Word from the Herd

St. Mary’s Hospital is a classic urban healthcare facility. Multiple buildings are located in a dense neighborhood surrounded by congested local streets with no discernible logic or order to how one navigates the facilities. The addition of a new Cancer Center created the need for revitalized signage. GNU conducted a Sign Profile Analysis™, our proprietary process for assessing wayfinding needs. The resultant Wayfinding Strategy concluded that St. Mary’s was a perfect environment for an Integrated Wayfinding program.

Before and After

Integrated Wayfinding means visitor orientation is provided through multiple communications tools including appointment cards, websites, environmental cues, person-to-person interaction, and above all signs. The new signage at St Mary’s uses an approach known as Progressive Disclosure. Progressive Disclosure presents only the information needed to move from one decision point to the next.

A key aspect of signage within a Progressive Disclosure program is the alpha-numeric designation of buildings, departments and rooms. Letters and numbers simplify the information that must be remembered and facilitates multi-lingual comprehension.

A key aspect of signage within a Progressive Disclosure program is alpha-numeric designation of buildings, departments and rooms. Letters and numbers simplify the information that must be remembered. It also facilitates multi-lingual comprehension.

Other program criteria for the new signs included a limited budget that required recycling the exiting signs, quick turnaround, incorporating the Catholic Healthcare West and St. Mary’s brand identities, and gaining the approval of the Hospital’s many stakeholders.

Progressive Disclosure in St. Mary

Read GNU’s White Paper on Wayfinding Planning for Healthcare Facilities at www.gnugroup.com/GNU_HealthCare_WhitePaper.pdf

Posted in Branding, Design, Healthcare, Wayfinding
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Welcome 2012

December 30th, 2011
by Dickson Keyser

A trip to Europe with Tracy,

Each New Year is a time for inspiration, motivation and all manner of resolution.
Some of the GNU’s took a moment to
reflect on the year ahead.

A trip to Europe with Tracy,
PHIL MURPHY
Personally: A trip to Europe with Tracy, vacations with our 3 children and five beautiful grandchildren.

Professionally: Expand our Southern California work and continue to educate the marketplace about our Sign Profile Analysis™, GNU’s streamlined process for solving wayfinding and sign program challenges for our clients. Nurture GNU’s Explicit Culture™ and GNU’s future leadership. GNU’s streamlined process for solving wayfinding and sign program

ART BARELA
Personally: Spending more time touching the hearts, minds and memories of my children & grandchildren; painting, drawing, writing & getting published; making my way back out to the soccer pitch; taking time to pause, ponder and appreciate as many views & visions as are still mine to absorb.

Professionally: Expand the GNU Southern Cal competitive edge, building new partnership with like minded So Cal thought leaders in architecture, development and the building industry. Grow GNU Southern Cal into a significant, prominent and sustaining resource. GNU’s streamlined process for solving wayfinding

VICTOR BECERRA
Personally: Get In better shape, eat healthier and take a nice vacation.

Professionally: Help to grow the GNU installation department. Learn as much as I can from my colleagues to help me grow in the role of director of field services.GNU’s streamlined process for

LEYNA BOOKIN
Personally: Practice & improve my sewing skills. Go camping. Travel out of the country. Take yoga. Do more cooking. See as much live music as possible.

Professionally: Fine tune e our contracting & billing processes to meet the ever evolving needs of our clients. GNU’s streamlined process for solving wayfinding and sign

RICH BURNS
Personally: Continue my swimming adventures and playing with my grandson.

Professionally: Enjoy my emeritus role at GNU by being an engaged, stimulated participant and making a contribution to our ongoing success. GNU’s streamlined process for

HOWARD CURTIS
Personally: Travel more and tour new places with my family. Rediscover creat¬ing art with traditional methods and mediums including more sketching – I have 10 notebooks to fill.

Professionally: Continuing learning on the path of design and defining and digitizing the firm’s vast knowledge base and reference collections, and sustained exploration in the digital wayfinding field. GNU’s streamlined process for solving wayfinding

ABNER DAVID
Personally: Play more sports instead of just watching. Even better…play more sports with my 2 young daughters.

Professionally: Continue to streamline GNU’s Health Care Studio program management that provide our clients with pain free solutions! GNU’s streamlined process for solving wayfinding and sign program challenges

LEILA FLORES
Personally: Volunteering every week to teach self development classes that inspire and motivating people to reach their potential. Grow/expand my physical fitness program for women. Help expand our E-Soccer programs (coaching special needs children from 3 to 12 years old) through Bay Area Christian Church.

