Forcade Associates seeking freelance designer

May 2012
Job Description :: Freelance Designer

Forcade Associates is looking for a freelance designer for short-term engagement in our Evanston office. 30-40/wk

Essential Functions
Perform design services individually and as part of a group for a highly desirable and demanding client base. Candidate must be able to apply graphic, industrial, interface, web and environmental graphic design skills to solve the projects on an everyday basis. In addition the Candidate will be required to meet with clients and manage projects and client requests. Must be able to travel as required for business development, client meetings and field work. Responsibilities (in no specific order)

Apply design expertise in various market sectors including Commerical, Health Care, Real Estate Development, Higher Education and Legal.

Must be proficient in Adobe Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop). Efficient in other applications including but not limited to AutoCAD, CorelDraw, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Keynote and other Apple products.

  • Participate in weekly progress meetings
  • Contribute and work with other staff individually and in charrettes
  • Communicate with clients as required to establish the highest level of trust and confidence
  • Manage and execute work on multiple projects concurrently in various market sectors
  • Must be able to interpret clients needs and lead them thru detail decision making processes
  • Formulate, validate and iterate the design process on all projects
  • Serve as liaison between clients and manufacturers as required
  • Prepare and assemble bid documents
  • Research manufacturers and suppliers
  • Negotiate contracts with other staff members
  • Participates in the development and implementation of continuous quality improvement activities as assigned
  • Demonstrate a commitment to continuous quality improvement in all aspects of the position
  • Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:  2-5 years experience, BFA in Design

Send resume and portfolio to jobs@forcade.net

Job descriptions are not intended, and should not be construed to be all-inclusive lists of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with a job. While this job description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the job requirements, management reserves the right to modify, add or remove duties from particular jobs and to assign other duties as necessary.

via Forcade Associates: CAREER OPPORTUNITIES.

Digital Wayfinding Kisok


Saint Lukes Hospital of Kansas City Wayfinding Kisok by Forcade Associates – YouTube

Forcade Associates created several wayfinding kiosks for Saint Luke’s Hospital designed to help guests navigate the hospital’s expanding campus. Guests are prompted for information and then given visual instructions on how to get from Point A to Point B. The program includes crisp, clear visuals, audio connectivity and the ability to print detailed directions to any part of the hospital.

 

Show me the way: wayfinding | Output

A good article about the balance between static and dynamic signage and wayfinding.

“Are wayfinding signs becoming too complicated and, perhaps, a victim of too many of the intricacies of digital production? After all, these displays are intended to help people find their way to a destination but, today, there are many which seem to serve to distract rather than to inform. And these are the examples that are failing to serve their purpose from an informative viewpoint.”  Read More via Show me the way: wayfinding | Output.

Saint Luke’s Hospital History & Donor Walls earn DSA award

Digital Screenmedia Association Announces 2012 DSA Industry Excellence Award Winners

Best Healthcare Deployment – Digital SignageProject: Saint Lukes Hospital History and Donor WallsClient: Saint Lukes Health System
Submitted by: Sensory Interactive, R2W, Forcade Associates

via Digital Screenmedia Association – Digital Screenmedia Association Announces 2012 DSA Industry Excellence Award Winners.

Community Hospital North | North News | Community Health Network

Forcade Associates is proud to have worked on this beautiful campus with the Community Health Network and congratulates them on reaching this amazing milestone at their North Campus. 

Community Hospital North reaches anniversary milestone; Celebrating 25 years of health care advances

It was 25 years ago that Community Health Network boldly ventured where local health care providers had not gone before: the northeast side of Indianapolis. On acreage that only a few years earlier had been farmland, the doors opened on Community Hospital North, serving nearby residents with much greater access to health care than they ever had before—and setting a convenient and neighbor-friendly tone that continues to set Community Health Network apart a quarter century later.

On June 12, 1985, Community Hospital North opened with a 100-bed inpatient acute care unit, emergency department, inpatient and outpatient surgical units along with support services needed by the hospital. Also in 1985, the 125-bed Behavioral Health Pavilion opened on the North campus after moving from Community Hospital East.

“We are grateful to have been part of the north community for the past 25 years,” said Barb Summers, president of Community Hospital North. “It has been a pleasure to be part of so many lives and we look forward to the next 25 years of providing care to families in the north market.”

Over the past 25 years, the north side of Indianapolis has seen tremendous growth and Community Hospital North has grown along with its neighbors. Community North transformed from a branch location into a full-service hospital, beginning with the early addition of maternity services using the trendsetting labor-delivery-recovery-postpartum model. It took vision to build the surrounding campus into a hub of high-quality health care services, with multiple medical office buildings, Community’s Behavioral Health Pavilion, the Community Regional Cancer Center, the Indiana Surgery Center and the world’s first all-digital hospital, The Indiana Heart Hospital.

