OFFICE DESIGN TRENDS 2009

Totally Digital Office
New offices will have computerized diagnostic equipment and office management software all linked together to provide quick access to information from just about anywhere in the office. In the optical every styling table will have it's own computer. Multiple data collection rooms and multiple check out stations are a must to prevent bottlenecks and keep patient flow running smoothly even in a small office.

Design for Patient Experience
In economically difficult times the best way to make your practice stand out from the competition is to provide a great experience for the patient. The newest and most successful retail store designs take all of the senses into account. Hearing, smell, taste and touch are incorporated into the visual environment to create a sense of comfort. Optical offices can use a similar strategy to create a unique and memorable experience for the patient that makes them tell their friends about you and keep coming back.

Sustainability
The volume of sustainable materials for office interiors continues to expand, making it easier to find paint, furniture, fabrics and finishes free of unhealthy chemicals. Many commercial carpets now contain yarns made from recycled fibers. Being green is becoming mainstream.

Energy-conscious Lighting
LED (light-emitting diode) lighting technology improves by leaps and bounds. Prices have come down some but initial costs are still higher than for conventional fluorescent or halogen fixtures. However, LED's prove their worth over time with long lamp life and 60% or better reductions in electrical bills. Getting good color rendition for retail applications is still an issue. Most LED's are too cool (color temperature 5500K) or too warm (2700K). Some are available now in a 4200K lamp that gives a good balanced white.

Nature-inspired Colors and Patterns
The greening of America extends to colors inspired by natural materials. Greens are great for health care environments because of their calming quality. Dark brown and walnut wood tones are increasingly popular and work well with greens or blues. Spice tones provide warm but toned down accent colors like curry or nutmeg.

Gray is returning after a long run of tan and beige tone nuetrals. The newest grays are warm (pink undertone) rather than cool (blue undertone) and look great paired with walnut wood.



Dark walnut and medium cherry wood tones are paired with a touch of lime green for a warm invitation to the latest Morgenthal-Fredericks Opticians in Manhattan's Plaza Hotel upscale retail mall.



The two-toned wood floor in the Peter Lik Gallery (in the same mall) is so incredible it nearly upstages the amazing art photos. It certainly got my attention. I don't think I'd put a floor quite this bold in an optical because it would take attention away from the frames that should be the stars of the show. But it works for this gallery.

David Yurman Line Price Range Update

The David Yurman line that I mentioned in a previous post actually has retail prices starting at $325. Most of the line retails for under $1,000 so it is within reach for a larger number of people than I originally thought. They will be coming out soon with frames that include real diamonds and other precious jewels and will retail into the thousands, but the initial styles are much less than that.

Vision Expo "Best of Show"

I had a very busy and productive three days at Vision Expo. Between meetings with current clients, prospective clients and magazine editors my dance card was full! With me at the show were Jennifer Anderson, our business manager and Jeff Cary, our architect. We were like the three musketeers scouring the show for the newest and best display products and frame lines. Here are my picks for "Best of Show."

New frame lines:

David Yurman - This jewelry designer is so well known and admired among the wealthy that he doesn't need to plaster his name or logo on the frames. And he actually designs the frames himself, unlike many designers who just license their name for use on a line designed by others. Yurman's frame designs have the same signature motifs and details as his jewelry, so those who know his jewelry recognize a Yurman frame immediately.

This is a very exclusive line with retail price points into the thousands, so it is definitely not for everyone. However, it is a great example of true luxury, elegance and sophistication. If your patients buy David Yurman jewelry, they will buy David Yurman eyewear.

Shanghai Tang - China's first brand name designer launched his first line of eyewear at the show. Each style is embellished with intricate metal details inspired by traditional Chinese jewelry, coins and art, each with it's own story. The combination of very wearable frame shapes with delicate symbolic ornamentation is a real winner. I loved these frames so much, I bought one for myself.

You only have to buy 28 frames to get their gorgeous showcase. It looks like a lacquered Chinese chest and comes with a red-tassled hand mirror. The silk brocade cases for these frames are a work of art on their own. Retail price points start around $300. With the great presentation and intriguing story behind these frames, you should have no problem selling them to patients who want something different and unique.

Andy Wolf - I don't often get excited by a men's frame line, but this one out of Austria really wowed me. The shapes are strong and masculine; some styles are thick and heavy but done with sophisticated European style that makes a man look absolutely great. Engineers, artsy and tech types will dig these frames.

Brand Identity Stand Out
Kio Yamato - If you carry this line, make sure your sales rep gets you the wonderful brand identity display piece shown in the photo. It is eye-catching and beautiful and really does a great job of communicating the essence of the brand. As you see in the photo you just place this display with the frames and you don't need anything else. Simple. Stylish. That's great merchandising.

