Blog

Optimizing Your Backdrop for Professional Image and Connections

AI created the featured image above after it read my post. I wouldn’t say I liked the first one it chose, but I settled on this one as the colours tied in with the green and gold that I talked about this week. This week, I’m reviewing the different themes in bookshelf backdrop styling that I do for my own shelf in my 9 to 5.

Themes for your backdrops

You can theme your shelf or backdrop beyond the colours of the books. The pictures below show how I have fallen into the trend of colour-coded bookshelves and am working to curate more meaningful staging for myself.

Consider curating talking pieces on your shelves to help you connect with colleagues. Avoid those bland vanilla Items you got because the influencer told you they look great. It might be a good idea to plan your shelf styling. You could take a picture on your phone and get the AI to rehash it to produce a simple outline like the one I did below. This might give you a sense of where the lines of the styling need altering so that they form that V shape or pyramid going across.


Image above based on photo of my bookshelf and the Android AI amended it to produce other stylised versions that I then selected.

Remember that it’s all about your personal branding (the extent to which you, in your backdrop, epitomise the organisation or company brand/ strategy), especially if you are a leader. It is also about your well-being through the social connection that can arise from extended chats about you and your curated collection. So what you place on the shelves should open up tales of your interesting travels, curious pieces of art you bought because you liked what the artist said or the strange way they made their art. There could also be pieces that tell of your scrapes and how you got through things; some examples below have those.

Whatever you do with your shelves in your 9 to 5 backdrop, ensure they are on message for you. Remember, it is your home, but it also plays a significant role in your personal branding and your potential in the organisation. The way we present ourselves on camera is now as crucial as the attire we used to carefully select for meetings with the boss.

Our backdrop is our new jacket.

What do you think or do about your backdrop for meetings? Think about it if you want your professional personality to shine beyond using the standard images available in Teams and Webex. Zoom, etc.

Black and Gold Lighting Design: Submission to the Design Competition

The WordPress AI generated the featured image above of the gold lighting, after it read my post. I think it’s OK as an illustration of the mood. It seems to understand what my blog post is about home offices and new forms of lighting. But it does not represent what I created, but I’m glad it didn’t use my design. It only used the colours I’m talking about. So that’s what makes it OK.

15cm x 18xm painted skin assembled on table lamp frame.

Last week I wrote about preparing for the design competition, using my inspiration from visits to the design centre in Chelsea and noticing other lighting creators offering their variations of the black and gold lighting theme. This week I can report that i have submitted my work to the competition. Below shows the other images and videos I took of the later part of my process.

Unique Office Lighting: Black and Gold Marbled Transparent Shelf decor

The WordPress AI generated the featured image (above), after reading the content of this post. I quite like it.😍 It’s fun.

I’ve started creating my three entries for the Etsy Design Awards, inspired by my visit to DCCH. Yet I didnt anticipate to create what I created, but, after further thought, I think I subconsciously did. Instead, I’ve abstracted the black and gold lighting theme to create a very unique piece of office lighting. Below are some videos that capture key moments this week from my process.

I’d returned from a refreshing 5 days holiday by the sea and was inspired to use beautiful natually found items in my home as a basis for my art.

Arraniging wilted flowers for a still-life study to be painted at a later date

The original inspiration for my black and gold lighting (pictured above) really looks very different to what the fabric ended up looking like.

Then I started špaying frames gold. I did a 15cm and two 20cm frames.

The end result was a curious leopard pattern. The gold and black separated in amazing and unexpected ways. I might be creating a wonderful office lighting gift for leopard lovers 🤓

That’s me hand painting the skins using a combination of fluids and mediums.

Next week I’ll show the finished products. I’m currently in the space of fully understanding what I’m creating but I hope to show you more next week.

Who else do you think might appreciate an elegant black and gold marbled transparent shelflighting gift for their office? I’m thinking.

  • Gift for leapord lover?
  • Gift for wildlife enthusiast professional?
  • Office warming present for Zookeeper?
  • Happy birthday/ leaving gift for big cat keeper?
  • Lion Man office equipment
  • Stylists looking for black and gold alternative

Please leave your answer below.

PREVIOUS POSTS

For monthly newsletter readers, here is a list of posts from the last 4 weeks.

Exploring Interior Trade Suppliers for Lighting Design Inspiration | DCCH

The featured imaged is AI. The machine computed what my blog was about and created a picture with that massive light with feathers. It made me chuckle 🤣.There is another AI generated image at the end of the blog. However, all of the images in the middle were taken by me.

This week I had some time mid week to wander around my favourite interior trade suppliers in Chelsea Design Centre. Being a West Londoner, hailing from Fulham Lots Road is very familiar to me.

Below shows more images of things that took my fancy. They show trimmings or lighting features that either conjured up excitement or a sense of cosy familiarity for me…

Continue reading “Exploring Interior Trade Suppliers for Lighting Design Inspiration | DCCH”