Having a functional workspace with the right equipment and the right materials is critical to being able to do your work well and efficiently. But less obvious is the role of aesthetics in the workplace. Can you enhance the success of your business by making the work environment more pleasant for your customers and your employees?
Imagine art and aesthetics as your business’s wardrobe and accessories. A space that is solidly functional and also visually appealing can help your bottom line.
I recently visited with Hilary Edgar, an associate at Kahtoola, the Flagstaff-based manufacturer of MTN and RNR Snowshoes, Microspikes and KTS Crampons. Edgar gave me a tour of the building Kahtoola moved into in 2011, a space the company renovated with an emphasis on good design and pleasing aesthetics.
The functional design of the over 4,000-square-foot building allows associates to develop the product line and prototypes, do some of the production, store stock and ship product to their retail outlets. But it’s the aesthetics of the building that reflect the company’s deeper values, and allows them to do this work in an elegant and satisfying way.
The staff chose several large-scale photographic prints of the outdoors to grace the walls. Near the entryway, Kenny Hamilton’s print of aspen trees in the Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks sets the tone for the space: the image is serene and visually strong, but is obviously taken from a steep slope. It’s a reminder of one of the wild, isolated and beautiful places you can visit by using Kahtoola’s technologies.
Another wall boasts a collaged and painted landscape by Colorado artist Kellie Day. The mountainscape, embellished with found images and bright colors, captures a sense of freedom and joyful abandon, and embodies the sort of creative thinking that leads to product innovation and outside-the-box problem solving, highly valued skills within Kahtoola’s corporate culture.
Most people who purchase Kahtoola products never see the inside of their headquarters, so how could this attention to workplace aesthetics possibly influence their sales? In your company or your competitors’ companies, employees notice and respond to clean, beautiful surroundings. Such environments have a positive affect on morale, resulting in less sick leave, greater employee retention levels, enhanced creative thinking skills and more teamwork. In conjunction with other good management practices, a thoughtful, integrated approach to workplace design can be a good investment in your company and in your employees.
In Edgar’s office, there is a display board made from an aluminum dry-erase surface laminated to steel that functions as both a “white board” and a magnetic surface. Two halves of an oversized James Q Martin photograph slide aside on drawer glides to reveal the surface, and slide together when she doesn’t want to see the working part of the display.
Edgar and graphic designer Jen Saunders came up with the idea as a way to incorporate art and function into an area that doesn’t have a lot of wall space. The Framing Department at Hidden Light engineered and built the display.
“We were given free rein…to decide what [art] we wanted to live with in our offices. It’s nice to be surrounded by pretty things, but functionality is huge,” said Edgar. “This [the display board] is one of my favorite things; there are times when I want to step away from something I’m working on. When I open it up again, it gives me a fresh perspective.”
Fresh perspective is one reason why Kahtoola products are consistently highly rated by outdoor enthusiasts and publications. (Their Microspikes were a Backpacker Magazine 2012 Editors’ Choice Award Winner.) Kahtoola’s philosophy and their dedication to the aesthetics of their work environment has helped define the company as one of Flagstaff’s most innovative and has helped them grow a reputation far beyond this area. FBN
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The design board in Hilary Edgar’s office was designed and custom built by The Framing Department at Hidden Light, www.theframingdepartment.com. The Framing Department also mounted the large-scale photographic prints for the building. They also construct the graphic portions of Kahtoola’s point of sale displays for retail outlets that carry the company’s products.
Jen Saunders designs Kahtoola’s advertising graphics, product packaging and point of sale materials. Learn more at www.jensaunders.com.
Learn more about Kahtoola’s line of outdoor adventure gear at www.kahtoola.com.
Written By Darcy Falk
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