Design Considerations

That Paco Underhill is always so insightful. For his "Shopping with Paco" column in March's issue of DDi Magazine, he talks about personal security and the cleanliness of a space. Women, in general, are more aware of both, by the way, but that's not why I picked this column to write about this morning.

Actually, what got me thinking doesn't show up until the very last paragraph. Underhill starts out, "In retail, we recognize that what is easy to keep clean, is more likely to stay clean. (Totally agree with him there!) Then he challenges readers to ask themselves "at what point in your design process does maintenance get factored in?"

Well, Paco, I'd guess the answer you're looking for is that maintenance should be a consideration from the beginning. However, the reality is that maintenance is often an afterthought -if it even gets any thought during the design process at all. I mean, design's all about look and function, isn't it?

Not entirely. It's also about making sure the look and function keep working for as long as you need them to. And that comes down to the more mundane details of production, assembly/installation, and -yes- maintenance. Using quality, durable materials is a start. Making the components easy to assemble and install in the space is another important piece. And simple cleaning and upkeep procedures are the frosting on the cake and makes keeping your store in top shape that much easier.

-- Liz Blohm