2nd assignment pdf observation criteria and questions

Submission for Gary Olson: A Crash Course on Creativity – Stanford University

October 30, 2012 - 2nd Assignment: Observation Criteria and Questions.doc/pdf

ARE YOU REALLY PAYING ATTENTION?



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Kohl’s Department Store

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The store had only one outside entrance and it did not seem to “invite me in” from 50 yards

away. The large exterior sign announced the name in large block letters that were white in

color, which to be signified that what was inside was good solid merchandise and of good

value. As I approached the front of the store, the interior of the Southwestern styled building

came into focus and the bright interior lights yielded the rich colors of the merchandise

inside. I became intrigued to enter to see what was there. The doors were closed, but had

automatic sensors that opened before you thought you might walk into them: open “arms” to

gather you in.

The environment of the store was a bright white as were the faux marble floors. This made

the bright colors of the clothing displays “pop” as they vividly contrasted with its brightness

of the white walls the equally bright lights that were unnoticeably concealed in the high

ceilings. One might think that all this brightness would be harsh but the height of the ceiling



and the expansiveness of the interior diffused the light and the bright colors seemed to

“absorb” what might have been perceived as an architectural design flaw. The atmosphere

was calming with no music and whatever noise that was generated was absorbed by the

structure of the interior design and the display layout. The store was cheerful and

stimulating with no scent of perfume or any other smell that would have disturbed one’s

shopping experience. The cash registers were noticeable when entering and leaving the

store and those that were placed around the other departments of the store were visible, but

not in such a way so they would detract from the pleasure of viewing the variety of goods

that a large store offers. The store felt very comfortable and safe, with no highly visible

security presence, such as guards or strolling loss prevention personnel. All of this lent a

feeling of serenity that I could shop in comfort and leave with my purchases knowing I had

made wise choices in my selection of merchandise for quality and value. An added

dimension to my shopping experience was the fact that all the service clerks that I

encountered, as well as the store manage that I spoke with were professional and

courteous in their approach without sounding as if they were parroting the company’s

corporate generated scripts. I saw a mixture of genders, races, and ages when walking

through the store and the clerks, who were wearing their own style of appropriate dress,

were actively handling the merchandise in preparation of closing the store. The first

products that were noticed were clothing apparel that were laid out in medium size display

tables so they presented the eye with a logical choice of styles that would make up a

complete outfit of casual wear for the value minded shopper. As I made my way farther in I

came across the slightly more expensive items that were located there to draw the

customer deeper into the store, which then lead me to the escalator where I was able to

shop for the household items and appliances on the second floor. The store had single

women and couples hoping the merchandise that was accessible to touch and view. I

noticed that they were able to circle the store in a to-the-left or to-the-right direction and still

have an equal quantity and quality of merchandise available to view as they leisurely

browsed the aisles.

It was apparent, to my sense of retail shopping. that the corporation had given a good deal

of thought to how they wish to present their image to the customer so the customer would

wish to return to purchase more of what I believe was quality merchandise at a fair value in

a well designed, customer friendly store.



Macy’s Department Store

The Macy’s Department Store has two entrances as it is in a shopping mall. The sign

above the outdoor entrance was large and the large door windows were inviting as I got

closer. The inside entrance doors were opened to a large interior plaza and the

merchandise was plainly visible with attractive colorful clothing displays that added meaning

to the attractive slightly script looking sign that was above these expansive doors. This drew

my attention and enticed me to enter. The inside doors to the interior plaza were wide and

open all the time and the sight of the merchandise welcomed you in.

As was Kohl’s interior, Macy’s had the white walls but from here on out the feeling of the

store was different. The ceiling was lower and the walls were filled with signage that

advertised the many different brands this store carries. Macy’s presented a more mature

environmental look due to this company’s longer presence in the market place. The

carpeted store, with tile walk ways, was laid out in a pattern that was not the circular path

that Kohl’s presented to the customer. Here the shopper had to maneuver through a well

thought out pattern of tables and display cases tastefully designed so the shopper would be

compelled to notice many more items than they would have been exposed to in their quest

for the item(s) they wish to initially purchase. Again, the store was quiet and there was

nothing to disturb the senses unless you happened to come across the perfume counter

where the different scents drifted through the air. The store had a comfortable feel to the

layout and the various departments had their own central display counter where a variety of

customers could view items as they waited for their goods to be rung-up by men and

women of various ages and ethnicity. There was a Loss Prevention clerk who walked the

store, noticeable due to the walkie-talkie that was attached to his belt, and a few security

cameras strategically place to record any possible disruption that might occasionally occur

and need to be recorded. Macy’s environment presented an image of being a shopping

experience where higher quality goods could be purchased a comparable price, although,

interspersed throughout the store were many “bargains” that would appeal to the many

income levels who might shop there for a variety of goods that would appeal to all tastes.



