Design - Interested to hear your comments on this one.

[avflorist]

As a business owner, there is much to do and this little exercise pointed so much more to ponder on in running a successful shop or one that is making money in this economy.

 

[Sher]

And I bet that the person who got them thinks they are just gorgeous!
We critique the crud out of stuff and yet I have been places where the recipient is just gagga over what I think is pitiful...guess it goes back to the fact that we can't forget that the sentiment is often more important than the arrangment to the person recieving them...imho
Sher

 

[VJD]

I ... was hoping to hear the critique of the design, flower content, product quality and the arrangement techniques.

Is it a cookie cutter or an everyday design?

.
I have to say.... "Neither".

It looks like a non-florist arranged these flowers in a pleasing, but non-professional manner.

IMO, a "cookie cutter" design is one that attempts to follow a pre-determined pattern (i.e. a sample, picture or recipe). There's no way of knowing if this is a "cookie cutter" design, intended to copy another arrangement.

This also does not appear to be an "everyday design" created by a florist. (An "everyday design" implies a planned grouping of flowers and materials put together in a composition, using elements and principles of design.)

To illustrate, (again, IMO), there is a gaping hole which throws off the RHYTHM; there is an inordinate difference between the large flowers and small flowers which affect the TRANSITION and PATTERN; the two large roses and the large lillies are fighting each other for DOMINANCE.

This DOES show an example of lovely, fresh appearing flowers, casually arranged in a vase, moderately pleasing, but lacking in design elements.

If a customer placed these in the vase, they did a good job.

If a florist charged to "design" this, and sold this as an everyday design, it's an indicator of their capabilities, and shows that their skill as a designer need training.

So now Duane, please tell us - did a florist CHARGE for this, and sell this as a professionally designed arrangement?

Valerie in NH

 

[duanermb]

My personal final take on this, is that I agree with Master J. Its an old vase and Grocery Store flowers.

I was hoping for more responses here, but I thought this might be enough to prove a small point in perception and what is most relevant to the industry as a whole. This post was not really meant to be about design. With all the accreditation talk going on, I just wanted to look at the industry from the customer's perspective a little closer.

I pose a question about the industry itself, and to those who say that our industry is a mess, and not just changing or changed.

"What do these mixed responses tell us about ordering flowers?"

I have truncated the responses a little for clarity, and to point out the different emotions displayed in regards to this post more clearly.














I put my response last here, because I have been wondering about when we discuss customer appeal and certifications, or shop designations, is it really the consumer we are talking about? I have no formal design training, have spent minimal time arranging flowers, but spend a great deal of time in a flower shop. I then created a judgment of this arrangement based on that experience, as did the rest of the posters.

What we all agreed on, is that the customer/recipient were very happy with the outcome here.

When we get into these heated debates about certifications, and leading the industry, we end up in boxing matches in a multi-cornered ring, with the certified designers, non-certified designers, been there done that's, newbies and assciation supporters all in different corners.

IMO, we have to either keep fighting amongst ourselves about our own take on what's wrong with the industry, or wake up to the fact that there is nothing wrong with the industry!

The industry has changed, and the consumer has changed. In the short term, being PO'd about it isn't helping. I guess a better question is,

"Do I get on the band-wagon, or succumb to this change and die?"

I do believe that the industry can be brought back to what it was, but I sincerely hope that no one is sitting around waiting for that to happen. Even a very strong movement will take years to accomplish, and most of us don't have that much time to wait.

I have anther post to follow shortly about design.

.
I have to say.... "Neither".

It looks like a non-florist arranged these flowers in a pleasing, but non-professional manner.

IMO, a "cookie cutter" design is one that attempts to follow a pre-determined pattern (i.e. a sample, picture or recipe). There's no way of knowing if this is a "cookie cutter" design, intended to copy another arrangement.

This also does not appear to be an "everyday design" created by a florist. (An "everyday design" implies a planned grouping of flowers and materials put together in a composition, using elements and principles of design.)

To illustrate, (again, IMO), there is a gaping hole which throws off the RHYTHM; there is an inordinate difference between the large flowers and small flowers which affect the TRANSITION and PATTERN; the two large roses and the large lillies are fighting each other for DOMINANCE.

This DOES show an example of lovely, fresh appearing flowers, casually arranged in a vase, moderately pleasing, but lacking in design elements.

If a customer placed these in the vase, they did a good job.

If a florist charged to "design" this, and sold this as an everyday design, it's an indicator of their capabilities, and shows that their skill as a designer need training.

So now Duane, please tell us - did a florist CHARGE for this, and sell this as a professionally designed arrangement?

Valerie in NH

See my comments above. The point was not really to single out a bad design or florist, but to make a point about perception, certifications, and about flower ordering in general.

If these were from a grocery store, or arrived in a box, the customer is still happy.

We need to know that it is possible to be happy with flowers like this, and the industry has changed, rather than claiming the industry is messed up.

