Architect's Eye & Marketing

It's really interesting, in getting back into architecture (for the third time now?), how one's eye changes. I was on the bus yesterday looking out to see a beautiful extension someone had done on their house. What a wonderful back room! The rest of the house seemed to almost pale in comparison as it blended into the neighborhood, but this modern back room extension was wonderfully bright with glass all around it, amazing. Extensions, details, ornamentation, those are the small things that one starts to see with the architect's eye. What really opens the eye is the ability to see things in 3-D. I know that sounds strange, after all we already see in 3-D. But it's a totally different ball game once one has the ability to draw in 3-D, then it's like the colors all became brighter. What an amazing world to see when one's eye changes like that! I only wish I was better at drawing so I could see more of that!

Lately I've been getting more of a feel for the marketing world. Talking to customers about the Seminary Co-op has really allowed me to get some insight into the wonderful ideas they have for the store, from little things like having something with the store name branded on it so people could take away a little of this place to advertising more to certain communities. It makes me think of how important it really is to communicate with your customers. Some stores aren't very good about it, or don't have a very strong customer base, like Borders or Barnes & Noble, both of which are going out of business, which says it all.