Macy’s seems to be a “browser” person store. I observed this when, despite showing and

obvious interest in a high value item, a sales clerk never appeared. Apparently there was no

one to cover the department or the clerk did not care; both suppositions on my part. With

that observation, it seems to suggest that the other questions are a mute point! When

entering from the outside and inner-store entrances, I notice displays of mid-range quality

and value. There was moderate pricing to draw those who want something a little more than

they can afford and yet still attract those who might be feeling the pinch of the recession by

seeking values to offer relief from the strain of their “Champaign taste restricted by a beer

budget” syndrome. Most of the items, and their respective prices, were positioned at eye

level to emphasize the sale and regular pricing. Special reduction racks were position off to

the side of, but near to, the moderate priced items and a little further away from those price

somewhat higher. This held true throughout the store but the display quality seemed to

disintegrate when browsing the household type items on the second floor. The customer

quantity was not bountiful the evening I was there. Those customers that were there

seemed to be on a mission, thus in and out quickly.

All in all, I felt somewhat adrift when inside the store. There was this nebulous feeling of

being the “only” person in the store. The operations end of this store was attractive and

nicely presented, however, the overall experience was unsatisfactory due to the lack of

personnel who knew you were there, cared you were there, or even were there.

Fresh Choice Soup and Salad Dinning:

This “healthy’ dinning establishment was to the side of a main entrance to the large

complex where Kohl’s and Macy’s Department Stores were located. The sign, done in a

slightly flowing script, over the large windows looking in on the dining area allowed me to

see the big colorful paintings of fresh fruit and vegetables. This made me hungry so I

definitely wish to enter through the small doors that immediately placed your eyes before

the self-service row of fresh food and entertained your ears with easy listening

contemporary tones with soft tones and pleasing voices. The register person came from the

end of the long selection of mainly produce to greet us in a friendly and warm tone. After we

had selected from a wide range of health conscious food items, we were introduced to the

“comfort” food: pizza, macaroni and cheese, deserts and other “chubby-buddy” foods. The



pricing was moderate for an “all-you-can-consume” dinning establishment and attracts a

wide variety of clientele. There is not a great deal more to say about this store. The reason I

chose it was because I have eaten there a number of times and have always felt “nurtured”

when exiting with a full sense of physical and emotional satisfaction, being an incurable

omnivore!

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Target Department Store

This store, like the above three, is located in the same complex. The building was boxy in its

appearance and resembled the next elevated level of a box store, up from Costco and Wal-

Mart. The sign with its bright red coloring of the letters and the signature red dot

representing the bulls-eye within an archery target was non-descript but effective in

conveying the message of come and shop in an efficient experience that is well presented

in a no nonsense manner. The short of it is that the reputation of store carried my desire to

enter. Once I came closer, the large, multiple doors allowed me to get and expansive view

of the interior so I knew I would be able to get many items I might need there. The color

theme of the store was, as you might expect red and white with bright lighting to let your eye

roam over the expanse of the large floor area featuring everything you might need to furnish

your person and your home. The only sound that could be hear was the muffled voices of

the many customers shopping for the value based items that attract price conscious

individuals. Once inside your were directed toward the women’s department and then

presented with a choice of direction, one leading to more clothing selections for the whole

family or toward the grocery and electronics areas that had you pass everything else you

may need to live a stylish moderate lifestyle. This store, like Kohl’s and Macy’s, was suited

to the browser who then gathered their purchases in extra large carts so they could

efficiently be checked-out at the dozen plus rows of cash registers but clerks who were

polite and friendly, so you felt that the person in the store uniform made you glad you

shopped at their store.

Target is a store that appeals to a broad range of socio-economic shoppers who read the

ads and look for the deals. While they do not buy in the bulk quantities as they might if

buying at Costco, they did purchase a variety and multiples of items. All of this suggests to

me that Target has a secure niche within a working class community.



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T-Mobile Cell Phone Store

This store was the most inviting one of all the stores because of the color that was used to

gain my attention. The “T” in the sign is a lighter shade of purple than one might expect of

this color. That, within itself, would not have attracted me; however, the whole interior was lit

with varying shades of purple ranging from the deeper hues to the lighter mauve that is

seen in gorgeous sunsets. The doors to this small shop were small, but had large ground to

ceiling windows stretching from wall-to-wall so you saw the whole of the store as you

approached to enter or strolled on by. There was only one purpose for shopping at this

store and that, obviously, was to purchase a cell phone from the enthusiastic salesperson

knowledgeably conveying enough technical information to either impress you or bamboozle

you while clearly pointing out the features that will make you desire ownership of this latest

piece of technology.