The Shadowless Frame Display
Fashion Optical has been touting their "shadowless" frame display panels, but frankly, I didn't believe it until I saw it for myself. It works like magic. The panels look like textured glass, but they are actually acrylic made with a patented process. The t-shaped open temple frame supports show the frames very well, but normally has a lot of shadowing behind them.

The material somehow absorbs light and diffuses the shadows caused by intense halogen lighting and makes them disappear. Result? No more busy distracting shadows behind the frames. A great and unique product available only through Fashion Optical Displays.

Preventing Frame Theft

In a retail setting like a mall or even a strip shopping center theft is a problem that goes with the territory. These days even practices in a more professional medical setting can experience theft of frames (politely referred to by accountants as "shrinkage") The busier you get, the easier it is for dishonest people to get away with it.

One of my clients has his higher-end vendors help soften the blow from "lost" frames by getting the sales reps to give him a couple of no-charge personal frames every month or two. He says that he doesn't want to lock up his entire high-end inventory because he sells more if some frames are out and available for try-ons. That makes them more vulnerable to loss, but as long as the vendors help him out with personals he figures they both end up selling more frames in the long run.

So what can you do about it? Here are some suggestions.
• Sensormatic (or similar) inventory control system - has tags placed on each frame and an alarm that sounds if someone tries to walk out with a frame that hasn't been paid for. It entails having sensor stands on both sides of the door. The stands may not be all that attractive, but they send a message that you are not easy pickin's.
• Locking display cases and locking frame bars - It's not practical to lock everything up, but you should at least lock up your more expensive frames and sunglasses. It actually adds to their perceived value when they are presented behind locked glass doors.
• Surveillance cameras - some people put in fake ones that move as if they are panning around so people feel that they are being watched. Real surveillance cameras with a monitor in the lab are good for seeing if someone is in the optical, but a thief can too easily slip out the door with merchandise before you can stop them.
• Staff training - make them more vigilant with security training and a strict policy of always having an optician in the retail area whenever a patient is. Reward them with a bonus tied to decreases in the shrinkage rate.

20/20 Features Vision Source Texarkana!

Our design for Dr. Allen and Moser's new Vision Source Texarkana office building was featured in last month's issue of 20/20. The results achieved by this design have exceeded everyone's expectations, even my own!

Check out the whole story here

An Eco-Tech Optometrist

Advanced Eyecare and Optical
Spokane, Washington

When practice owner Todd Wylie, O.D. decided it was time to move to a larger office he wanted a one of a kind design that would combine his top two personal interests. Dr. Wylie enjoys the great natural beauty of the Northwest and wanted to bring it inside. He also wanted to build his new office as "green" and energy-efficient as possible while incorporating all the latest high tech equipment. "I don’t plan to move again at this stage in my career," he states, "so this was my last chance to build my dream office."

He leased a 5,550 square foot two-story building with an elevator that formerly housed a credit union. He knew he needed some expert assistance to bring his ideas to fruition and make the patient flow work smoothly on two levels. Read more.

How to Build an Optical WITHOUT Expensive Display Fixtures

When you're opening a small office, especially if it's your first office and you are opening cold, you are probably looking for a way to get it designed and built economically. You can go to one of the fixture companies and they'll give you a free floor plan. But the optical will consist of a layout with the fixtures they expect to sell you. And those fixtures can cost $25,000 or more.

Many of you don't want a "me, too" office that's just a box with fixtures stacked against the walls. So what else can you do? I've got the answer for you. Now you can have a Barbara Wright-designed office at a price that won't break the bank.

The Ready To Build Plan Package is a set of pre-designed plans for your space with a good-looking optical that's easy and inexpensive to build---no display fixtures required!

Your office can look just as great as the one in the photo. A local contractor built this entire display wall himself--no display fixtures, and no custom cabinets needed. It doesn't get any cheaper than that! Heck, if you're handy enough, you can build it yourself!

But you've got to know how to build it and what size to build it. You've got to know exactly which light fixture to put in and where to order it. That's why you need the Ready To Build Plan Package. All that information and more is right there on paper so you or your contractor will know just what to do.

Our Ready To Build Plan Package enables you to design it yourself with the help of your contractor or a local drafting person. These are designs proven to make your frames look so good, they practically sell themselves.

When you buy this package, you get personal consultation from me as a bonus. This is an option that you ought to explore if you want an office that works at a price that works for you.
Learn more at our website.

Or just call our office and make an appointment to talk with me. I'll explain how the Ready To Build Plan Package works and then you decide if it's right for you.

Call toll-free 888-422-0361

Barbara