About Fusion / Restoring the King Building

Fusion is a business that is mainly focused on the use of organic cosmetic products and sustainable living in a creative way. Many elements of the design are going to include a professional hair salon, cosmetology school, a fashion and art display area where local designers can showcase their work, and also a place where fashion, art, and hair shows can take place. This part of the space can also be used for other events where people can rent out the space. Fusion is focused on bringing the creative arts back into downtown Baton Rouge to help revive this historical part of town.

Fusion is going to occupy the King Building which is located at 200 Lafayette Street in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This building was first built in 1932 as the headquarters for Standard Motor Car Company. In the design of this space I am going to restore parts of this building back to its original context but with a new age design twist. I am also going to rebuild the King Building in a sustainable manner which plays off the organic aspect of the business.

Below is a stacking diagram that distinguishes the role of each floor in the building:

The total square footage of the King Building is 42,744 s.f.

Official Page Layout Format

Previously, I had stated that I had my final page layout. I took some elements out of that one and changed the scale of some objects on the page design. The final and official page layout is:

top right corner, the color will change for tabbing purposes and a way to catergorize the pages.

Final Logo Decision / Page Format

The critique last class was very informative and helped me make a decision on which logo design is going to represent Fusion. I chose to continue with the logo design that I created last semester.





This logo represents a fun, casual place with a sophisticated edge. The yellow and green dots fusing in the logo represents that aspect of the salon and cosmetology school. It is the notion of cosmetology students "fusing" into salon professionals. Also, the arrangement of the dots form an abstract flower or plant which correlates with the whole organic aspect of the salon and school. Lastly, the graphic plays off of the word fusion. It is eye catching, contemporary, and allows something for consumers to be familiar with. This logo is going to be represented on business headers, business cards, product labels, signage, shopping bags, advertisements, etc. Once the logo design was finalized, I came up with my page layout for my capstone book which is seen below:





As you notice, the logo is placed in the upper right hand corner, so if a viewer is flipping through the book, they know that all the research and design work is for Fusion. Also, the color green in the upper right corner is for tabbing purposes. This book is going to be sectioned off into many different catagories. For each category and page that corresponds to that category will be designated with a color. The two stripes that come off of the logo is the designated place for the topic and category which pertains to that page. Lastly, the graphic on the right side corner came from a sculpture that I did for one of my sculpture classes. It is twisted metal and is signifying the design feel of the salon. Also, this is a cohesive element that is found in my professional portfolio, cover letter, resume, and business card. This is an effort to form a relationship between my capstone book and portfolio.

Personal Logo Design

This project was to take the previous logo design research and apply it to our own logos. We had to come up with 3 different logos. Beneath each logo is a description explaining how and why I created the logo. All 3 are based on the idea of an organic hair salon and cosmetology school.

Logo Design Research

The logo design research project was to do an analysis on precedent logos that graphically interested us. We had to choose three different logos that were created for the same type of business as our chosen design project. Therefore, I chose three different hair salons from all over the United States. Beneath each logo is a description researching the color theory, font type, symmetry, scale, and characteristics and how it affects the viewer. Through my research, I noticed that black and white logos with a popular color are often seen. Based on a lowercase and uppercase font and the font type sets the stage for what type of salon it is: Is it high-end or more casual? Below is my findings:

Inspirations

The inspirations for the design of Fusion is largely influenced by fashion design sketches and also hair sketches. The movement in sketches intrigues me and also the color combinations that certain designer's use. Since hair and fashion interlink, it is important for me, as a designer, to incorporate both these fashion aspects. The inspiration from these sketches will lead to the development of the different component pieces in which I will design. I will be designing these components with a focus on sustainablilty.

The two focuses of my project are going to be component design and LEED, sustainable design. As I was thinking about these two focuses, I came to the conclusion to add a little twist to this business and have the basis of the business concept to be about the organic. Therefore, all the products that will be used and created by Fusion are going to be organic and packaged in a sustainable way. The inspiration of this idea was based on of course nature, how to better the environment, and also to teach others about preserving nature.

Here are some inspirational images:

Introduction

Hi, my name is Amy Holmberg and this blog was created to show the progress of my senior capstone project. I currently attend LSU and I am in my final year of the Interior Design program. The senior capstone project is a chance for the senior students to show there skills of space planning, rendering, graphic board layouts, focuses on certain design aspects such as sustainable design, lighting design, component design, etc.

For my senior capstone project I am designing a space that is used as an organic hair salon, cosmetology school, spa salon, and also a place where clothing fashions can be displayed. Hair and fashion are linked together and correlate with one another. Therefore, it is important to potray both of these worlds in my design. There is going to be a runway type area set up in the building in which special hair and fashion shows can take place.

This project is largely based on reviving the downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana area. This is going to be a place for all ages to come together, have a great time, and have all their cosmotology needs taken care of. The design of the space is going to be innovative and creative.

I am excited that you are here to share this journey with me as I develop this project and idea.

Have a great day! Peace out.

Amy Holmberg