Professionally: Continue to work with GNU’s IT consultants and grow our internal IT capabilities. Maximize my potential by taking on more challenging responsibilities. GNU’s streamlined process for solving wayfinding and sign program challenges for our clients.

SARAH KATSIKAS
Personally: Looking forward to attending multiple weddings this year and feelin’ the love; cross-country visit to my best friend who recently moved to DC; and my husband and my much anticipated bi-annual trip to Hawaii.

Professionally: Continue to tighten up the progression and finessing of GNU’s breakthrough programming of replacement healthcare projects. Creating more collaborative and fun events as the co-chair of SEGD:SF along w/ fellow GNU Lauren Kelly. GNU’s streamlined process for solving wayfinding and sign

LAUREN KELLY
Personally: Learn to cook better and taking time off for a trip to Europe.

Professionally: Continue to develop the Surveyor App and other new tools for environmental graphic design programming. GNU’s streamlined process for solving wayfinding and

DICKSON KEYSER
Personally: Greater focus on gardening, brewing, showing photography, riding bike to work, surf days and hiking with the family.

Professionally: Grow GNU’s Donor Recognition practice through continued work with exceptional educational and healthcare clients. GNU’s streamlined process for solving GNU’s streamlined process for solving

DERICK LAZARO
Personally: Focus more on music, writing, teaching my daughter how to ride her bike and family trips.

Professionally: Become more involved in documenting our finished work. Continue to better understand fabrication techniques, provide design leadership, try not to worry provide design leadership, t..so much.
GNU’s streamlined process for solving wayfinding

KIRK MILLER
Personally: Enjoy domesticity including gardening, brewing, basketball and riding my bike.

Professionally: Keep the GNU administrative ‘machine’ well oiled and running efficiently, for our team and our clients. GNU’s streamlined process for solving wayfinding and

VICTOR VITALE
Personally: Set aside sufficient time for enriching and educating my children, finishing the remodel on our home, and improving and learning our winemaking endeavor.

Professionally: Continue to grow and enrich my client base, improve internal and external processes for communication, planning, and meeting expectations and grow in areas that have previously been beyond my reach. GNU’s streamlined process for solving wayfinding and

Posted in GNU Culture, Observed
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Surveyor

December 1st, 2011
by Lauren Kelly

When told I was going to spend a lot of time in Philadelphia surveying the existing conditions for a new wayfinding and sign design program for Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals (TJUH), I was both intrigued by the opportunity and daunted by the assignment. We were to photograph the location of over 10,000 replacement signs, take measurements, note requirements for placement, lighting and legibility, and identify any restrictions needing mitigation.

The signs were spread throughout 8 buildings and over 2 million square feet. GNU has considerable experience with these types of surveys. We’ve conducted them for Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, Catholic Healthcare West, John Muir Health and others. We would dispatch a team armed with cameras, tape measures, plan drawings, laptops and note paper. We would return with piles of documentation. Photos keyed to drawings. Notes scribbled on plans. The most progressive would even dictate their observations. But managing in the field was tedious, and correlating and collating the results was like assembling a gigantic jig-saw puzzle.

Before joining GNU I spent years in the world of web and database design. I knew there had to be a way technology could help manage the complexity of the project. I’d developed small-scale mobile applications in the past and realized this was a perfect opportunity to merge database functionalities with the massive amount of data (19,476 photos and 75 gigabytes) we acquired during the survey.

Surveyor allows on screen input of all information. At TJUH one chooses
from 8 buildings and 120 floors, touches the correct location
on the plan and picks one of the 40 sign types in the program.

gigabytes) we acquired during the survey.
When I suggested that a survey application for the iPhone could incorporate all of the data gathering functions for the survey in one place, GNU’s management team encouraged me to make it happen. In reasonably short order I was able to produce a viable beta version of what I call Surveyor. With some field testing and a little refinement we had a working program. A trip to the Apple store for a handful of iPhones later, we were ready to go. Sarah from GNU and I were being assisted by a few people from exi;t in Philadelphia, our partners on the TJUH project. I hoped the App would prove as easy and intuitive as I envisioned when designing it so that everyone could grasp its functionality and be immediately productive.

Surveyor exceeded our expectations. Each location was as simple as taking a few photos and typing in measurements and notes. Clicking on the building and floor produced a pre-loaded plan. Touch the location and all information is linked. All we had to do was repeat this 10,000 times.

