By National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI)
Should you use green (environmentally friendly) building materials the next time you remodel or build a new office? The National Association of the Remodeling Industry shares reasons and ways to go green.
1. Lowers energy consumption
2. Reduces operating costs by increasing efficiency
3. Conserves natural resources
4. Increases the value of the building
5. Improves indoor air quality and in turn, overall health
6. Reduces waste and emissions.
7. Lowers pollution causing less harm to the environment
8. Increases productivity of occupants
9. Improves quality of life and raises comfort
10. Saves money
December 3, 2007
Design Blunders: Display Background Color
Optical design and theatrical design have much in common. Both have a stage (background)
upon which the star (merchandise) is presented. Both rely on strong lighting to bring the audience’s attention to the star.
To make your frames into star performers, show them on a white or very light-colored background with the best lighting you can afford. Frames displayed against a dark background or mirrored surface are not seen as well because the background absorbs the lighting. There is too little contrast between eyewear and background.
Light backgrounds make the light bounce and reflect off the delicate details and subtle colors of the frames. It’s easier to bring out the jewel-like qualities of the frames on a light background.
Fortunately this can be an easy problem to fix. If your frame backgrounds are dark, simply paint them white. If your frame backgrounds are mirrored have a contractor install white panels over most of the mirrors, leaving an adequate amount of try-on mirror space exposed.
November 5, 2007
Designing for Sales
The latest feature article by Barbara in the October addition of Eyecare Business magazine.
Practitioners often struggle because the look of their office is at adds with the image they try to create with their marketing. The office environment become an obstacle to overcome instead of an asset that promotes the desired positioning.
Read this article in it entirety...
Practitioners often struggle because the look of their office is at adds with the image they try to create with their marketing. The office environment become an obstacle to overcome instead of an asset that promotes the desired positioning.
Read this article in it entirety...
Common Design Mistakes: Poor Sightlines
The line of vision between a person and an object is called a sightline. In optical design controlling the sightlines of what patients will see as they travel from one room to the next is a nuance that is left out of many office designs. When done correctly patients don’t realize that their sightlines have been carefully planned and limited. What they perceive is a very neat, clean and professional office.
A good optical designer knows where the messy places are likely to be: lab, contact lens storage, business office, private office, staff lounge. In addition patients in the main waiting area should not be able to watch doctors and staff scurrying about in the clinic area. You need to anticipate which rooms and areas should be completely hidden or partially obscured, then position walls and doors to allow little or no view for the patient.
Concealing unsightly areas must be thought-out and designed into the floor plan right from the start. If you don’t like what patients can see after the office is built, it’s too late to fix it.
November 2, 2007
Food for thought from a recent SCORE, "Counselors to America's Small Business" newsletter
I found a fascinating interview with business writer and lecturer Dan Pink in a recent SCORE (Counselor's to America's Small Business) newsletter. He says, "you can’t compete by process or economies of scale, but you can differentiate yourself through design, storytelling, the ability to see the big picture, and empathy."
Q: You stress the importance of design in right-brain thinking. What does that mean?
A: It's not solely about image. Design is utility enhanced by significance. You understand who your customers are, what they need and why, and what it takes to give meaning to your product or service. For example, many studies have found that the environmental aspects of health care facilities can enhance the healing process. Now, these facilities are being built with more natural light, meditative gardens, and other features to enhance the patient's experience.
Q: How does the design concept apply to small businesses?
A: Small business owners should be more attuned to a high-concept design because for them, it's a matter of survival. How you position yourself and the processes by which you serve your customers are all design decisions because they differentiate your business from something that may otherwise be perceived as a commodity. Many functions that professional services firms used to provide are now automated—e-filing taxes or checking mortgage rates online, for example. A high-touch approach may be your only way to offer customers something they can't find anywhere else.
Q: How can a small business owner develop design literacy?
A: Do things to enhance your sensibility to design, such as keeping a design "diary." Jot down any examples of good and bad design—whether it's a store layout or a company's customer service process—and review them periodically. That kind of awareness sharpens your eye and enhances your level of understanding.
To view the newsletter in its entirety, visit:
September SCORE Expert Answers
Q: You stress the importance of design in right-brain thinking. What does that mean?
A: It's not solely about image. Design is utility enhanced by significance. You understand who your customers are, what they need and why, and what it takes to give meaning to your product or service. For example, many studies have found that the environmental aspects of health care facilities can enhance the healing process. Now, these facilities are being built with more natural light, meditative gardens, and other features to enhance the patient's experience.
Q: How does the design concept apply to small businesses?
A: Small business owners should be more attuned to a high-concept design because for them, it's a matter of survival. How you position yourself and the processes by which you serve your customers are all design decisions because they differentiate your business from something that may otherwise be perceived as a commodity. Many functions that professional services firms used to provide are now automated—e-filing taxes or checking mortgage rates online, for example. A high-touch approach may be your only way to offer customers something they can't find anywhere else.
Q: How can a small business owner develop design literacy?
A: Do things to enhance your sensibility to design, such as keeping a design "diary." Jot down any examples of good and bad design—whether it's a store layout or a company's customer service process—and review them periodically. That kind of awareness sharpens your eye and enhances your level of understanding.
To view the newsletter in its entirety, visit:
September SCORE Expert Answers
October 2, 2007
Q & A - Customized Storage
Someone asked me a question recently about customizing a cabinet design for storing stock lenses in the lab. It prompted me to think about how many different items need customized storage in a typical optometric office. How can you be sure that the things you want to store will fit in your new cabinets? Here's the original question and my answer.
