Stroller, Suitcase or Wheelchair:
Design Makes a Difference

As many of us watch our parents’ cognitive and physical capabilities decline, we see challenges arise within their living environment. Homes that for years have served as places of comfort now seem hazardous. Attractive architectural and design elements and furnishings are now impediments to independence and wellbeing.

According to the AARP, older homeowners overwhelmingly prefer to age in place, which means living at your home safely, independently and comfortably, regardless of age or ability level. For most, aging at our own home necessitates change. Yet, the older we get, the more resistant we are to change and the more loath we are to spend our nest egg on home improvements. Grab bars and elevated toilets are hardly the products we envision purchasing in the glorious golden years.

Most of us younger folk don’t give a second thought to our daily showers (except now and then to feel guilty when taking a long one!). But for the elderly, the seemingly simple act of bathing oneself can be fraught with danger. A nice hot shower shouldn’t be a dispiriting hindrance every day; it should be enjoyable! Designs for aging can facilitate routine personal and domestic chores by mitigating discouraging obstacles, thereby improving one’s ease and comfort.

The need for aging design will increase almost exponentially over the next decade. Now that the first baby boomer has applied for Social Security benefits, the rest of the 76 million boomers born from 1946 to 1964 will follow suit. Medicare currently covers about 44 million people. By 2030, the number will be 79 million. And as much as Boomers may deny it, aging – and its health related issues – is inevitable.

We go to great effort and expense to make our homes a stress-free environment, a soothing place to unwind. Yet, with half to two-thirds of all falls occurring in or around the home, your clients, young and old, need to modify their houses as they mature to increase access and maneuverability. The traditional home that serves you well when you are healthy isn’t necessarily welcoming when you break a leg or hurt your back at any age. People now realize that they need homes that will grow old with them. That opens the door for Universal Design.

According to the Center for Universal Design, Universal Design is the creation of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. The intent of Universal Design is to simplify life for everyone by making products, communications, and the built environment functional for as many people as possible at little or no extra cost. Universal design benefits people of all ages and abilities.

Universal Design Principles can be applied to both new and existing homes to broaden a structure’s accessibility, usability and safety for all household members from kids to retired adults and people with disabilities. The seven principles of Universal Design are: equitable use; flexibility; simple and intuitive; perceptible information; tolerance for error; low physical effort; and size and space for approach and use.

In essence, Universal Design creates a sensible, comfortable and pleasing environment; a place where one doesn’t have to strain or be cautious to accomplish the ordinary. Once you incorporate Universal Design features in an elderly or disabled person’s home, they‘ll wonder how they managed to negotiate around the house without them. And helping someone maintain or regain independence at any age is a job worth doing.

Make your Holidays Green

Each year, Americans generate 25 percent more trash than normal between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Added food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons all add up to 5 million extra tons of waste in the nation's garbage piles. In fact, 38,000 miles of ribbon alone are thrown out each year--enough to tie a bow around the Earth! This year, make “compassionate consumerism” your motto for the holidays! Think before you buy, before you wrap, before you drink and before your discard.

25 ways to have a GREEN Christmas:

Sources: Grays Harbor County Department of Public Services;
IdealBite.com; “It’s Easy Being Green” by Crissy Trask;
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services; and TheGreenGuide.com
© Ellen Hall • Design Lines 2007. All rights reserved.

The Power of PR
...............

Contributed by Rich Kizer & Georganne Bender

P.T. Barnum once said,

“Without promotion something terrible happens … Nothing!”

Mr. Barnum would sweep into town parading the elephants through the streets, sending clowns to visit children in local hospitals. and holding contests to attract crowds. The people loved it, and so did the media. Mr. Barnum was a master at publicity. You can be, too.

But what’s the difference between advertising and publicity? Easy! Advertising is best described as visibility and public relations as credibility. You pay for advertising; PR is free. You can present your business any way you’d like in an ad because you have complete creative control. You can even choose where and when the ad will run.

Publicity is a different animal all together. In a PR campaign you send out your press release and hope for the best. You have no control over what the media say, how they say it, or even if they run it at all. But when they do, you have instant credibility! Publicity is a great way to enhance your reputation and position yourself as an expert.

We recently decided to create a little flourish of our own, so we contacted Ruth Furman, publicist and press agent. We thought the media would be interested in learning what stores do to attract shoppers. Ruth agreed this was a great idea, so she sat down to create a press release that would get us noticed. And boy, did she get us noticed!

In a matter of days, we were hot property. A number of nationwide newspapers, including the Christian Science Monitor, the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Las Vegas Business Press called for interviews. We were picked up by the Associated Press and other wire services. Television stations called. And a senior reporter from Crain’s Chicago Business spent the day shopping with us, resulting in a two page spread – with color photos!

Ruth says, “When your company makes news, publicity will follow. Catalog all the things you do in your business that build your brand; the trade shows you attend; the things you do for customers; even unique or unusual projects, products or applications. Use every opportunity to use the media to toot your own horn!”

So, how do you do that? P.T. Barnum also said, “There’s a sucker born every day!” but when he said that he probably wasn’t referring to editors – they can smell an attempt at free advertising a mile away! To get your press release noticed you must think and write like a reporter. It’s easy when you know the rules:

More Ideas

On a slow news day, everything becomes a hot topic. Take photos at all showhouses or gallery events. Take a photo of yourself at the San Francisco Mart. Corner the editorial staff of any local home publication take a photo with them as well. If a vendor has a celebrity in their booth, wait your turn on line for a photo and a quote. And when you get home send out a press release. Think of the impact you’ll make in your community! You may not be able to afford to run ads consistently in major market newspapers, but you can afford the small amount of time it takes to write a press release, then hit the send key. You’ll become so famous in your own town that people will line up to have their photo taken with you!

Business book authors and consultants Rich Kizer & Georganne Bender are
nationally recognized experts on customer service, marketing and everything retail.
Contact them at info@kizerandbender.com or visit www.KIZERandBENDER.com

You can read the press release in its entirety at www.ruthfurman.presskit247.com
or contact Ruth Furman at ruth@ruthfurman.com
© Kizer & Bender 2006. All rights reserved.

Ten Tips for Designing

a Top-Flight Home Theater

Designers learned the secrets of the pros in high quality home theater design during the
"How to Design Home Theatres & Media Rooms" seminar presented by
Anthony Grimani and Rich Green of Performance Media Industries on August 17, 2006.

Contributed by Anthony Grimani, CEDIA
Performance Media Industries, Ltd.
Contact him at agrimani@pmiltd.com or visit www.pmiltd.com