Once back in the office, we reviewed the photos and locations to identify missing signs or those to be removed. Modifying data in a multi-table database (rather than dots in Illustrator™ and records in Filemaker™), meant we could automatically generate all documentation. Any edits are instantly updated. Delete a location and the associated signs are removed. Version control or signs without locations are a non-issue since the information is linked in the database. We knew Surveyor would save time but the accuracy of the program could be its major benefit.

We’re making a few refinements and when given our next assignment, Surveyor 2.0 will be ready to go.

Phil Murphy, GNU’s President and CEO, points to Lauren’s initiative as a prime example of the power of GNU’s culture of thought leadership, creative design solutions and pain free project management.

Posted in Design, GNU Culture, Healthcare, Implementation, Wayfinding
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ULI in LA

October 31st, 2011
by Rich Burns

Brian Wilson entertains 6000 attendees at ULI’s Fall Meeting reception.

The Urban Land Institute, the real estate industry’s preeminent professional organization, held its Fall Meeting last week in Los Angeles. Despite the woes of the economy, the event attracted over 6000 people. Every year’s gathering has a decidedly different personality and mood, largely influenced by the current state of the industry, the location and which of ULI’s 30,000 members choose to show up. Each meeting offers a chance to take the pulse of the industry and gauge the collective psyche and confidence level of the world of real estate.

The meeting combines keynote speeches, educational breakout sessions, mobile tours, a trade show, entertainment with plenty of opportunities for networking and socializing. The general sessions addressed universal issues including the state of the world, the economy, capital markets with plenty of awards and recognition for great projects and industry movers and shakers (Eli Broad, Don Bren). A stirring shout out to Los Angeles and the downtown redevelopment of the LA Live entertainment district (site of the meeting) was followed by a nostalgic outdoor concert featuring Brian Wilson and his reconstitution of the Beach Boys.

Presentation of the 2011 ULI Global Awards for Excellence

This year the major themes included globalization, changing demographics, systemic problems with government, availability of capital, employment and housing, sustainable design and the perennial question – when will things get better? While each of these topics are front and center in current public discourse, at ULI they are addressed in the context of the world of real estate.

The short answers to some of these key concerns:

Capital – money is still difficult to come by. Few projects are getting funded even though here is a tremendous amount of capital sitting on the sidelines. Apartments are the hot property type although there are some who are already warning of the pending ‘apartment bubble.’ There were strong feelings that real estate is currently a low risk investment that will yield above average returns, providing one can purchase without leverage, has little need for cash flow and considerable patience. There was also consensus that interest rates will rise and locking in at today’s rates is prudent.

Changing Demographics – keynote speaker Michael Milliken cited the fact that of the top ten surnames of people who bought homes in California last year, all were Asian or Hispanic as his way of emphasizing the dramatic demographic transformation taking place. Every presentation was laced with statistics about ethnic composition and generational changes and the implications for housing, technology, healthcare, employment and the spectrum of other changes occurring in the country.

Government – while the public presentations were largely void of political posturing, the frustration with dysfunctional government was omnipresent. Behind the scenes, railing about the paralysis and lack of political will was everywhere. Robert Gates, recently departed Secretary of Defense, gave the final address and was perhaps the most outspoken about the failures of our current representatives and their unwillingness to tackle the tough issues. He was clear that the problems are not lost on anyone but that the parties are so entrenched in catering to the extremes that they cannot moderate their behavior.

Employment and Housing – all discussion of these problems echoed what is common knowledge. By a show of hands, the audience unanimously recognized jobs as the seminal problem impacting real estate. Housing must still work off its enormous surplus and that continues to be a long way off.

When Will Things Get Better – in 2009 when we reported on the ULI Meeting, the projection for recovery was 36 to 48 months. We are now 24 months into that time frame. Prognosticators have mostly capitulated on assigning dates and are just telling us we have awhile to go. Most cited the uncertainty of the 2012 election as the reason decisions are being slowed and voiced real anxiety of the implications, regardless of who takes office.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

One cannot help but be impressed with the competency and sophistication of the members of ULI. These are accomplished and highly intelligent people who understand the nuances and complexity of the very difficult issues that face both the industry and the country. They even posture plausible solutions to the challenges of the times. And while many enjoy positions of influence and power, like so many others, this group also appears powerless to affect the degree of change necessary to make things better. They do however give pause for hope.

