Brilliant
I'm not easily impressed with the design of things. I growl at poor design. And good design should be invisible. But every once in a while I encounter something brilliant that deserves recognition.
As a parent you notice when public places aren't baby-friendly. Maybe there's no changing table in the bathroom. Or the aisles in a store are too narrow for a stroller. But when a place goes out of its way to welcome little ones, it's obvious.
G and I were turned away from Costco this morning because we were 15 minutes too early to be allowed in with our Ordinary Shopper card. The only place to go was Starbucks. So I walked in with G on my arm, wondering where I'd sit her so we wouldn't both end up covered in soy latte. Near the pick-up counter was a contraption that blended in perfectly with the rest of the decor. It was a high chair that didn't look like a high chair, combined with a stroller that looked nothing like a stroller. It was the Bistro High Chair made by Koala Kare.
Maybe I'm overreacting, but this cherry wood high chair made me giddy. It was beautiful, well-proportioned, and rolled around on air. G sat in it quite content for 15 minutes. But here's the best part: I rolled her right into the bathroom with me. This was the topper. You can't do that with ordinary high chairs. You can't even do that with most strollers. I wanted one for myself. I wanted to shout out how brilliant this was. To save embarrassment, I only told the barista, but I did it loudly.
It's this kind of attention to detail that seals a good brand. Not that I was ever considering abandoning Starbucks, but I may just linger a little longer next time, which undoubtedly means a few extra dollars. Dollars that would've gone to a place with merely invisible design.
As a parent you notice when public places aren't baby-friendly. Maybe there's no changing table in the bathroom. Or the aisles in a store are too narrow for a stroller. But when a place goes out of its way to welcome little ones, it's obvious.
G and I were turned away from Costco this morning because we were 15 minutes too early to be allowed in with our Ordinary Shopper card. The only place to go was Starbucks. So I walked in with G on my arm, wondering where I'd sit her so we wouldn't both end up covered in soy latte. Near the pick-up counter was a contraption that blended in perfectly with the rest of the decor. It was a high chair that didn't look like a high chair, combined with a stroller that looked nothing like a stroller. It was the Bistro High Chair made by Koala Kare.
Maybe I'm overreacting, but this cherry wood high chair made me giddy. It was beautiful, well-proportioned, and rolled around on air. G sat in it quite content for 15 minutes. But here's the best part: I rolled her right into the bathroom with me. This was the topper. You can't do that with ordinary high chairs. You can't even do that with most strollers. I wanted one for myself. I wanted to shout out how brilliant this was. To save embarrassment, I only told the barista, but I did it loudly.
It's this kind of attention to detail that seals a good brand. Not that I was ever considering abandoning Starbucks, but I may just linger a little longer next time, which undoubtedly means a few extra dollars. Dollars that would've gone to a place with merely invisible design.
posted by Anne at 2:02 PM
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