Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Chapter 14 Commercial Interior Design Applications 531 Analyzing a Commercial Design Designers often look at case studies and precedents to evaluate and analyze design work that has been installed to determine how the client’s problem was solved. They are also interested in the impact of design on the end users. Following is a case study of a growing, innovative organi- zation known as OtterBox. Since water sports such as surfi ng and scuba diving were gaining in popular- ity, this waterproof product is an electronics case. His wife, Nancy, dubbed it the OtterBox, in reference to the animal’s waterproof fur. The client problem was to take an existing building in a college town, and establish the headquarters for the organization using sustainable and green design features. While they had a projected growth planned into the design of the building, by the time the renova- tion was completed, the number of employees had increased so much that they had to purchase a second building shortly thereafter. Using points in the design process outlined above, and using their website online, analyze the design of the spaces. C A S E S T U D Y Analyzing OtterBox Headquarters OtterBox—located in Fort Collins, Colorado— is known particularly as an innovator in the development of protective covers and cases for cell phones. Created in 1998, these protective cases were designed “for all the klutzy, spontaneous, chaotic, graceless individuals who have broken a device … due to their active lifestyle, and like our customers, we’ve been there, too.” Similar to an otter’s fur, their original line of cases is waterproof. The company considers its organization cultural characteristics similar to the otter’s—fun, creative, works hard, and plays hard. OtterBox began as a start-up company. A small team began in the modest garage of the founder’s private residence. In between developing product prototypes in the garage, meals were served in the residence’s kitchen where additional product ideas were tossed around. As OtterBox became a mainstream product manufacturer—a cell phone case, their first office fi fi headquarters was designed using an existing building and a new addition. In the interior spaces, the design team in charge of working on the project used many elements from the “beginnings” of OtterBox. For example, every floor has a full- fl sized kitchen to encourage employees to gather, munch on treats, and engage in brainstorming conversations that encourage the refinement or fi development of new ideas (Figure A). As part of their public space, OtterBox headquarters has a unique, fun lobby that reflects its corporate philosophy. A unique, fl internationally designed “Otter” slide (accessible to employees) clearly communicates the OtterBox brand (Figure B). It doubles as a circulation path, moving people quickly from second floor to first fl fi fl oor. The unconventionally stylish café area is fl located right off the receptionist workspace. OtterBox workplace has in-house departments such as sales, customer service, accounting, engineering, public relations, marketing, Web design, and graphics (Figure C). In addition, they have a gymnasium for their employees to use (Figure D), and bike storage areas to support the employees traveling from one OtterBox building to another in their downtown campus. Shapes such as the “O” for OtterBox and the square for “box” are used repeatedly throughout these departments to enhance the brand. In addition, garage doors are used on various floors in place of ordinary fl conference room doors. OtterBox has seven buildings as part of their corporate campus and have since branched into a number of countries where their design “brand” is still replicated throughout their facilities. Figure A Raul J. Garcia (Continued)