In 2007, Community North expanded once again to meet the growing needs of the local community and employing a stronger-than-ever focus on creating exceptional experiences for patients and their families. As Community North celebrates its silver anniversary, the hospital employs more than 2,600 people and has 290 private patient rooms and 110 behavioral health beds. It boasts the largest labor-delivery-recovery-postpartum unit in the country, a 42-bed private room neonatal intensive care unit, an adult and pediatric emergency room, a dedicated pediatric unit, ultra-modern surgical suites, Community Spine Center and retail, valet, concierge services all focused on providing the most coordinated and convenient care.

via Community Hospital North Press | North News | Community Health Network.

Forcade Project Featured in Healthcare Construction & Operations

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A new wayfinding program at the recently renovated Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City is designed to push the envelope with state-of-the-art digital components.

Evanston, Ill.-based Forcade Associates, a 22-year-old graphic design company specializing in signage and wayfinding, oversaw the installation of the facility’s new interactive history wall as well as an immersive donor wall, directional kiosks and digital bulletin boards.

“It was truly one of the best projects we have ever worked on with some of the most profound results,” said Forcade Associates Principal Mark Levine.

Completed last winter, the project is part of a $330 million expansion at Saint Luke’s that included the construction of the Women’s Center, the Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, underground parking and green roof gardens. Forcade turned to Sensory Interactive of Towson, Md., to help with hardware, project management, interactive applications and content development. R2W Inc. of Las Vegas delivered the hardware, and site construction company JE Dunn Construction built the physical housings that hold all of the equipment.

“There was an army of people working to develop and produce this digital installation, and the most important collaborator in the project was the client,” said Levine.

Interactive Wall Sets New Standard

“The history wall is the largest interactive digital installation of its kind right now in the world,” said Levine.

The history wall traces the 130-year history of the hospital, incorporating hundreds of photographs and video clips. The wall features an interactive screen that measures 16 feet by 4 feet and encompasses nearly 19 million pixels.

“It provides three-dimensional representation of how the hospital has changed over time,” said Levine. “It was a labor of love.”

The wall can sense a visitor’s presence without being touched and therefore engage the viewer immediately. In addition to the hospital’s history, it features news clips, interviews, videos and animations of medical procedures.

The technology used in the history wall is also incorporated into a high-resolution donor wall, which lists the names of more than 500 hospital contributors and highlights donor profiles and testimonials in a rotating slideshow. The donor wall features Christie MicroTiles in the center of display, flanked by acrylic panels displaying donor names that are illuminated with a changing LED light palette.

“The donor wall basically gives the hospital the ability to have people give a testimonial about why they gave money to the hospital and why they feel so connected to the hospital. It’s about sharing their story,” said Levine.

Forcade also equipped Saint Luke’s with seven interactive direction and information kiosks, which provide visual, audio and printed directions to any part of the hospital. Visitors can walk up to the screen, learn how to get to their desired destination and then walk away with a printout of directions in their hands.

The kiosks couple with the bulletin boards throughout the hospital that run video and RSS feed, providing information on available events, clinics and current activities.

While Levine cannot disclose the price tag of the Saint Luke’s projects, the varied components and customized content development all contribute to the cost.

“In a project like that, it is the design of it, it’s the hardware, and it’s the content. The hardware deals with not only the things that are in the physical space but also all the electronic components that you have to add to it. And then there is also the content and programming,” he said.

Forcade Associates has offices in Chicago, Seattle and Kansas as well as overseas in Dubai, Mumbai and Nairobi. The company works in retail, corporate, higher education and legal, as well as healthcare environments, and incorporates digital and interactive programs into its work.

“It becomes a multi-channeled approach. Wayfinding is not just signs,” said Levine. “It’s a whole journey.”

via High-Tech Wayfinding Makes Statement at Kansas City Hospital | Healthcare Construction & Operations.

Updated ADA Standards for Accessible Design go into Effect March 15th

Reminder:  The new ADA Standards take effect this month (March 15, 2012).  And there are several changes that apply to the signage and wayfinding industry.  Mounting heights, finish, typesetting and visual contrast for raised characters and Braille for ADA-compliant signage have all been updated to provide better legibility and flexibility for design.

The new guidelines can be found here: 2010 ADA Standards (downloadable PDF) or via the U.S. Department of Justice, here ADA Standards for Accessible Design.

Digital wayfinding program completed at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City | Healthcare Finance News

Evanston, Ill. – State of the art technology has transformed key areas of Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City into a virtual iPad-like, touch-screen experience for patients and visitors.

As part of the hospital’s comprehensive, $330 million expansion program, Forcade Associates, an Evanston, Ill.-based design firm, combined pioneering, state-of-the-art technology with traditional interior and exterior wayfinding/signage elements to help patients and visitors learn about the facility and navigate through the 1.2 million-square-foot hospital.

“Over time, the hospital became lost in the urban landscape,” said Mark Levine, principal of Forcade Associates. “This innovative program establishes a new face and identity for the hospital while telling people both where they are and who they are a part of.”

