Patrick McIvor's New Studio Experience

My goal for our new studio's experience is to make it as good as sex.  It was something I decided I wanted to do after I watched a TED Talk about designing for senses (check it out below). What I learned was the reason sex is so good is because it is one of the only experiences in life that hits all five senses at very high levels at the same time, and it's the reason we compare things as being, "as good as sex." So in designing our new studio, I want things to be as good as sex and have designed it to hit all five senses in unique, fun and disruptive ways.

 

 

Sight

Starting with a museum white, the focus of our studio is the guest and we use color to draw and excite the eye.  When you enter the studio as the first guest of the day, your eye is immediately drawn to the Bio Ionic Dryers hovering motionless and weightlessly in the air creating a moment where the guest realizes this will be special. As you turn towards the backwash sinks, our signature pomegranate red wall gives the only color within the space, besides the mirror on the stations, our signature brush and our studio’s signature drink. The final unique visual focus will be the two flat screen TV’s, one in the workshop area that will be used for consultations, allowing our team to do guest centered consultations with iPads.  The iPads will allow us to take pictures of our guests and AirPlay the pictures to the TV showing the guest with pictures taken of them and what we are going to be doing with their hair. By having our guests on TV, showing them where we are going to cut their hair, add a fringe, paint some highlights and add or remove some volume, the guest’s eyes let them know it is special and visually exciting.

Sound

It's as important what you hear as what you don't hear. At our studio, the first thing we focus on is what you don't hear, our studio is a cell phone free.  What we want to do is set our studio up to be comfortable and relaxing for all guests, what can change that quickly? At our studio we do not perform services while guests are on their phones, allowing us to provide better services and letting guests know we are a cell phone free studio, so fellow guests are not disturbed by someone speaking loudly or constantly on their phone for their entire visit. Secondly, the music we design for the studio is planned with playlists that create a musical flow for the day. This gives us the opportunity to know what is playing next, not have the repetition or commercial interruptions that streaming can have, and at the same time it allows us to be flexible if we want to mix things up.  So no curses and nothing offensive, then we make sure that we have a variety and any team member can submit music for our studio’s playlist so the whole team has the opportunity to add music to our lives. 

Smell

Olfactory awareness is something that has swung in many directions during my time in our industry.  I remember in beauty school my teacher saying, “You know what that smells like?” referring to the rotten egg sulfur smell coming from the workshop floor as we entered it on our first day of school in 1986. “That smells like money,” she said smiling.  And then from the overwhelming chemical smell of the 1980's perms we swung to the sometimes equally overwhelming scent of naturally derived aromatherapy, but I'm looking to create something in between.  At our new studio, thanks to Goldwell, we will offer a wide pallet of haircolor and lightener options that are ammonia free and low ammonia, which helps us create an atmosphere where we can create amazing color and smell good too.  Our second note for the guest’s nose will be coming from nature, where we will grow herbs for the guests to take with them.  On a glass enclosed porch right off the workshop floor, we will seasonally grow basil, rosemary, mint and other herbs that the guests can harvest to use at home, giving the guest both an experience of smell and a unique kinetic experience as they pluck some of the fresh herbs.

Touch

Obviously, the fresh herb garden is one of the ways we are looking to create a unique way to touch our guests, while also creating an experience they can share with others when they are making mint juleps, rosemary potatoes, or tomato, basil and mozzarella, etc. The second way we will touch the guests is with our studio’s signature shampoo and seasonal warm conditioning treatment.  For this, we will use Goldwell and KMS California shampoos & conditioners warmed in a water bath before being drizzled on the guest’s head at our backwash sinks.

Taste

For taste, our studio will offer a drink menu that will include 6 varieties of coffee, 1 dozen teas and a choice of 3 different cold beverages including our studio’s signature drink which is sparkling water, a twist of lime and pomegranate juice.

It has been fun working on the studio and traveling at the same time, sharing ideas and now as the education calendar winds down and the basic shell of our new studio is almost done, the next few weeks will go quickly.  Starting with painting, hanging shelves, mirrors, filling sanitizers and getting ready for our first guests, I look forward to sharing more of our ideas for experience, including stories from guests once we open around the holidays this year. And with a few new ideas for guests at your salon, the next time they say, “That was as good as...”  You can smile and say, “I know, I designed it that way!”