The Future of Extraordinary Design

Brands such as Starbucks and McDonald’s are now aware of how much standardized appearances hinder their popularity, and they’re spending time and money refitting their stores. But for us, as we design fresh and from scratch, we can avoid this phase of standardization in the first place.
I’d like to encourage you to consider how to reap the efficiency rewards of standardization without succumbing to the side effects.

Standardization is sometimes used as a necessary evil on the road to mass expansion – but we need to recognize that a time will come when it’s more of a hindrance than a help.
Plan ahead. Imagine a time when you’ll be not only trying to win brand recognition, but also delivering a diverse and adaptable service.
Remember: standardization, like technology, can and should be invisible.

Standardization is a byproduct of design, not the goal.

CPO David Fano outlined plans to “productize” the company’s spaces and create more predictable experiences. He envisioned WeWork spaces built like an iPhone, with predictability, consistency, flexibility, and quality, but also efficiency – both for users and investors.

WeWork engaged in an insane (but not really) amount of user research on a beta floor of its Times Square building. It hired a research and data team comprised of architects, data analysts, and even a former NASA scientist. Every door handle was assessed and appraised for efficiency, cost, and ease of use. Building design technology research was optimized to consider how acoustics affected the amount of time people spent in the isolating phone boxes – because it can only fit so many of those things. In addition, heat maps were used to track where members went most, key cards recorded working patterns, and environmental sensors gauged energy use to maximize comfort levels while still minimizing costs. The data collected will be used to design future WeWork spaces.
Now, this sounds like standardization, but WeWork is using this form of calibration to produce individualized and distinct spaces. Yes, WeWork has a “look” – the funky, on-trend, designer/architect feel – and a color palette that some people find off-putting but others love. Behind the visual, however, there’s a solid working space that’s very usable. It’s trendy, but not so trendy that it’ll need to change the wallpaper every year – which is smart because people using WeWork wouldn’t appreciate the offices being closed for renovations.

So in this case, a form of standardization does work. It saves money and lets people slot into the working space quickly. Not only that, but WeWork hopes this data collection approach can be used to tailor the product to different cultures. Do workers in France require more privacy on telephone calls? Do they have more meetings? In Japan, for example, most conversations take place in person rather than over the phone and office juniors spend most of their day on the road traveling to meet with customers, subcontractors, and suppliers. How will this affect the market for rentable office space? Is productizing in this manner still standardization? I’m not sure it can be considered as such.

Airbnb appears to be offering the exact opposite of standardization. However, without realizing it, guests are molding the hosts to produce a form of standardization in line with their wishes. Without it being said, guests are starting to expect things like complimentary shampoo, coffee pads, a selection of local chocolates, etc. even though the website only tells hosts to offer toilet paper and one towel and pillow per paying guest. In this sense, despite looking for distinct and unique properties, customers do expect some form of standardization. We want distinction, but only once our basic needs have been met.

When coffee shops started out-Starbucksing Starbucks, the giant went the other way and introduced everything from Berry Prickly Pear Frappuccinos to those unicorn things. Product-wise, this was a wild move that surprisingly paid off. It seemed customers didn’t really come to Starbucks to drink coffee at all. So what did they want?

To consumers and users, standardization feels depressing, impersonal, and generic – which is ironic considering so many brands use it.

When you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all