The centerpiece of this innovative signage and wayfinding program is a 22 1Ž2 foot wide by 12 foot tall history wall that provides a bigger-than-life view of the hospital, which originally opened in 1923. The wall incorporates hundreds of photographs and dozens of video clips taking viewers through nearly 124 years of history at the acclaimed facility. The massive interactive screen measures 16-feet by 4-feet and is 19 million pixels wide.

Reaction to the unveiling of the massive expansion program, and the wayfinding component, has been very positive, among the institutions senior leadership and the public.

“Forcade Associates’ work on our new donor wall exceeded our expectations. The combination of electronic display with backlight donor panels grabs visitors’ attention and establishes a much-needed presence for our foundation within the hospital,” said Mark Litzler, Executive Director, Saint Luke’s Foundation.

The history wall, located just off a newly established entrance of the hospital, has quickly become the focal point of the wayfinding and branding program. Three people can take part in the interactive experience at one time, as others look on.

Digital Wayfinding Program Completed at Saint Luke’s—Add One

“As the project unfolded and we were designing the campus wide signage and wayfinding system for the project, it become obvious we had a clear opportunity to bring cutting edge technology to the forefront of our wayfinding strategy,” Levine said.

When using the directional kiosks, guests are prompted for information and then given visual instructions on how to get from Point A to Point B within the hospital. The program includes crisp, clear visuals, audio connectivity and the ability to print detailed directions to any part of the hospital.

“We have created a digital stage for the presentation of information to enhance the patient and visitor experience,” Levine said.

The program also unveiled a state-of-the-art donor wall in the first floor of the hospital. This unique wall features Christies MicroTiles in the center of display flanked by acrylic panels displaying donor names, with a changing LED light palette.

The same technology used to create the history wall presented a unique opportunity for Saint Luke’s to tell the stories of the more than 500 people and institutions who have generously contributed to the growth and development of the hospital.

“Philanthropic contributions are essential to most healthcare institutions,” said Levine. “The donor wall tells the story of these generous donors and what their contributions have meant to donors and Saint Luke’s.”

As part of a more traditional wayfinding and signage program, Forcade also designed and installed a comprehensive interior and exterior signage program to help patients and visitors navigate the hospital campus. The program includes new identification, directional, parking, and trails blazers leading to the Emergency Entrance. The program included over 150 exterior signage elements in all. Most notable are the new directional signs measuring 17 feet in height that stand like pillars of light and information throughout the acre site.

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City houses the Mid America Heart Institute, the region’s only heart transplant center. When it opened in 1982, the Mid-America Heart Institute was the first heart hospital in the United States. Today it is a state-of-the-art center for treating cardiac patients. There are approximately 60 heart surgeons, cardiologists and anesthesiologists who practice at the facility.

The hospital is ranked among “America’s Best” hospitals for heart, heart surgery, urology and gynecology, according to U.S. News & World Report and delivers award-winning care to 11 hospitals and related health services in the Kansas City region.

via Digital wayfinding program completed at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City | Healthcare Finance News.

Designers – Don’t Let Email Replace Personal Communication

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The speed of e-mail is a blessing and a curse. We can view or send messages quickly anywhere in the world. But on the other hand, the availability encourages some to misuse it. Hastily-written missives are barely coherent. People get incautious with the “Reply All” and “Forward” buttons. And then there is the spam.

As a result, architectural and design professionals are hard-pressed to separate the important information from the clutter in their inboxes. Despite this problem, the speed-focused culture in today’s economy often encourages over-reliance on email. This puts stress on client relationships and teamwork within the firm. In our business, even one missed communication can dramatically impact the bottom line.

E-mail is a wonderful tool, but it should not completely replace personal contact with your client. Professionals should consider scheduling a combination of face-to-face meetings, video conferencing, and phone calls throughout the project. This will build confidence and keep the lines of communication in good working order.

Design professionals would also do well to seek personal contact with colleagues. As many architectural and design firms are small businesses, this could be as simple as walking down the hallway or stopping by the office. Use the phone! Or consider using an online video phone service. Taking the time for personal interaction facilitates outstanding teamwork.

When e-mail is used, there are many ways to make it a more useful and productive experience for everyone. First, consider whether the email is necessary to send. Next, identify the folks who need to be contacted on the issue, and write your message specifically to them. Use a descriptive subject line. If your email is several paragraphs long, briefly summarize the content of the email in the first paragraph. Lastly, take a deep breath before you hit “Send.” Read through what’s been typed, and determine whether it communicates clearly. Your message recipients will appreciate your consideration, and it will be easier for them to follow through.

When you’re looking for innovative placemaking in the corporate environment,Forcade Associates will help you find the way. We have a proven track record with Corporate, Educational, Retail, and Health Care clients. Organizations in our neighborhood and around the world appreciate our focus on productive client service. With offices in six cities and three continents, we’ll be available where you need us. Visit Forcade.net for more information, or call us at (847) 424-1010.

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