Image taken from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tombricker/5537082833/sizes/z/in/photostream/
Pixar animation studios is setting up its studio in Gastown, Vancouver! After looking at the studio’s configurations, I noticed that Pixar uses various methods to bolster innovation and creativity in all staff. The staff are provided with spacious custom cubicles and are allowed to design them according to their own preferences. In an attempt to bring the rich history of Pixar to its new office in Canada, artifacts such as the Monster Inc. character Mike Wazowski was brought to the Gastown office. This flexibility in working environment, coupled with other unique elements such as the secret bookshelf passageway in the library, allow the designers to temporarily transcend into a world of cartoons and animation where their creativity would flourish.
This mentality of cultivating a company culture that bring out the best in the staff reminds me of Zappos, the online shoe retailer. In class we learnt how companies like Zappos create a happier working environment to spread joy among its staff. This would translate to better service standards for the company. Likewise for Pixar, the firm focuses on cultivating creativity through its work space configurations, and producing the best animated movies by doing so.