ART IS KEY  to your Company Image

by Anne Thull

Published  March  2009   Commercial Building Products Magazine, White Papers      http://www.cbpmagazine.com/whitepapers.php

Many view art and business “decorations” as an extravagance. In fact, the way you decorate your business, particularly the part thatinteracts with customers, plays a major, but not always conscious, role in your overall success.

The artwork and appearance that constitutes your employee and customer-interaction areas defines your business. These areas include the lobby, meeting rooms, and office areas. When customers enter a well-designed, visually pleasing environment, their emotions aretriggered, giving them an immediate sense of your company’s economic value experience, success, positive approach, and attention to detail. As a result, you get a jump-start toward making the sale.

The same goes for your employees and, ultimately, the way they interact with potential customers. Employees who work in an attractive environment are more likely to feel comfortable and well treated. As a result, selfconfidence increases, followed by productivity. When employees are in a positive, creative frame of mind, it can only have a positive impact on the customer who just entered the lobby. They will see that employees are focused, positive and have confidence in their company’s authenticity, thus moving you closer to that sale.

What is meant by business art/ decorations? There are three basic types:

• Architectural Art       is created for custom entry doors, cabinetry, fireplace surrounds, libraries, and moldings. This art has the greatest overall effect on an area, dramatically enhancing the architect’s design by emphasizing a building’s interior and exterior spaces. These spaces become the timeless framework for the interior designer’s final touches.

• Functional Art        typically involves custom furniture and light fixtures. These are practical, yet typically custom or signed  and-numbered works of art that add an element of elegance to the daily working environment. These items may beused in several areas. For example, a lighted table can be used as an entry table in the lobby, end table in a sitting area, meeting table, special serving table, brochure table, or powder room table. Specialty lighting fixtures may be exterior or interior and placed at the buildingentrance or inside the lobby, main office, lounge, or garden areas, while maintaining a dramatic effect with a practical purpose. Theseitems may increase in value and be collected instead of being replaced every few years.

• Fine Art        products are original paintings, murals, and sculpture that signify the taste of the owner and/or company. Art evokes a positive effect on employees.  When the potential client views the works of art, they assume that your company’s focus is not only discriminating taste, but creating unique practical elements of interest for each clients’ project.

As you can imagine, not all levels/types of art have universal applications, and different approaches are required for each business area. Here are things to consider for the most-used areas:

Entry structures and doors:        Needless to say, your first and best impression is created at the entrance.  As a potential customer turns up the walkway to your building, the entrance will be the first indication of what your business is like and what the customer is likely to experience. Your entrance should make a company style and image statement that blends with your logo’s image and instills confidence and success. A simple entrance will not always hurt a company’s image, but it won’t enhance it either. A design should be timeless. This is accomplished by integrating the building’s architectural style, company logo, and the company message.

Lobby:          The goal in a lobby is to create an immediate, strong, positive, and lasting display of your company’s image. Do not be too conservative, but use care to not over-design this area. Once you cross that fine line into the over-designed arena, you typically have a negative effect on your overall company image. A simple, yet dynamic, design should include one theme using only the necessary elements that can make the desired visual statement. Design elements that come into play include columns, lighting, archways, skylights, furniture, water features, plants, and sound systems. The design style should focus on creating a unique setting that delivers a positive initial impression of your company. The goal is to indicate what your company is all about, what your clients are like, what their main needs are, andhow your company will fulfill those needs.

Main Office Areas          Design elements in office areas should emphasize your company’s overall productivity, employee talent, and the consistent, highquality end product you provide for each client.  Overstating these areas can turn clients off and even encourage them to wonder if their money/ investment is going more into  your pocket than into the product you’re creating. Understating these areas too much can be confusing to the client, resulting in a lack of confidence in your company or its employees.In general, create sleek, functional, well-lit areas that convey your company’s personality/main business focus. Offer a selection of office furniture pieces for each employee. This will allow individuals to create a work environment that reflects their own personal tastes while maintaining an overall design theme for the company’s image.

No two offices should be exactly alike, yet the design theme should be consistent.

Boardrooms         In board/conference rooms, productivity is key, so the design style should address comfort. The focus should be on chairs, table height, footrests, and briefcase/ material-access areas. The room’s design will reflect the soul of your company.There is a fine line between creating an intimidating atmosphere and a luxurious, success-oriented design. Also, meetings will notbe as productive if attendees are uncomfortable.  Eventually, an uncomfortable boardroom will cease to be the preferred meeting location.Where the main boardroom is located in a building, and its design style, depends on the type of business and your company’s goals and logo.  It is important that the design promotes collaborative work dynamics, encourages efficient and creative problem solving, and emphasizes overall company productivity and sales.

Your logo is an eye-catching image of the company and the boardroom represents what’s inside that image.

Lighting            Lighting, and the energy it consumes, is a key component in any area of your business. These days, there are few places where banks of standard 4-ft., four-lamp, T12 fixtures are a good light source.  Study your fixture options and make as much use of daylight as possible. It’s free, and ample quantities have been shown, time and again, to improve worker interaction and productivity.Lighting should be ample, but non-intrusive, while contributing to the overall company statement.        Though they likely won’t realize it, good lighting design has a very positive impact on customers. For employees, particularly those who work at computers all day, standard ceiling lighting is far from ideal. Developing effective and flexibletask lighting should be a top priority. 

Wall Hangings, Logos, Gate Emblems          A unified, handsome, and dramatic logo presentation should be evident on the exterior of the building, in the lobby, and in the main office areas, as well as on your stationery. This allows the client to easily identify your company and demonstrates that the company is proud and confident of its image. This instills client confidence. Custom fine art paintings may be created to emphasize things such as completed company projects.  A poor display or lack of logos or company name plaques make it difficult for clients to find you and may result in unexpected client frustration prior to the meeting. As a result, the client may not be as open to your suggestions, opinions, or have confidence in your advice. This will force you to work harder to win the client. 

All of this probably makes sense, but you’re likely asking, “Where do I start?”

Deciding what you like in many areas will help determine what you really want for your business, not what you think you want, or what you think you can afford. Here are ten questions to help you get started. Answers to these questions will bring out the projects design-science, philosophy, practicality, physics, and energy of your ideas, feelings, and overall needs. All of these factors are considered and usedwhen creating a design and ensuring that all problems are solved prior to manufacturing a product:

• When you are alone, what music do you listen to, your favorite food to eat, your favorite things to do? Why?  What is your favorite source  of light for all of these?• If you could live and work anywhere, where would it be and why? Inside or outside?• What is your favorite time of day? Favorite time in history? Your future dreams?• Where are you most productive, what time of day, and why?• Where do you like to vacation? Why? What are your favorite things to do?• Does your style of dressing make you think differently? Why?• How do you want to be remembered? In one phrase, what sums you up?• What makes you laugh? What makes you happy?• Do you prefer to work at home, in an office building, or elsewhere? Why?• What is your favorite way to get to know clients and to close a sale?

The bottom line is that a box of bricks, glass and lights will not help your business succeed.   But, if you take the time to develop a company presence-statement, you can give your company a distinct advantage when the next customer walks in the door. ■

ANNE THULL FINE ART DESIGNS, LLC

Studio Hours: 9:30 am - 4:30 pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

                                 Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday by Appointment

San Francisco Design Center

2 Henry Adams Street,  Showplace Building, Mezzanine Studio-Gallery Showroom  #18,  San Francisco, CA 94103

Parking in back of building on Vermont Street if complimentary parking in front of building is not available

Contact us: Telephone: 415. 255. 6703  or 415. 706. 2816 Cell/Anne

 Email: Anne or   Angelina 

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