Focus on families
53blue designed a carefully sized colourful window graphic that would conceal the kids’ bikes display from outside view.
The design of the kids’ bikes section was a major focus for the team at 54blue, as this area, located in the very front of the store, would set the tone for the entire space.
The owners wanted to draw families into the store and showcase kids’ bikes in a way that was not only interesting to children, but also safe for them to explore. To do this, 54blue pitched the idea of a carnival-themed display, and the owners loved it.
Building a carnival
In developing the look for the kids’ bikes display, Calon and the owner of Calgary Cycle, Derek Lee, harkened back to their youth in the 1980s and 1990s, when every playground had a carousel.
“We just remembered going as fast as we could on the carousel, and absolutely destroying ourselves,” he says. “We wanted to bring in that idea of youthful movement and fun.”
Calon began by searching for an existing carousel they could cut in half and use for this project. While he remembered these carousels being plentiful back in the day, he was unable to find even one available in North America. Left to creating their own from scratch, Calon drew out the design on a whiteboard, and handed it over to his 3D team leader, Steve Rohl, who drew the element digitally to scale for manufacturing. 54blue’s computer numerical control (CNC) and shop group then produced and welded together the metal structure. The colours for the carousel and surrounding features were developed with help from print production manager Matt McAnally. Calon also took the time to hand-distress the painted surface of the carousel
to keep the rustic feel.
The carousel is anchored to the structural pole, and is not able to turn; however, it is built to withstand plenty of jumping and tugging.
“We designed it to be safe for kids to play on and around,” says Calon.
Bringing in the clown
To complete the look of the carnival, 54blue decided to bring in a clown. The type of clown to portray was a subject of much discussion, however. The clown they eventually settled on was intended to attract consumers’ attention and be slightly disturbing.
“We wanted it to be a little bit creepy, but not so creepy that it scared people,” says Calon.
The clown, and surrounding graphics, were printed on vinyl and adhered to a signboard that has a solid polyvinylchloride (PVC) core and is laminated on both sides with aluminum. The entire structure was also bolted to the central hub’s structural pole, neatly disguising it while also anchoring the display.
