1. A Crash Course on Creativity
Assignment 2: ARE YOU PAYING
ATTENTION?
2. • I haven’t felt into shopping …
… So I went eating!
@ a McDonalds restaurant located in a train-
station (largest from my country)
Note to USA readers: in Europe McDonalds is a
totally different thing than in US.
3. • For my surprise, the place was extremely crowded
comparing to what I was used to … as you’ll be
able to notice from my pictures (by the way - I’m
sorry for the pictures’ quality, but I wasn’t allowed
to take pictures and therefore my phone hadn’t
got time to focus during my paparazzi sessions).
• I asked the manager why is that and she told me
that is due to the bad weather (see below).
4. • So, being something strange and having the
creativity class, I started analyzing the
environment, the personnel and the
customers as I was instructed. (I skipped the
before entering the store analysis since I was
already there) …
• Environment:
– The restaurant was organized as a backyard
behind some houses … pretty familiar and
friendly.
– Music was playing (a local radio, nice music),
volume was acceptable.
5.
6. • Appropriateness?
• Not quite so:
– In a train station restaurant you’ll probably want a
clock to show you when to leave …
– Another thing you’ll probably want in this kind of
location is a connection with the announcement
boards instead of hearing only the radio …
– Lots of luggage
… and clothes
Some hangers
should do
the trick …
7. • Personnel
– People in uniform, in the range of 30-40 years old, very
friendly, trying to do their job with all the customers
around them, trying to accommodate everyone and to
keep the restaurant clean.
• Appropriateness?
– Not always - lots of people are there (only) because is a
warm place where you can spend (pleasantly) your spare
time without consuming much. The problem is that the
employees aren’t allowed to do anything against it and
therefore the place is getting crowded …
• Solutions? More or less abusive
– Asking permission for/and “cleaning the table” of the not-
consuming customers (this way they might be tempted
either to leave or to order something else in order to
continue staying).
– Having a waiter asking them if they want to order
something else.
8. • Products
– Probably the same products as everywhere in the
world.
• Problems?
– Maybe they should adapt to the weather and
instead of selling ice-cream and beer, they could
try some mulled-wine and hot chocolate.
Picture taken from beerimages.com
Picture taken from Picture taken from
newyork.seriouseats.com germanywanderer.com
9. • Is that all?
• No, not yet: Although I’m evaluating the
restaurant, I think I could also make a note to
the train-station administrator:
– The passengers had lots of luggage because there
aren’t (enough) short time lockers in the station,
therefore:
• Either provide some for the public use (and make some
easy money) or
• Someone will do it instead of you …
10. • Now it’s over?
– Yes, I’m done …
• Was this appropriate for the homework?
– I definitely didn’t follow the rules
(restaurant ≠ shop) and I haven’t evaluated 6 of
them …
– But I think it’s appropriate since I made the
required analysis and I think I was creative in
choosing my subject and in presenting it …
– And I also managed to combine work and
pleasure …
– So I’ll let you decide…
