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The Bravura Journal

Ideas you can hang, wear & gift.

Stories from the workshop, the show floor and the design studio. Practical guides, behind-the-build tales and little tools to play with, written by the team that makes it all.

The pearl that glowed: building a giant LED shell for a five-star hotelBehind the Build6 min readThe pearl that glowed: building a giant LED shell for a five-star hotelIt started as a rough shape on a workshop floor and ended up as a glowing photo spot on a hotel promenade. The story of a giant pearl shell.Read the storyThe 7-second lobby: what your reception says before anyone says helloSigns & Spaces6 min readThe 7-second lobby: what your reception says before anyone says helloBefore your receptionist smiles, your lobby has already spoken. Here is what it is saying, and a 60-second audit to find out if you like the answer.Read the storyThe drawer test: corporate gifts people actually keepGifting7 min readThe drawer test: corporate gifts people actually keepEvery corporate gift faces the same test a week later: is it on the desk, or in the drawer? How to pick the ones that make it to the desk.Read the storyThree seconds in the aisle: how visitors decide which stand to enterEvents & Exhibitions7 min readThree seconds in the aisle: how visitors decide which stand to enterAt a busy show, visitors decide in a few steps whether your stand is worth stopping for. Design, staffing and a planner to set realistic goals.Read the storyLogos that speak two languages: getting English and Arabic rightBranding6 min readLogos that speak two languages: getting English and Arabic rightA bilingual logo is not a translation stuck underneath. How to make English and Arabic feel like one brand, with a hands-on pairing demo.Read the storyWhat your brand colour whispers (and where it shouts)Branding6 min readWhat your brand colour whispers (and where it shouts)Colour speaks before your logo does. What common brand colours tend to suggest, where they work hardest, and a live check to see if yours is readable.Read the storyDressing for 45°C: choosing uniform fabrics for a UAE summerWorkwear6 min readDressing for 45°C: choosing uniform fabrics for a UAE summerA uniform that looks sharp at 8am and miserable by noon helps nobody. How to choose fabrics for the heat, role by role.Read the storyGreenwash or genuine? Six questions to ask before you buy “eco” merchandiseGifting7 min readGreenwash or genuine? Six questions to ask before you buy "eco" merchandiseA leaf icon and the word "eco" are not proof. Six questions that separate genuinely sustainable merchandise from clever marketing, and a quick quiz.Read the storyThe life of a sign: from napkin sketch to switched onSigns & Spaces5 min readThe life of a sign: from napkin sketch to switched onEight steps between "we need a sign" and the moment it lights up, and exactly what you need to do at each one.Read the story

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