 

[lori042499]

The reason so many mediocre florists exist is because the masses are quite ok with mediocre....actually more than OK they prefer it, a good percent of them anyway....a very small percent of the general public wants better in anything, this is why there are granite caunter tops and ther is formica, there is silk drapes and cotton duck curtains, there are fancy a-list parties and backyard shindigs....People get used to a certain style based on what they can afford...being a designer, I love store like pottery barn and domain and crate and barrel...but being a poor florist and always having to strech my money, I have always shopped at those stores for ideas, knowing they are way above my pocket book turnout... I then try to duplicate those looks at target...

I think that most people love the idea of fresh flowers, for people living paycheck to paycheck, the occasional grocery store bokay will do, I am sure they would love more but this is what they can afford....when these people send flowers through a florist it is usually for a funeral of a close family member....these people hardly ever frequent a flower shop because they assume it is to high a price for them to pay....

For people living with some discretional income, I think they buy when impulse hits them, either at a grocery store, online or a flower shop, some are more discriminating than others but again it is more of an impulse and something that strikes them, this is where 800tftd and big boxes have us, they know where to be seen and how to make it convenient and what price points these people want to get these orders. They have done research and they don't guess, like so many of us do and we are wrong most of the time because we don't think like a mormal consumer, we can't...for the small amount of people that have discretional income and are fancy types, a florist is the only way to go, they will seek out the best florist because they are also the types that will only buy name brands and only the best of the best will do for them...This is a very small amount of the total flower buyers out there...most neigborhood florists are not situated in the right places for this group and will never succeed having a shop that would appeal to this group..

So this is my take on the 3 groups, the first group is not one really worth catering to for most shops, they do not buy enough to bother and the stuff they would buy wouldn't pay the marketing bills....the second group is the largest group and the one most flower shops should be marketing to, this is your usual neighborhood folk, that will send arrangements for friends and family, buy for themselves, like the average stuf, like average everything, they are the average group of people, these are the cookie cutter group, they are busy people and just want to get this errand done the best way possible, part of it is ease the other is value....the third group is the smallest and most flowers shops don't have what it takes on many levels to market to these people or keep them, it takes a whole lot of money for image support, products and marketing, eveything has to be top notch and not fudged on a shoestring budget, these are the clientele that walk into a place and if the look isn't right no matter how fresh the flowers are they won't buy there...the staff must be well groomed, and the owner must be very professional looking...the designs have got to be top notch also, no 16 year old in this place will be able to pull off making things for this clientele...This is the type of store that charges 40% labor and a 4-5X mark up on things because they have to to groom the type of customer they want....

 

[lizzie ann]

ya think that this was a drop ship item from 1-800? looks like whom ever put the flowers together was not a floral designer. SO obvious.

 

[MANORVILLE]

Duane

You know whats coming right ?

If I tried to sell that design, not flower quality, I'd be done.
In all due respect to whomever or whatever !

Poor representation of florist quality to say the least.

OK fine, I think it sucks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There I said it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RWK]

Duane - Our industry IS messed up though......internally.

There is a problem of poorly skilled floral vendors sending out sub-standard product.

There is a problem of competition from the very same entities that used to be our partners.

There is a problem of competition from mass vendors offering a direct route from grower to consumer bypassing us as retailers entirely.

There is a problem of dis-honest order gatherer's who excell at decieving the floral consumer.

There is a problem in that a lot of older, established florists do not see the industry as it is now.

Our industry is messed up from a consumer POV......we are either too overpriced, unreliable, offer poor product.....because of the other problems have seeped out and affected how we are percieved by consumers.

Do the consumers still enjoy flowers......undoubtedly so.

Is the retail florist as a business entity still viable in today's economy......undoubtedly so.

Are these problems repairable? - only time will tell.

 

[floraldesignson99th]

Don't forget the old adage

beauty is in the eye of the beholder !


the average person only receives delivered flowers a few times in a lifetime.................and while the flowers represent an image...the recipient thinks only of the thought !

 

[floraldesignson99th]

Is it a good design.........................................no
is the vase ugly (by my standards) ............yes
are the flowers fresh...................................probably so
will they last.................................................yes (if instructions to change the water were included)
was the recipient please................................more than likely

hopefully, if this was sent out.....it was a special at $29.95 !

 

[marie g bushnell]

It looks like an every day design, but i think I see a third stargazer in the back. The three stargazers should be spaced more evenly so the roses could be arranged better. I agreee with Shannon, a little accent flower or even a few short stems of var. pitt would definitely help. The vase is ok, but it reminded me of a spitoon at first. Don't know if I spelled that right.
Yes, someone definitely likes pink and fragrance.
I also realize non professional photos don't always do it justice. I'm still reading the forum, how to take better photos.

 

[Victoria]

What I think doesn't really matter in the great scheme of things if the recipient was happy enough to tweet. However...

The vase is glorious in it's complete hidisosity and it wouldn't ever darken my doors let alone see the light of day at a funeral home.

The big green hole is, well, unfortunate at best. I happen to like open roses so that's not an issure for me. The lily is large but if the arrangement was more tussy mussy like then it would look fine I think.

There.

V

 

[MANORVILLE]

So well said V