Western Design is first and foremost a story of men, the two associate directors, Dominic Desmons and Loïc Delafoulhouze, who launched this agency in March 1999. Julie Verdeau, Associate Marketing Manager, joined it in 2000.  This trio made creation their first priority.  Never the same response, no recipes to be applied, a passionate agency whose clients include brands such as Cinq Mondes, Nickel, Décléor, Annick Goutal, Christian Lacroix, Cartier, …Interview.

EMOTION SPA Magazine: What is the philosophy of the agency?
Loïc DELAFOULHOUZE: Western Design is the philosophy of enthusiasm, the salvation of the project lies in our efforts of creation, with limits that are being pushed further continuously. And what do the brands search, if it is not creation. We do not just put a Western Design brand-name, we appropriate the brand, its desire… and we propose solutions that seem to emanate from it.
Julie VERDEAU: Western Design develops a method based on listening for the right answers, solutions that search first and foremost to give music to words to stand apart coherently and be visible. The agency's references prove this where Auchan meets Ritz, in an expression that are distant from each other as is possible, each has its own original logic…
Dominic DESMONS: All this in a spirit that is simple and relaxed, involved and close as is shown by the loyalty of our clients, some of whom have been working with us since we started ten years ago. We especially love creating story, ranges, each project is a new adventure.  In fact, we are the ones who showcase their identity.


E.S.M: What are the professions of the agency?
J.V: Our profession, it is the brand and its areas of expression. Today, the agency has a creative, motivated, multi-tasking team of about fifteen people who are trained as architects or graphic designers. To meet our clients' requirements and needs, Western Design proposes different skill-sets. To begin with, the graphic design for helping our clients define their visual identity, their graphical charter, packaging-design, various documents to be printed and their description. A merchandising department for designing their furniture for sale, corners, display containers and POP with a consultation division for recommending the presentation of products. Lastly, an Interior Designing division, whose execution contract is prepared by our Building subsidiary. Thus, we prepare Architecture of commercial sites, sports and Fitness centres, offices and show-rooms and urban and hotel Spas that we have designed more than 20 till date, in France and other parts of the world, including those for Cinq Mondes brand, Clé des Champs Spa in Lyon, Nickel Spas, etc.

E.S.M: Let's talk about how the design contributes to the client's experience? Let's take the example of Cinq Mondes Spas.
L.D: When we met Jean-Louis Poiroux, the Chairman and Founder of the Cinq Mondes brand, we had the opportunity to speak with an interlocutor who took the time to share with us, ask himself the right questions and understand the importance of developing his brand-concept with architectural in-puts that we advised and this from the very beginning. It was a mutually enriching experience and there is no doubt that it gives an important added emotional value that the client feels through the overall coherence of elements of the brand.
D.D: The ground-work was to submit identity codes that were strong, unique and could be immediately identified because visual perception is a basic quality for client experience dimension. With regards to the design of Cinq Mondes Spas, it firstly translated as the idea of scenario. In fact, as how will we condition the client and make her feel different emotions in the place, the client's entry, while going through different areas of the Spa, the treatment and till exit? On the other hand, it was starting from this idea that Jean-Louis Poiroux constructed the pre and post treatment rituals to induce the idea of progress and rhythm.
Therefore, it is important to shaping the place but also the manner in which the client will experience it.  One must avoid disruptions so that his way is fluid that there is nothing to be considered, to be searched, to be thought. All these are the details that contribute to the coherence of the concept. The Spa is common sense, sensitivity, technique and of course, a story to be retold.

E.S.M: To conclude, what is new at Western Design?
L.D: We are going to start a subsidiary in Hong-Kong, a city that Dominic knows well as he has worked there for 5 years with Panthéon studio that is into fitting high-end residences. Therefore, we are going to partner with a well-known Chinese architect and thus, Western Design will be able to propose a follow-up of the constructions there. We have also made an overall design of the Spa of one of the biggest Parisian Spas.  At present, the project is on stand-by but it will be a place where the client will have a unique experience. To be continued…