The store was attractive and presented an efficient layout but the draw, beside the need to

purchase a phone, was the beautiful color that made you feel warm and fuzzy while

unconsciously lowering your resistance to the persuasive sales pitches of the talkative

salesperson. I found the store to be a cleaver way to disarm and entice all rolled into one.



Walgreens Pharmacy/Self Service Retail Store

This last store has a fantastic store front! The building sits on a large lot and can clearly be

seen from a major intersection. The store front was the draw for me because it was an Art

Deco design, that fantastic pre-modern look which emerged from the 1920’s. The doors

were small and the window space was spare in this older store but, with 7,000 stores across

the nation, there is a range of old to new. The newer stores feature a more expansive view

as one approaches them. When entering the store you are immediately directed toward the

cosmetic area or toward the high margin items that are prominently placed on front aisle

end-stands featuring the promotional items of the holiday season or the impulse items. The

rest of the store, whether large or small, is laid out in a crisscross pattern to make find what

is needed easy as the customer walks toward the pharmacy on the opposite end and corner

of the store’s front door..There is a range of products that includes household supplies, dry

groceries, beverages, toys, and snacks for the “I-need-this-and-almost-forgot” item.

However, Walgreens is a pharmacy with a self-service front to serve the convenience of the

customer a heavy emphasis on customer service to enhance the shopping experience,

Walgreens has been in business for over 112 years and has earned a reputation as,

according to the company catch phrase, “The ‘Pharmacy America Trusts” and, judging by

the more mature shopper seen in the store, the reputation has earned a sense of loyal

customers. I suspect that because parents brought their kids in as they grew, these kids, in

turn, brought their children in with them, thus perpetuating a “built-in” cycle of generational

loyalty to this pharmacy/convenience store.



Thoughts to Explain What Observation Really Is

When I finished with the observation of my six retail stores and recorded by findings, I

thought about what I had done. I found myself wondering what it was that I had really

accomplished. I found it slightly wanting in bring the parts together as a whole. I was then

that I went into my library to find something that would tie this together as a cohesive whole

rather than just a sum of its parts. I came across a book entitled, “A Day with Picasso” from

the Adventures in Art series which was published by Prestel Publish ring of New York.

This book depicts how Pablo Picasso used his power of observation to gather the

impressions, large and minute, he witnessed each day and then used the power of his

imagination to create his abstract works of art. While this was illumination as an illustration

of the process of creativity, it still did not define the essence of the working of the creative

Muse that brings about the Eureka moment that Euripides had when he jumped from his

bath and ran through the streets exclaiming his joy of discovery!

I then decided to do a search on the internet as I was still grasping to find the satisfaction

that eluded me. This is the dilemma I faced: I sought to draw a concise conclusion to the

assignment concerning observation and I could not distill it enough so I did a search for the

obstacles to observation. This is what I found. While it is not in my own words, and I give

credit to the author through the link below, it does precisely define the process for me. I am

hoping that you will find this definition clarifies any questions you have about the process.

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http://sarmoung.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/obstacles-to-observation

Often, we hear the statement that a human being is a machine, and that’s correct: a very

complicated machine. Indeed, we could say with confidence that man is more than this. A

structure composed from machines of every type, everyone functioning in different ways,

with different speeds and using different fuels.

So, in order to understand how he functions, a human being has to gain knowledge about

this. Unfortunately, not one of us is born with the necessary knowing either about him or

about how to gain this knowledge, because it doesn’t belong to the instinctive field which we

possess since our birth. Nor the intuition alone is of help to accomplish this task. Such skill

must be acquired through our mind, namely the study of ourselves, how we function in

every field.

The possibility to achieve this knowing is more than a possibility, but it has to be acquired

only with the help of someone that has studied and realized the way that he, as a structured

field, functions.

But this study mustn’t remain limited only in the theoretical field; indeed, such a knowing

http://sarmoung.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/obstacles-to-observation



doesn’t need only the mind to be understood; there must be also a practical work able to

allow the practitioner a direct experience of what he has acquired in theory.

One thing is seeing the map of Paris, but this is not as close as walking on the streets of

this town, hearing the sounds, smelling its air. In the same way, studying ourselves

determines only a map of what and how we are, but the exploration of the territory can be

done only through a direct experience.

The first tool one has to be able to acquire this knowledge is “observation”, fundamental not

only at the beginning, but also during the path towards oneself. But, even if it’s a simple

concept, because of the language limitations, it is very often misinterpreted. We noticed not

a few times that, despite the many practical suggestions in this field, which is usually

defined and considered as observation, in reality has little to do with it. So, if observation is

a fundamental concept in terms of self- development, then let us see if we can define it a

little more clearly.

The first thing that has to be said is that there is a capital difference between “observing”

and “interpreting”. Interpreting is what we usually do when we find ourselves in relation to

something: an object, a person, a situation… ourselves – even if one acquires the

theoretical and practical information about what he has the tendency to remain in the field of

interpreting. It’s a very rooted mechanical behavior that we are almost unable to discern

observation from interpretation. We are convinced that we observe, but we still interpret.

