Mr. Hill

Architecture & Design

Tips on Designing Practical and Beautiful Spaces

By Roger G. Hill , Chief Executive Officer & Chairman, The Gettys Group Inc.

What is Practical vs. Beautiful Design?

As I considered this question while preparing to write on this topic, it occurred to me that practicality is so many things when it comes to executing beautiful design. It doesn't always mean that a piece of furniture "doubles" as two. (It's a desk that also serves as a coat stand.) It doesn't even necessarily mean that every element of the design is even useful in a literal sense.

It isn't hard to find beautiful design...it is so often the focus of any project. Beautiful design that is also practical, however, is a bit of a holy grail. It's the hot convertible that is given a superb safety rating. It's the nutritious, low calorie meal that tastes like the only ingredients are butter and cream.

So I decided, for my own benefit, to make a list of what I thought the tenets of practical design might be, and any design that balances beauty while also accomplishing these tenets, succeeds in achieving the delicate balance.

• Practical design is executed to meet timelines.
  
• Practical design is executed to meet budgets.
  
• Practical design is effortless. It asks nothing of its user.
  
• Practical design eases operational challenges ... foot traffic, hotel staff output or storage, for example.
  
• Practical design is comfortable.
  
• Practical design provides context to a property. It tells a story that guests can relate to.
  
• Practical design produces profits.

So, now that we've defined practicality in design, how can we ensure that it is achieved starting from the earliest stages of planning?

The Nucleolus of Practical and Beautiful Design: Determine the DNA

Beautiful and practical design begins with vision. While I would argue that most projects indeed do begin with some sort of vision, I question whether this is vision is a shared vision among all stakeholders?

Do the stakeholders answer the following questions with aligned beliefs?

• Who is the guest?
  
• How will this location be used by the guest?
  
• What will make this location different from its competitive set?

Assuming that a vision is shared with fellow stakeholders is often misleading. While stakeholders may think that they're on the same page, if they took the time to drill down, it would be easy to find some discrepancies. These small differences now can lead to cross-purposes later on and ultimately, challenge the seamless design and experience that allow beauty and practicality to co-exist.

Those who are most successful at traversing this stage and merging visions into one, participate in a process that I call a DNA exercise during the initial planning stages. Sitting down with stakeholders and determining what the Differentiators, Nuances and Attributes of the project are, sets the stage for design goals early on and allows time later to think through practicality. Skipping this step often leads to philosophical differences that flare up among stakeholders late in the process and then draw energies away from matters of practicality and functionality, only to rehash topics such as concept or separations in the marketplace that should have been determined much earlier in the project's timeline.

Another helpful strategy during the DNA process is to set a budget then and spend the rest of the solution space "solving to the budget." This allows solutions and strategies that are being determined at this key time to fit within an allotted budget...another practical step that will keep the project moving in a positive direction.

Set the tone. Set the budget. Get on the same page with the key personnel on the project and then, be prepared and thoughtful about the stages of design and installation that will follow.

Involve the Operators

Designing from the point of view that the operators know everything is key trait when ensuring that beauty and practicality can co-exist.

Hotel brand, GMs, Directors of Food & Beverage and even Directors of Housekeeping and Sales Teams would be valuable contributors to the process if they, too, participated in the early days of design. Who better to share the practical side of what the property needs?

There is no doubt that increasing the individuals who are participating in design brainstorm and critique can be hard on the design team, in the sense that it is difficult to juggle feedback from many voices. However, it is also incredibly valuable in the very early stages and ultimately contributes widely to achieving practicality in design. This process requires putting design egos aside and being willing to be open when it comes to design in the name of logistics. However, if you and your designers can put aside your individual vision for the space for a little while, if only to listen to the needs of those who will be taking care of it.

Negative Thinking

It's hard to think of a man as positive and forward-thinking as Walt Disney, employing a technique called "negative thinking," but he did, and it's a great approach when turning an eye towards practicality in design. Negative thinking is about looking at a project in its final stages and asking "what could go wrong here?" Walking through a design as a guest would. If walking through a bathroom scenario, do so with bare feet. If considering how a guest might enter a lobby for the first time, do so with a rolling suitcase so as to truly understand the guest experience. Are materials prone to finger prints or water stains? Where will guests touch, feel, hear, taste? Have you tried it? What will the barriers be?

Participating in a "negative thinking" session as the project transitions into the execution phase can help catch impracticalities otherwise imperceptible until the design is complete.

The Final Word: Practicality is Profitability

Ultimately, practicality is profitability. When a space works flawlessly and, like your hospitality brand itself, anticipates the guests' needs, it succeeds in that guests are satisfied and ultimately the property's fiscal goals are met. That's why practicality is so important and not a negotiable aspect of design.

When a hospitality brand isn't succeeding as anticipated, I urge the evaluation of the practicality of the space first and foremost...not the latest trends or the concept of the restaurant or the relationships that the GM has with the local tourism bureau. (Of course, these are all factors too, but not where to start.) The place to start is the practicality of the design. Is it anticipating the guests' needs? Is the space easy to use? Does it make the guest feel good? Does it take care of the guest easily? Does it speak to the brand and communicate a differentiation that is clear and marketable?

And as the answers to these questions show themselves, the true practicality of the space becomes crystallized and the tact take becomes clear. If the practicality of design is not there as it needs to be, then employing any or all of the steps outlined above - a DNA session, a run-through of challenges with the Operators, a Negative-Thinking session, will set you on the proper course to remedy the situation.

Nearly 25 years ago, Roger Hill co-founded Gettys, a Top 10 hospitality interior design, procurement and development firm. Under his leadership, Gettys has grown to a global team of business-minded professionals who specialize in hotels, resorts, spas, casinos and mixed-used developments the world over. A respected industry veteran, he is frequently called upon by hospitality and business media outlets to provide insight into the redevelopment, renovation, and repositioning of hotels. A graduate of Cornell University, Roger has served as an appointed delegate for the White House Conference on Small Business, and is a member of ULI, YPO and ISHC. Mr. Hill can be contacted at 312-836-1111 or info@gettys.com Extended Bio...

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