Despite the demographic proclamation on ULI’s 75th anniversary that the future clearly resides with ULI members under 50, Brian Wilson and his reincarnation of the Beach Boys was clearly most appreciated by the many aging boomers. Like much of the rest of the meeting, promoting Los Angeles was in your face and what says Southern California more than the Beach Boys? So despite the cloud that continues to overhang the country and the real estate world, this is a group that has learned patience, survival and still knows how to enjoy themselves.

The Fall Meeting is always a great opportunity to reconnect with our friends and network and affirm GNU Group’s continuing participation in this exciting industry.

Posted in Marketplace, News, Observed
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Rich Burns

August 31st, 2011
by Phil Murphy

When I assumed the ownership of GNU in 1994 from Rich, I told him that he could do whatever he wanted in the firm. I am delighted that he chose to remain close. Our e-blast this month focuses on Rich’s work in marketing communications, and particularly the intellectual capital he has been sharing through his writing and teaching. But Rich’s expertise and experience far transcend expertise in these areas.

He was one of a few people responsible for organizing the professional discipline of signage, wayfinding and environmental graphics when in 1974, he participated in the founding of the Society for Environmental Graphic Design (www.SEGD.org). In the early days GNU hosted the organization in our office and devoted considerable resources to bringing it to life. Rich served as president for a number of years and was selected as one of SEGD’s first fellows. When the firm made environmental graphic design the mainstay of our practice, Rich’s design and programming skills were paramount.

I’ve heard Rich describe his current role at GNU as having a little responsibility and no authority. While I disagree with that assessment, I think he means that he now gets to focus his capabilities on projects, clients and in helping tell the firm’s story. After more than 20 years of total responsibility for the business side of the firm, he says, “relinquishing the financial, personnel and administrative functions of the practice is a wonderful gift and I recommend it highly.”

Rich’s backstroke start at World Championships

While he still works tirelessly, he does take the time for other passions. He is extremely modest about one area of interest. From long before I met him, Rich was a committed Masters Swimmer. His accomplishments in this arena are prodigious and last year he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. (http://bit.ly/qX7P4E).

This brief tribute is one simple way that I can say thanks for the wonderful firm Rich created and the opportunity he has given me to carry on the firm’s legacy.

Posted in GNU Culture, Marketplace, News, Uncategorized, Wayfinding
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Easy Solution

August 1st, 2011
by Phil Murphy

In addition to highly customized design programs for parking facilities, GNU has responded to our client’s desires for affordable garage signage and wayfinding programs that do not require custom design. We offer a number of Pre-Engineered Garage Wayfinding systems.

What is a Pre-Engineered Wayfinding System?

Pre-Engineered Wayfinding Systems are comprehensive programs that provide all directional and life safety signs for any parking facility. The systems offer attractive graphics that are highly legible. All facilities are individually programmed to solve all wayfinding and code compliance issues. Pre-Engineered systems reduce planning and delivery time, maximize procurement dollars, utilize cost efficient/high value manufacturing methodologies and provide great looking solutions that enhance the facilities brand and above all, save time and money.

The components of a Pre-Engineered Wayfinding system have already been designed (with the ability to be customized through typography and color selection to meet the project’s design brand and aesthetic). All components are documented with detailed construction drawings. We partner with major sign companies for fabrication and installation.

The Bottom Line

Client’s save time and money on design and drawings that are already complete. They save with our leveraged purchasing power through pricing guarantees for 3 years on fabrication and installation. Clients appreciate the options and control GNU’s Pre-Engineered systems allow for managing signage and wayfinding in their facilities.

Any parking facility developer or manager responsible for traffic flow and code compliance issues can now look to the Pre-Engineered approach.

Posted in Design, Implementation, Marketplace, Wayfinding
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Going Platinum

April 28th, 2011
by Dickson Keyser

If your mission is to be a leading advocate in preventing climate change, creating a green environment where you work is implicit. When ClimateWorks selected San Francisco’s historic Russ Building as their new home, they committed to a green office with the highest possible LEED-Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Leddy, Maytum, Stacy Architects stewarded ClimateWorks’ vision and guided a team that was committed to achieving the sustainability goals.

The Russ Building is a 1927, Neo-Gothic high rise. While we generally think of LEED in association with new projects, retrofitting an 80 year old structure demonstrates that sustainable design can be ubiquitous.

Forty percent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the building and construction industries. Electricity for lighting and appliances, energy for heating and air conditioning and energy-consuming equipment are all part of the problem. ClimateWorks used the design of their space to demonstrate ways to mitigate the impact of these emission sources and to showcase sustainable building materials and techniques.