Now, the obvious answer that can come to our minds is the difference between what we

should do (observe) and what we ordinarily do (interpret).

First of all, a method of observation uses description, while interpretation uses judgment.

When we observe something (even ourselves), we have to perform it from a neutral point of

view, leaving aside all the information we have about the object that is observed; even the

name of the object can easily mislead in the attempt to observe.

We can even observe an apple and notice that it has a more or less spherical form, a green,

yellow or red color, with a characteristic smell and taste, etc… Even if I try to define its taste

as pleasant or tart, this could deter me from the intent to remain impartial.

The more characteristics that I will be able to indentify, the more possibilities I’ll have to

grasp new elements that I had never noticed before. Maybe, I’ll realize to have never seen

an apple as so, but only associated elements such as its taste and quality depending, for

example, on the label.

Indeed, when I see an apple, there suddenly appears associations such as “I wish to eat a

good fruit”, “it’s juicy”, “not juicy”, “I dislike apples”, “I prefer melons”, etc…It’s all a flow of

mental considerations and judgments about what I am observing… or better I don’t observe,

because, even if my eyes are addressed to the object, I am somewhere else, identified with



my thoughts derived from previous experiences related to apples.

Another point is that observation needs objective data, and the explanation of this gives an

example of how much we are ordinarily focused in interpreting instead of observing. For

example, I wish to buy a new computer: A PC or a MAC? I’ll buy a MAC because most

agencies, offices and even digital artists use this system. Probably, we know what a

desktop computer or a laptop, tablet, or a handheld PC is. But how many pay attention to

the technical data? Usually, we don’t know what a CPU is, a motherboard or a x32 or x64

based system; few will pay attention to the quality of the processor in gigahertz, the capacity

of the RAM memory or the core temperature.

Usually we are focused on the label, the comfort, the image that this product could give to

us (“Oh, you are using a MAC?”… “Yes, it’s a very professional and safe system!”). And this

is applied in almost all (if not totally all) fields of our lives. Not only concerning a computer, a

sofa or a car.

A further fundamental aspect related to observation is “living the present moment”. What is

this present moment, so claimed by Buddhists, Zen, New Agers, Eckhart Tolle? Is it

possible to live effectively in the present moment? And, to what degree can we live “in the

now”?

Everyone who has tried to be “present” and has partially succeeded will recognize that it

seems as though time becomes shortened, such as he perceives that he lives as an old film

image, shaky and interrupted. A moment is a snap of the finger; soon after, there is another

snap (another now), then another, another, another. We should have a millisecond reaction

to grasp this moment, and the same fast reaction to jump into the sudden moment that

replaces the previous. Could it be possible to maintain such a rhythm, without the

necessary time to relate the pieces, creating a succession that could become a story, our

life?

But, we have a story, a moment of birth, when we have been at school, the first job, the first,

second, third love. We are a continuity in time, and just because of this continuity we can

perceive time, otherwise what would remain of our past experiences and events? Let’s try to

clarify this: Life is in the present moment and every moment is unique. A true wish to live in

the present is surely helpful to focus ourselves in the Now. But this is not a starting point, it’s

the aim. To be able to live in the present, we must be able to put aside all the identifications

with past events and the concerns and expectations for the future and the imaginations that

form in our mind.

Indeed, even if many will wrongly disagree, it’s a mental skill that we need. Our thoughts

fool us constantly, so we have to train our mind in order to be attentive – even if many

believe the opposite, at the end is the mind which is the only thing able to focus the



attention. And we really need much attention to being in the moment- second more, second

less, and not somewhere else in time with our thoughts.

Only with a developed attention can we stay here and now – not only with the body, but also

with our whole being. Only in this case will we be able to grasp the “new”, to observe things

as they are, and not as we think they are. In order to do this, our mind must be free from the

“before” and the “after”, from thoughts; it must be a “clear mind”.

And here comes another important factor that can’t be acquired by itself, even if we try to

observe, to be in the present moment, to remember ourselves: the capacity to focus.

Indeed, only through a “right” concentration can we clean our mind from its contents

(thoughts) that deny us the possibility to observe what is, as it is. And this is not a

concentration on one point, but at 360°: we have to be able to grasp clearly more things at

the same time. When (and if) we succeed, then something will happen: the thousands,

millions of moments, each one of which lasts for a snap of the finger, will seem to become

longer, time will seem to slow down, and only then we’ll succeed in anticipating every

moment, being there when this moment happens, and to fully experience that moment, the

only one which we can observe what happens exactly as it happens, without needing the

help of associative thoughts.

We’ll then be settled in the only moment we have: the “now“.

2nd assignment pdf observation criteria and questions

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