removed and even relocated at any time!

CLEAR TO SEE

Posterfix works great on windows as it allows you to create a double sided display with integrated branding which can be seen from either side. The perfect professional display solution for:

- RESTAURANTS

- ESTATE AGENTS

- TRAVEL AGENTS

- SUPERMARKET

- HIGH STREET RETAILERS

INFORMATION POINTS

The possibilities with Posterfix are almost endless, but they really do come into their own in commercial environments where changeable  information needs displaying clearly and concisely. Posterfix can produce the complete information points - fully branded Posterfix notice boards without the drawing pins, sticky tape or staples!

The Future of Drawing Equipment

When I get chatting to someone in a Pub and the question of "What do you do for a living?" crops up, there is always a set sequence of events.

Firstly I tell them I work for a drawing board manufacturer. They either say "What? Pieces of wood?" or, if they are a little more worldly-wise "Drawing Boards? I didn't think people still used drawing boards?". I then proceed to tell them that both students and professional designers / architects all do indeed still use drawing boards and even though computers undoubtedly have their place, you still can't beat pencil and paper for getting ideas down.

So I was in the Cross Keys in Leeds last Wednesday night (Burns night) and there was a young lad working on his laptop at the bar. I couldn't see what was on his screen, but as I was ordering drinks I couldn't help notice his sketch book as he drew exotic and fancy profiles of buildings and interior layouts.

I couldn't help myself. "What are you working on?" at which point I noticed that sleep probably hadn't been on his agenda for quite some time. He was a third year architectural student called Tom studying in Leeds and was glad to show me his project; a rather striking building he was designing for his current assignment. He showed me his recent portfolio of sketches in his book - hundreds of lovingly drawn ideas from the basic to the sublime. Sketched, re-sketched, coloured and crossed out, this book represented the inner workings of his mind over the last year. On his screen was the half finished model with every detail from his sketch faithfully reproduced in wire frame.

"And what is it you do for a living?" he asked, sipping from his extra, extra black coffee.
"Ever heard of 'Orchard'?" I asked with a wry smile. He looked puzzled for a moment then suddenly remembering the name "we use Orchard drawing tables at Uni".
"That's us. We make them only a few miles away" I told him.
"No way? You actually make that stuff?"

It turns out his entire department is kitted out with Orchard drawing equipment and he uses it every day. What's more he loves using it and finds something very 'romantic' about drawing on paper. The cold hard machine that was his laptop was just a tool to him, a way of saving his ideas in 1's and 0's. His real love, his creativity, could only be released through paper and pencil and that was the reason he loved architecture.

Three years in to a seven year course he admitted that it is a long hard slog, but well worth the rewards at the end of it. To find yourself designing something which will actually get built. Knowing that you are in a position to create a visual impact on millions who see, live and work inside your creations for years to come.

He told me about the responsibility ahead of him. Medicine takes 5 years but you can only ever kill one person at once. Architecture takes so much longer because one mistake could have catastrophic consequences. I could see he was keen to get back to his work so with that I wished him well and left him to it.

I have to admit. Although I am a creative, I don't really know how to get the most out of a drawing board. Not like how Tom could at any rate. We make them, sell them then make some more knowing that the product is perfect for the job but not being able to do the 'job' ourselves.

We are organic beings, as much as we claim to know and understand computers they will always stifle basic creativity to some extent and so I see a bright future for the humble drawing board as the trusty companion for architects like Tom, designers and artists the world over.

Retail Display Sense

Having the space to spread your products far and wide can quite often produce excellent results in the retail world. Creating an airy sense of space and freedom. Making your customers feel less likely to get cornered by an employee.

In most shops however, this luxury of space is often at a premium. Having good retail display stands help to ensure you don't clutter your shop unnecessarily - displaying products in a clean, clear and efficient way can make all the difference when you are short on floor space. Magazine display towers and display racking with Italian styling and practical design is a good place to start. Check out http://awards.designweek.co.uk for some great inspiration.

Keeping your office in shape

When it comes to plan filing choosing the right option can quite often be a minefield. Do you need horizontal paper storage or vertical paper storage? Do you need a lockable plan chest or a plan hanger stand? Metal or wooden? Bright and colourful or brown and beige straight from the 80's?

Despite the dreams of most architects to impose the perfect paperless office on us all, the reality is that most offices cannot escape it. Certainly large format plans and blueprints need to exist in a drawing office and so also need storing safely and neatly.

Most drawing offices tend to go down the route of plan holder systems as jobs can be grouped together into a single plan hanger. This is doubly useful for site offices where plans are readily needed on a building site.

Orchard Mirrors the Fashion World

Mirroring Fashion


As far as the world of fashion is concerned, if drawing boards do have their place then its only in the design studio. Last summer something extraordinary happened as drawing boards and fashion were brought together for a world class display of male suits in Somerset house in London.

Esquire Magazine led the drive to showcase 18 of the finest garments the worlds leading fashion houses and designers had to offer. Teamed up with major artist the goal was to create an artistic vision which demonstrated superb styling with an exquisite attention to detail. Each vision was then presented in full splendor next to a fully mirrored Orchard drawing board with polished chrome stand.

Granted, not all of the suits on display were practical, but the designers were able to let their artistic juices flow and catch the eye of the worlds media as the opening night was star studded with the likes of Graham Norton, Bonnie Wright & George Lamb.

Keeping the wheels turning

The British Grad Prix is one of the most iconic events on the F1 racing calendar. The historic track is brilliant for drivers and with most teams based in the UK it's also the 'home' Grand Prix for many of the teams.

With the huge logistical challenge in setting up the UK Grand Prix at Silverstone, its a small wonder the whole country doesn't grind to a halt in order to make it happen. 12 teams, each with an army of people and equipment all of which need on site catering and facilities. The world's media descend on Silverstone with a vengeance combined with a crowd expected to exceed 400,000 over the course of the race weekend.

The cleaning and catering effort in itself is epic let alone all the fixtures, fitting and equipment required to make the Grand Prix machine run smoothly. The only way you can be assured of a seamless race weekend is if people have the information they need the moment they need it. This is no more apparent than in the world of TV media and race commentary.

For instance take these presentation pedestals designed to get information to the commentators without interrupting them. Not only do they look the part in the glitzy world of F1 but they are highly practical.

Display stands like these and many others used all around the Silverstone site provide a vital way to get information across in the most effective way. From sponsor billboards to leaflet holders for menus, promotional material or free maps.

Optimising your potential to have a blue sky water cooler moment

Space Saving Solutions

Getting the most out of your work space can be challenging at the best of times. Even with a tidy work ethic the combined efforts of you and your colleagues can sometimes lay waste to your office.

Eliminating this problem entirely is certainly an achievement but to do it in style is another thing altogether.



Since Stark made his orange juicer and Kamprad screwed the leg off his table and called it IKEA, designers have been working hard at their drawing board to make your office a pleasant place to be.

The 'paperless office' thing has always been the holy grail but realistically humanity can't cope with it just yet. Paper storage and plan filing solutions exist in their droves allowing you to efficiently organise your paper sensibly.

Educational environments suffer from the same problems. Design studios and art rooms use copious amounts of paper all of which needs organising and filing. Space is often also at a premium so having multipurpose furniture can really help to get the most out of the work space.

Reversible desks are a great space saving solution for schools and colleges. Providing a normal school desk but featuring an integrated desk top drawing board for graphic and design work.