Insight from The Ledge

Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of heights. I'm not deathly afraid by any means, but I do prefer to keep my feet as close to being "firmly planted" on the ground as I can get them. That said, as cool as The Ledge at the Skydeck of Chicago's Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) sounds, I would have a very hard time getting my two feet out on its glass-bottomed platform that hovers 103 stories above the street below.

I'm sure the views are breathtaking and the engineering is incredible, but what I found just as interesting was the story behind how The Ledge came to be: it started with some custodians complaining about having to clean forehead prints off the Skydeck's windows all the time. Talk about a creative solution to a pesky problem!

If you're thinking about re-energizing your retail locations with a new design, why not ask store employees what they like and don't like about the current design? Create more than just an attractive space, design a store that will help them do their jobs too.