Contrasting Design Trends in European Exhibitions: Vibrant vs Minimalist

Two trends that are visible in exhibition design in Europe are that of the bright and the bland. While the designs are full of energy, they have bright colours and even interactivity and intricate forms – the minimalism trends use only shades of grey, simple geometries, and a lot of free space. Each one has its own beauty and serves to contribute to the creation of different forms of exhibition experiences.

In this blog post, the author outlines the features defining the opposing ideologies behind the design of European exhibitions.

Vibrant Design

High-grossing exhibition design involves incorporating bright colours, striking graphics, and images, using contrasting surfaces and materials. This style is meant to foster an active interest in the material being presented and should elicit a spirit of movement and enthusiasm from its visitors.

Some key features of a vibrant exhibition design include:

- ? Colourful Graphics: Large graphics are used in banners, wall graphics, booth displays, and even floor graphics, which consist of large areas of bright hues. Such graphic overlays attract and engage the audience as they add movement to the image.

- ? Playful Textures: Different textures create visual interest by introducing varied feelings to the surface. It is evident from the use of materials such as wood, metals, and fabrics, where different materials and textures overlap to give a fun spin.

- ? Custom Booth Designs: Exhibitors do not use standard shells, which are conventional rectangular shells, but instead opt for tailored shells that have matching colours, shapes, heights, and facades to the vibrant theme.

- ? Creative Use of Light: The redundancy of coloured lighting, lanterns, lamps, and other types of accent lighting is effectively utilised to complement the lively spirit of the place.

- ? Quirky Styling Elements: Guerrilla graphics and similar details, such as mannequins in bright clothing, flowers, and other items, accentuate the playfulness.

This gives life to the exhibition floor, making it seem exciting and as if the displays have their personality on the outside. This one screams for attention with its nearly cacophonous application of colours, textures, and forms.?

Minimalist Design

On the other hand, the minimalism concerning the exhibition structures and visual means expressed in the frames of the given project is quite the opposite: it is minimal, open, and terse in terms of elegance. Skeuomorphic design is replaced with pure minimalism; everything gets out of the way so that the exhibits and the products become the primary point of focus.

Key facets of a minimalist exhibition design encompass:

- ? Neutral Colours: Soft colours such as white and grey on the walls, ceilings, and flooring are non-distracting. Quirky fun is only allowed on the exhibits, not on any other part of the museum.

- ? Lots of Empty Space: Freedom from congestion means that products can be displayed with enough clearance from similar items to make them easily noticeable.

- ? Hidden Utilities: If any wiring for electrical, plumbing, or internet connections is used, these are well hidden to minimise the aesthetic implication of the minimalist design.

- ? Good Lighting: This type of lighting is ideal for gallery and museum spaces as it does not create shadows or glare but rather ‘washes’ the entire area or exhibit area.

- ? Clear Signages: Small signs and boards employ one clear typeface and relatively low-intensity colours for a professional appearance.

- ? Limited Decor Elements: The use of gorgeous and stylistic features is quite limited, with only the appearance of a green wall, bench, or lamp.

Minimalism does not attempt to overwhelm the viewers with flashy design elements but instead relies on the deliberate understatement of the design to let the exhibits shine. The absence of ornamentation overcomplicates the design and can mislead the audience’s attention away from products or advertisement stands.

Geographic Concentrations

Southern Europe: Vibrancy

Mediterranean-influenced countries such as Spain, Italy, and Portugal are some places with examples of daring and passionate designs in museums and galleries. In even funerals and sadness, the works use brightness in order to pay tribute to the richness of life.

Movements such as Spanish Surrealism, Italian Futurism, and Portuguese Azulejo tilework set the stage for bold and vivid hues, geometric and mathematical patterns, luxurious opulent and intricate surfaces, and an avant-garde attitude to the aesthetics of art and the experiment where the subconscious prevails in the exhibits and exhibitions in the region.

Northern Europe: Restraint

On the other hand, exhibitions throughout Scandinavian countries and Germany tend to lean towards slightly reduced minimalism that aims to celebrate Scandinavian design values in terms of minimalism, functionality, and aesthetics, which expose the essence and manufacturing process of the items.

The ironic whiteness of the galleries hints at the monochrome of the winter Scandinavian nights and strip minimised everything to the object. It is formally suitable for folk art, design, exhibition, and contemplation. Unlike merely appealing and stimulating the senses with an aesthetic overload, exhibitions provide moments of calm and information through absence.

East vs West Europe

It is imperative to understand that exhibition design in Eastern European countries differs dramatically between the luxurious and exquisite styles associated with pre-revolutionary Russia, the rich Baroque motifs of Central European countries, and the laconic modernist concepts that dominated the latter part of the twentieth century after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

However, nations like France, Britain, and the Netherlands tend to go for neat, classy, and conceptual themes and ideas. However, there will always be a few individuals, both in the normal and homosexual community, who are not exactly representative of mainstream culture.

This choice reflected the goals of the exhibition, which was the main reason for the selection and implementation of the design.

In Conclusion

Minimalist and vibrant are two extremes of design decoration. One may dazzle a visitor's eye with the flow of the diverse colours and textures, while the other is more restrained and clean. One seduces with the sheer spectacle of promise, the other invites with the subtlety of understated class.

Where it seems that one has a confrontational style while the other is very passive, both approaches are complementary. Altogether, they bring diversity, increasing the number of options for exhibition visitors. It is critical to find the optimal level of design that would provide the necessary level of contrast and engagement and not overburden the visit with excessive decorations.