GNU is gratified to have played a role in helping ClimateWorks offices achieve LEED-Platinum certification for Commercial Interiors with the third highest LEED point total ever awarded.

In addition to signage that orients visitors and complies with applicable codes, we met the LEED requirements to provide education about sustainable design. We created a program of information nodes that explain the green design solutions incorporated throughout the ClimateWorks environment. These info nodes were produced and printed on Bio-board, a 100% recyclable product with a 63% post consumer waste content. (http://www.plyveneer.com/bioboard.html)

GNU also took great care in the design of the main lobby ID. The wood chosen for construction is Forest Stewardship Council Certified and the paints applied were spec’d as low VOC. Fabrication and as many components as possible were sourced locally.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW CLIMATEWORKS LEED DISPLAY BOOKLET

This guide is provided to ClimateWorks’ visitors to explain the LEED improvements within the Foundation’s renovated offices. Once the self-guided tour is complete, the guide is returned so it can be reused. The binder is made with 100% recyclable materials, covers and metal rings can be easily recycled. http://www.rebinder.com

And to finish things off for ClimateWorks, GNU assisted in getting their LEED Platinum glass plaque installed. Having worked on previous LEED projects we advised ClimateWorks to back the glass plaque with a colored backer for better visibility. While the plaques (provided by USGBC) themselves are beautiful they can be hard to read against light colored walls.

“Your team really understood our mission and approach and have supported us well with your collaboration and creativity. We are especially appreciative of your responsiveness to our needs and schedule.”

Mary Alice Stadum
ClimateWorks Foundation

Posted in Design, Green Design, Implementation
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The current book on your nightstand?

December 8th, 2010
by Howard Curtis

Subway Style: 100 Years of Architecture & Design
in the New York City Subway

author: New York Transit Museum

Over 100 years ago, a train system operated underground. A traveller did not have the abilities to use landmarks and sunlight to orient themselves. So, how did architects resolve the subway’s wayfinding issue beneath the streets of NYC? By using art, imagery, labels, and color (and, yes, signs!)

Artists Heins & LaFarge conjured an approach “of aiding the traveler in the rapid and easy identification of his whereabouts.” Ceramic designs created a sense of place and placement and allowed for commuters to easily comprehend their location. The visuals would correlate with geographic locations, such as a sloop scene for South Ferry. Other depictions were more clever, such as representing a beaver for Astor Place. The desire was create distinction between the stations.

Following Heins & LaFarge, Squire Vickers took over the work. He respected the artful intent of his predecessor, but recognized that the signage needed to be serviceable. Rather than using ceramic embellishments, tile mosaics adorned the station walls with color, patterning, illustrations and station names, making them easier to clean. The focus changed to the station names themselves, spelling them out in tile patterns, and developing neighborhood identification to label the station below.

Naturally, there’s more to the story. Subway Style is loaded with beautiful images. Photographs, architectural drawings, and schematic illustrations enhance the design stories surrounding the system’s infrastructure: buildings, powerplants, furnishings, ironwork, fixtures, and of course signage.

Posted in Design, Observed, Wayfinding
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You Gotta Love It!

November 30th, 2010
by Tom Donnelly

As the dominant carrier at Love Field in Dallas, Southwest Airlines is the driving force behind refurbishing and reconfiguring the 40 year old terminal. The airline, renowned for its playful, friendly image challenged the design team to incorporate their ‘brand essence’ into the airport environment. “Make it fun,” was Southwest’s mandate. Corgan Associates was the architect for the original terminal and were chosen to design the renovations. GNU is assisting Corgan with the environmental branding and signage program.

In the spirit of Southwest culture the graphics are colorful, casual and bold – atypical of conventional airport signage. Dominant use of red as the focal color is meant to evoke the emotional aspects of Love and Luv. Located between ticketing/security and the concourses is a central mall that also uses bold, simple, iconic imagery.

LOVE/EVOLUTION

The ambitious redevelopment of Love Field in Dallas is turning this convenient, in-city airport into one of the nation’s premiere and modern transit facilities. As the birthplace of Southwest Airlines and the location of its corporate headquarters, the carrier, in conjunction with the Dallas Department of Aviation, has taken the lead in the renovation of this aging facility.

The ongoing changes have been christened LOVE EVOLUTION, a label that speaks to both the reach and quality of the undertaking. The entire process involves an interim configuration of two terminals, one for Delta and Continental and the other as Southwest’s hub. Eventually all of Love’s tenants will relocate to the fully renovated main terminal.

