We often think of the vinyl liner as a fairly utilitarian item. It’s a product made to withstand exposure to chemicals, the sun and rowdy kids pushing off the pool wall. It’s a practical item as well, coming in at a price point that makes pool ownership a reality for more people.
We don’t often think of the vinyl liner as a work of art. Yet each year, manufacturers release an array of liners in new patterns and colors meant to please artistic tastes and soothe the customer’s eye. But where do these patterns come from?
As it happens, vinyl liner patterns are created in a series of steps that begin with inspiration and careful research and end on your showroom floor. Dominika Marcisz, industrial and graphic designer for Canadian General Tower, knows the process inside and out:
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My background is in graphic design and illustration. I think my initial dream was to work for a boutique design or advertising agency, or possibly design for the fashion industry. It was just by accident, really, that I ended up designing vinyl liners. It seemed like something that would be challenging, and something I wasn’t familiar with, but it was design-related.
What inspires you when creating new patterns?
Although I get my inspiration from everything that I see, the favorites are the textile industry, landscaping design, architecture, interior design and the environment.
And usually, when I’m traveling for business or pleasure, I’ll have my camera or my little sketchbook, and if there’s anything that grabs my attention, like a texture or anything, really, I’ll do a sketch or take photos as a reference for later on.
What’s an example of something that’s grabbed your attention?
There was one pattern that was inspired by a church in Milan I saw on personal trip with my family.
You mention color trends as an important part of the inspiration process, which is interesting since vinyl liner patterns tend to be the same colors (for obvious reasons). Where do you look to for insight on color trends?
There are a lot of resources on color trends. There’s one company specifically in the U.K. that comes out with an annual color bible. They do extensive research on what’s going to be popular two to four years down the road in colors, patterns, furniture and fashion. So I’m already looking at 2016 and what’s going to be the “it” color for those years.
What are you seeing for 2014 in terms of color?
A lot of the retro pastels are coming back for next year, and really soft pinks, like powdery pinks. And not vibrant, but very subtle, soft pastels. Since the economy is set to bounce back, a lot of the more optimistic, rich colors are coming back to reflect that change.
So how do you translate that information to a vinyl liner pattern?
For example, our pattern ‘Park Ave’ (see above) sort of has a watercolor or washed stone pattern. So you have your traditional, classic dark blues and browns in the pattern, which are normally pretty popular in the pool industry, but I also tried to infuse some of those color trends into it and add in some of the pastel light blues.
After you have an idea for a liner pattern, what happens next?
The design process can be quite lengthy. Generally, after the Atlantic City Pool Show, I start serious development on the following year’s patterns. This lasts from February to June. Then June to August is when we get feedback from our customers and refine the patterns. We also do a yearly design showcase in June, sometimes taking it on the road, where we vote internally and incorporate focus groups in order to develop the patterns further and get opinions and feedback on the designs.
How would you describe your vinyl liner patterns for this year?
For 2014 we are trying to get a bit ambitious with highly three-dimensional tile looks. I developed some patterns inspired by natural materials and modern textures and influences.
What do you like about what you do?
You know what’s going to fall on your table, but at the same time, you don’t. It’s always challenging, and I’m constantly learning new things.
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