Creating street level pop and happenstancing on design luminary linkages.
Phil Dunstan-Brown
Head of Creative
Play
min read
2 Feb
2023
I initially struggled to find an idea for what to do for my Playtime project. However, I had already begun another project at the moment I was asked to do a Playtime activity. We've been at our place for a little over a year and have wanted to put a mark on it for quite some time now, given that it is an interesting house.
In saying this, the garage is quite dull and not as interesting-looking. It also happens to be the main feature of our property that you see when coming up our street. This seemed like a great opportunity to apply my design and creativity background into a passion project for my Playtime.
What was the starting point?
Looking at our garage, it has a corrugated 45 degree aesthetic. which is in tune with lots of our stuff in the house. There are many aspects of the house that have taken tongue and groove to a 45 degree angle. So I was very keen to retain that aspect.
Eighty Six is a great strong number to play with. It is a balanced form, based on the same geometry. My Freelance business was the starting point. The design needed to team well with it. Also, red had to be a feature (it is my brand colour).
With my interest in typography, it also had to contain an idea of some sort; to tell a story.
Most importantly, it had to tie in with the architectural spirit of the house. Whether it inferred an era, repeated design tropes of the age, or worked in cahoots with the 1970s design. This house is 50 letterboxes up the road from where I grew up, so I also wanted to reflect a little bit of my history in the area. My brother and I used to roam the track right next to our boundary.
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How’d it go?
Inspiration
None of my type or design explorations were gelling. I began looking for inspiration; in particular, how I could use my freelance business logo as a starting point and turn it into a workable idea.
I had a vague recollection that there was an Olympics identity that had a similar vibe, and then I found it. Lance Wyman was the designer of the 1968 Mexico Olympics logo, which became the basis of everything that was designed for the event. Suddenly I found an obvious link. 68>86! 68 was the exact inverse of what I needed to generate. 1968 was also the year Jon Craig began the design for our home; and there seemed more than synchronicity going on here. The design has thus become a typographic in-joke.
Planning the size and production
Simplicity is key. To be bold and in your face required finding out the maximum size the number could be created from out of ACM (a signage material). I opted for a 4mm ACM with a brushed stainless effect on the surface. This meant the largest I could get the letter forms were 1200mm in height, which luckily meant they felt right for dominating the space. To apply it, the signage company I approached suggested we use a combination of rivets and glue to attach to the 45 degree corrugation in the door.
I had to design the final form carefully so that it was not too flimsy or malleable. I also opted to give the letterbox a simple treatment of cut vinyl letters. After all this, I approached a trusted sign company to plan production with their team. This also included reviewing materials, costs, and installation techniques.
Preparation
After the signage company quoted me $1500 to paint the door, I decided to save a bit of money by rolling up my sleeves and doing it myself.
In order to properly prepare the rather rough surface of the garage door, I had to strip and sand off the old surface. This left parts of the raw galvanised corrugated metal underneath exposed. Wanting to shortcut the painting process, I went in search of a paint that didn’t need too much prep. I discovered Hammerite paint, in the exact shade of red I needed. The trouble with Hammerite is that it is a thick enamel paint (with a pungent odour) that is notoriously difficult to apply. Especially in 28 degree heat.
The previous paint surface was rough and dark which means the surface required four coats. Each coat bonds chemically with the last, so you end up with a robust and smooth surface. By the fourth coat I reckoned the covering and opacity was fine. Clean-up between each coat is terrible. And I had to come up with a technique to properly dispose of the exhausted turpentine.
Installation
The piece had a few awkward shapes and materials that would create a challenge for me installing this on my own. I had an installer come over to lend an extra pair of hands. We had to carefully place the sign, then apply all the glue spots required on the diagonal areas of the corrugations.
We discounted using rivets in the end. The sign glue was a solid fixing, but also meant we were left with a uniform and clean surface.
As an added bonus, the material the sign is finished in catches the street light at night, and on a drive past, it ‘pops’ almost sheer white and glows.
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The End Result
The final result looks pretty good, we think. It's one of the first things that pops out as you drive up the hill and round the corner past our house. At night time, the streetlight reflects off the brush texture and illuminates the driveway in bright white light. As you're driving up the road you get this flash of 86 as you drive past and the car headlights as well.
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What did you learn along the way?
Good things take time
Following through on an inkling can lead you to some interesting places and make life richer. Spend time doing things well, and use great materials and the result will always end up ten times better. Get good help and use experts when you can’t do something yourself.
Paint the fourth coat; it will be worth it. Don't just stop at the third where it's only a little bit patchy. Each coat gets easier to apply as you progress forward. Go for that last coat to get it super smooth and bright.
