Editor's note: Joe Guggia, AIFD, of JP Designs, authored this week's post.
We’re all creatures of habit. It can be so comforting to go about our day, feeling safe with the confirmed choices we make that all will go well. But with floral design, that can be a bit boring and just not feed our design psyche the way we need it to. Changing up the daily design can be a wonderful gift for our clients that also gives floral designers a new challenge to make us proud of what we create.
Giving a little creative edge to our designs doesn’t have to involve expensive flowers or product. Everything in our cooler has visual value, as long as our hands design them in a way that gives the viewer a new perspective. The design I created has flowers that most florists have on hand, especially this time of year: iris, sunflowers, hydrangeas. (I’m kind of a simple guy, so using just three varieties is enough for me. That way my ADD brain doesn’t get overwhelmed!) I’m also someone who likes to use the most inexpensive containers: way more profit (fresh product is our highest marked up item) while showing our creative element with the chosen items in the design.
Now, I know this isn’t the most creative flower arrangement in the world (for that, check out AIFD Transition Transformation next month in Chicago). But the addition of the armature and flowing placement of the flowers and greens will give the recipient some eye candy to make their day more special.
I admit that an armature takes a little more time—and I’m totally aware of timing when designing—but let me emphasize the word “little.” With just a five-minute investment, this arrangement has the added pizzazz that can wow an office full of potential customers. Also, any of the greens I’ve used can be replaced with items you have in your cooler. If you’d like to add touches of filler, go for it. I was out of any grass type greenery (love using that for dimension and flow) so I pulled foliage off of a couple palm fronds, bundled them into separate bunches and placed them here and there in the arrangement. And, whadda ya know, the effect was almost the same!
Design styles come and go, that’s for sure. But good mechanics and a strong grasp of creative elements will keep your client base coming back for more and more. Flowers are alive and well, and the retail florist is here to stay….now go create and be happy!
We’re all creatures of habit. It can be so comforting to go about our day, feeling safe with the confirmed choices we make that all will go well. But with floral design, that can be a bit boring and just not feed our design psyche the way we need it to. Changing up the daily design can be a wonderful gift for our clients that also gives floral designers a new challenge to make us proud of what we create.
Giving a little creative edge to our designs doesn’t have to involve expensive flowers or product. Everything in our cooler has visual value, as long as our hands design them in a way that gives the viewer a new perspective. The design I created has flowers that most florists have on hand, especially this time of year: iris, sunflowers, hydrangeas. (I’m kind of a simple guy, so using just three varieties is enough for me. That way my ADD brain doesn’t get overwhelmed!) I’m also someone who likes to use the most inexpensive containers: way more profit (fresh product is our highest marked up item) while showing our creative element with the chosen items in the design.
Now, I know this isn’t the most creative flower arrangement in the world (for that, check out AIFD Transition Transformation next month in Chicago). But the addition of the armature and flowing placement of the flowers and greens will give the recipient some eye candy to make their day more special.
I admit that an armature takes a little more time—and I’m totally aware of timing when designing—but let me emphasize the word “little.” With just a five-minute investment, this arrangement has the added pizzazz that can wow an office full of potential customers. Also, any of the greens I’ve used can be replaced with items you have in your cooler. If you’d like to add touches of filler, go for it. I was out of any grass type greenery (love using that for dimension and flow) so I pulled foliage off of a couple palm fronds, bundled them into separate bunches and placed them here and there in the arrangement. And, whadda ya know, the effect was almost the same!
Design styles come and go, that’s for sure. But good mechanics and a strong grasp of creative elements will keep your client base coming back for more and more. Flowers are alive and well, and the retail florist is here to stay….now go create and be happy!