In designing our new lab we have the idea to utilize a cabinet as the stock lens drawer. We are wondering if there is already a concept design for this? We are thinking of have the shelves on an incline for easy viewing, and the shelves slide out.
I usually recommend buying an all metal stock lens cabinet from your lab equipment supplier that's designed to hold a lot of lenses. You can eliminate a base cabinet and put that unit in its place.
It is possible to custom design drawers for lenses if you work directly with the cabinetmaker on the detail. You'll need to give him a lens sample in the largest size you would be using, discuss your ideas with him and have him do a "shop drawing" of it.
The cabinetmaker's shop drawing is a very detailed technical drawing that shows how he will build the cabinet. He starts with the designer's cabinet elevations, then draws up each cabinet design after he has taken field measurements.
He may have to adjust some of the original dimensions to fit the actual space available. The designer and you as the owner or tenant should both review these drawings to insure that all the colors and materials are correct and that any changes made still reflect the intent of the design.
Once the shop drawing is done and appears to be correct, you may want to have a sample of one drawer made so you can try it out with the lens blanks and see if it needs to be further modified. These drawers would need extra heavy-duty glides and extra-strong joinery to be able to stand up to years of heavy use.
Anytime you want to put any special item or piece of equipment (like a computer tower or trial lens tray) inside a cabinet, do not assume that there will be enough room for it. Your designer and cabinetmaker will do their best to interpret your needs. However, unless you give them the exact dimensions you want or a sample of the item you want to store, you might be disappointed in the end result.
The more specific your cabinets need to be, the closer you must work with your cabinetmaker. If you provide samples to him, and then the item doesn't fit when he delivers the cabinets, you can make him re-do it to get it right.If you do not provide a sample of the item to him and require that he create a mock-up for you to approve before going ahead, you will have to just take what you get, whether it fits or not.
Your designer should note on the plans where specific items must fit and state that the cabinetmaker must obtain a sample of the item and provide shop drawings (and mock-up if needed) for your approval before he starts fabricating the cabinet. That's the best way to protect yourself from being disappointed in any of your cabinets.
In designing our new lab we have the idea to utilize a cabinet as the stock lens drawer. We are wondering if there is already a concept design for this? We are thinking of have the shelves on an incline for easy viewing, and the shelves slide out.
I usually recommend buying an all metal stock lens cabinet from your lab equipment supplier that's designed to hold a lot of lenses. You can eliminate a base cabinet and put that unit in its place.
It is possible to custom design drawers for lenses if you work directly with the cabinetmaker on the detail. You'll need to give him a lens sample in the largest size you would be using, discuss your ideas with him and have him do a "shop drawing" of it.
The cabinetmaker's shop drawing is a very detailed technical drawing that shows how he will build the cabinet. He starts with the designer's cabinet elevations, then draws up each cabinet design after he has taken field measurements.
He may have to adjust some of the original dimensions to fit the actual space available. The designer and you as the owner or tenant should both review these drawings to insure that all the colors and materials are correct and that any changes made still reflect the intent of the design.
Once the shop drawing is done and appears to be correct, you may want to have a sample of one drawer made so you can try it out with the lens blanks and see if it needs to be further modified. These drawers would need extra heavy-duty glides and extra-strong joinery to be able to stand up to years of heavy use.
Anytime you want to put any special item or piece of equipment (like a computer tower or trial lens tray) inside a cabinet, do not assume that there will be enough room for it. Your designer and cabinetmaker will do their best to interpret your needs. However, unless you give them the exact dimensions you want or a sample of the item you want to store, you might be disappointed in the end result.
The more specific your cabinets need to be, the closer you must work with your cabinetmaker. If you provide samples to him, and then the item doesn't fit when he delivers the cabinets, you can make him re-do it to get it right.If you do not provide a sample of the item to him and require that he create a mock-up for you to approve before going ahead, you will have to just take what you get, whether it fits or not.
Your designer should note on the plans where specific items must fit and state that the cabinetmaker must obtain a sample of the item and provide shop drawings (and mock-up if needed) for your approval before he starts fabricating the cabinet. That's the best way to protect yourself from being disappointed in any of your cabinets.
Accessory and Lens Display
At GW Eye Associates in Carlsbad, CA this passage from clinic area to dispensary provides a convenient and quick stop for lens brochures, samples, products and accessories. Although my general rule for frame display is to have a white background, we can break the rule in secondary display areas like this.The shallow adjustable glass shelves hold mostly items with a lot of color and mass, like the literature holders, lens cleaner bottles and such. Here a dark background makes those colors pop. Showing only a few frames on this rich purple background works fine here.
However if this display was showing only frames, the dark background would make many of them almost disappear. If you have a situation like this where your frames are displayed, there’s a fast and easy cure. Just paint the back wall of the display white or install a fabric-covered panel on it. Now you’ll be able to see all the frames in that display, even rimless and delicate metals.
One other design feature to notice is the “radiused” (rounded) corners around the open doorways. In this case the walls are entirely wrapped with wall covering, but a painted finish would look good too. This detail adds a lot to the overall atmosphere of the office design. It’s softer and more contemporary.
Little touches like this can make your office feel special and inviting. Patients may never comment on the rounded corners. All they know is that they love being in your office.
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