Principal Tom Donnelly’s recent merge of his practice, Donnelly Design (see blog “Flying High”, Oct. 2010), with GNU brought this engaging project to the firm. Tom has been collaborating with Corgan Associates on a number of airport projects, since 1997. “This has been an opportunity to look at wayfinding and navigation in airport spaces in a different way,” explains Tom. “Southwest’s challenge to make the architecture and graphics program an expression of their corporate culture is a true exercise in environmental branding.” Southwest’s culture is centered on making the user experience fun. Corgan has created lively energetic spaces that capture this spirit. Our role is to make the signage and graphics embellish their design while providing directions and information that are easy and user friendly.

Love is just one of a number of airport projects on the boards at GNU. San Bernardino is in the final stages of implementation, Sacramento is under construction and slated to open in 2011 and Love plans to be operational in 2014.

Read the Blast

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SF Business Times Fastest Growing 100… Again!

November 23rd, 2010
by Rich Burns

We were gratified to learn that for the second year in a row, GNU Group was named among the fastest growing private companies in the Bay Area by San Francisco Business Times magazine. The honor is based on a ranking of year-over-year increase in revenue from 2007 through 2009. “Growth is an important measure of success,” explains GNU president/CEO Phil Murphy. “To gain this recognition during one of the toughest business cycles in the 40 year history of the firm is a testament to the way that our entire team has committed to GNU’s way of doing business. Our model is laser focused on meeting our client’s and our employee’s needs.”

That might sound like a cliché but is in fact, a substantive statement about our approach to business. We credit our accomplishments to what we call the Explicit Culture. Corporate culture is currently a much scrutinized topic in American business. While every company has a distinct culture, some are by default and some are by design. In my position as the founder of GNU, I enjoy a unique vantage point from which to observe the subtleties of company culture by witnessing the generational changes.

The firm’s transition from me to Phil was a great lesson in the power of culture. Phil’s vision for the firm was far more structured and managed compared to the serendipity and informality of my approach. Our recent growth spurt is the result of a long period of molding the attitude, processes, procedures and above all, getting the right people ‘on the bus.’ Our bus refers to assembling a group that is fully committed to the firm’s goals and mission, and both willing and able to subscribe to the firm’s Explicit Culture.

The pillars of the Explicit Culture are simple and straightforward.

1. Financial Transparency – everyone in the firm has access to all of the numbers. As Phil explains, “everyone is an owner but without the same degree of risk.” Without secrets you build a phenomenal amount of trust and goodwill. In addition to making all information available, the firm is committed to sharing the success. Every quarter we distribute one-third of the profits to all of the employees. Everyone knows the target numbers, can easily calculate their share if the firm succeeds and is tremendously motivated to do their part in achieving the results.

2. Prescribed Process – Economic success is predicated on efficiency in doing the work. The firm has codified the processes by which projects are managed and executed. Training is paramount. Perhaps atypical of a creative firm, systems and procedures are the heart of our management approach and our performance.

3. Honest Communications – We demand candid discourse which eliminates the type of agendas that bubble below the surface in so many companies. Perhaps more than any other factor, honest communications has been the foundation of the firm’s culture.

4. Personal Responsibility – the expectations that are incumbent in the first 3 pillars mean that everyone is accountable. This means doing what you say you will do. Following the playbook, adhering to the processes, bringing a positive and energetic attitude to the office each day, respecting your peers and wanting to be “on the bus” is crucial to the triumph of the culture.

What does the Explicit Culture buy us? It’s the platform for our commitment to clients, and ultimately the catalyst for the value we bring to their projects and businesses. We call our delivery platform Our Pledge. Like the pillars of our culture, Our Pledge has irrefutable mandates that guide our behavior.

1. Thought Leadership – To be truly valuable to our clients we need to know their businesses as well as we know our own. We must understand the issues that determine their success and the values that drive their endeavors. We must be on the leading edge of markets, trends and behavior and in a position to advance the quality of our solutions.

2. Creative Design Solutions – While our style is business, the foundation of our practice is creativity. Through four decades, success has been a product of inventive, innovative and problem solving design.

3. A Pain Free Program Management Experience – Our culture demands that we take care of our clients. Making the process pain free means we respect our relationships with our clients. When we do what we say we’ll do, clients appreciate and remember. They invite us back.

Sounds easy? We won’t go so far as to say it is never without its hiccups but the San Francisco Business Times recognition is testimony to the power of culture and that what we are doing is right.

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