The document provides an overview of a crash course on creativity taught by Professor Tina Seelig at Stanford University. It discusses how the course examines different aspects of creativity, including how to think creatively, recognize opportunities, and overcome obstacles to pursuing creative ideas. The course aims to help students develop their creative abilities and apply creativity to solve problems in various domains.

1. ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?
A Crash Course on Creativity
Professor Tina Seelig, Stanford University
Gail E. Waiters
October 30, 2012

2. Dollar Tree Slide 1
• The store is known for its products
costing $1 or less.
• Their logo incorporates the
number one as the trunk of a tree.
The store sign and font are no frills
and appears to represent structure,
however, when you go inside, there
is anything but.
• It is typically located in a strip mall.
• The store appeals to anyone
interested in not paying much for
staple items such as office and party
supplies, can goods and other easily
disposable items. It does not
however, draw you in for any other
reason.
• The store front does not have
much of an inviting appeal.
• Loitering and soliciting are regular
occurrences outside of the store.

3. Dollar Tree Slide 2
• The store does not have a color
scheme, other than off white walls.
• The store is crowed with
merchandise, making it hard to see
individual items.
• The environment definitely
represents the value of their products.
• This is a store that I want to get in
and out of within 20 minutes or less.
• Typically, staff on the floor are
stocking shelves. They are there to
help, but do not seek you out. The
person stocking also helps out at the
cash register when it’s busy.
• Sales people wear a uniform and
depending on the holiday they may
dress up.
• Since this is a minimum wage job,
sales people more likely mirror the
store’s image.

4. Dollar Tree Slide 3
• The floor is carpeted with
indoor/outdoor carpet that is stained
and worn, signifying that it is just a
floor covering.
• The ceiling is about 1 ½ stories which
makes the clutter down the aisles and
on the walls to appear more confining.
• Lighting is good.
• Because of the overhead costs, it
makes sense that there is no security
personnel, only cameras.
• The first products seen when
walking in the door represents the
season or holiday. Featured products
are always eye level and in the front
aisle and end caps.
•This store does not typically have
sales, free samples or demonstrations.
• Products are arranged by function.
The lease accessible products are
some of the toys and cleaning
supplies.
• There are impulse items around the
cash register.

5. Dollar Tree Slide 4
• The average customer is a adult (21-
35) female with children; and it tends
to be the store of choice for people on
fixed income.
• Customers have a number of
avenues they can take when entering
the store. They typically know what
they want and where it is located.
• The average customer will stay about
30 to 45 minutes. They are on a
mission to get what they need. I
would estimate that 99% of the
customers purchase products from this
store.

6. Khol’s Slide 1
• Store draws you in by its clean
façade. A traditional department store
look. Signage is huge block letters
again reflecting a strong image.
• Doors are closed but store front is
inviting.
• The color scheme is gray and white,
connoting a cool, but warm
atmosphere. Once inside, you walk on
authentic tile squares in the aisles and
carpet in the clothing areas.
• Ceilings are about 1 ½ story. The
store is well lit and organized allowing
you to find the products you are
looking for.
• The music is appropriate. The noise
level is moderate talking and music.
• Merchandise is organized and
stocked well. The value of
merchandise is consistent with store
appearance.
• A security guard is at the front door
and there are cameras throughout.

7. Khol’s Slide 2
• First products you see are men’s
clothing to the right and young girl’s
clothing to the left.
• There are central displays
throughout the store, such as jewelry
and electronics.
• “For sale” items are placed
throughout the store. Products are
arranged by function and sometimes
color within a function like with towels
and bedding.
• The store does not offer free
samples or demonstrations.
•Most products are at eye level.
Typically those above are overstocks
and furniture.
• Luggage is at the back of the store
and so is home goods.
• Prices are easy to find and the most
to the least expensive are
intermingled. Impulse items such as
candy do surround the cash register.

8. Khol’s Slide 3
• The average age of the customer is
young to middle age adult, mostly
women that are shopping with their
children.
• The store’s entrance has a large aisle
right up the middle, that guides the
customer’s path. Some holiday or
seasonal products are in the sight path
as you walk in the door.
• Every thing in the store is for sale,
therefore, all products maybe touched
or tried on.
• More customers are on a mission to
buy rather than browse. I believe this
is because the merchandise is at a
value most customers can afford. At
least 80% of customers purchase a
product.
• A customer can easily spend a
couple of hours in the store.

9. Khol’s Slide 4
• Sales people acknowledge your
presence with a smile or a greeting.
The customer has to approach the
sales person to ask for help.
• To calculate the ratio to customers,
you look at how many people and how
long they wait in the cash register line.
For every 5 customers, there is
approximately 1 sales person.
• Sales persons mirror the store
image. They do not wear uniforms
and you cannot outwardly know if they
are using store products.

10. Michaels Slide 1
• The sign, while it does not represent
the most recent font Michael uses, still
connotes a free, but proper image.
• The store is inviting with its
merchandise in bins on the sidewalk in
front of the store. Another way they
try to bring in customers is the large
banners that promote sales and
specialty items.
• A booth used to design customized
flower arrangements is one of the
areas you first see as you walk into the
store.
• Customers are loyal crafters and/or
artists. They come alone or with their
children to buy supplies for school.

11. Michaels Slide 2
• The color scheme is brown and white
and is reflected in their linoleum tiles on
the floor.
• The ceiling is about 2 stories high,
which is useful for storage and displaying
items like wreaths.
• The store is brightly lit, allowing
customers to see the products they are
buying, since the store specializes in
products used for detailed creative works.
• Music is playing while you shop, but it
is not loud enough to distinguish its
relevance. With constant talking and the
front door opening and closing there is a
fair amount of noise.
• If it were not for the shelves being
generously stocked, the store would
seem cold. In a number of aisles of the
store you can smell the candles,
potpourri and other distinct fragrances
that customers use for their art projects.
• The store’s value is reflected in their
environment.
• Security cameras and monitors are
placed throughout the store.

12. Michaels Slide 3
• Cash registers are at the front of the
store as you come in the door. There is
no special place for you to take return
items, every sales person can
accommodate you. This also accounts
for long lines because some sales
persons are unfamiliar with the
process and the store has an
antiquated cash register system.
• Impulse items and specials surround
the cash registers and the front door.
• Sales persons wear a uniform and
will offer to help you without your
requesting it.
• The age of the average sales person
is between 20s and 30s and there are
several men working along side the
women. Sales people not only reflect
the store’s image, but also use their
products and can provide ideas and
suggestions to customers.

13. Michaels Slide 4
• The store is inviting with its
merchandise in bins on the sidewalk in
front of the store. There is no security or
sales people watching the merchandise,
which means they trust their customers
and people in general. This is the first
merchandise that catches your attention
before you walk into the store.
• Items on sale are outside along the
sidewalk and also placed throughout the
store. Items are arranged by function.
• Periodically, free demonstrations are
provided in the store.
• The things you find at the back of the
store are art supplies like paint brushes,
floral supplies and yarn.
• The store uses the space above eye
level extensively for storing extra
merchandise.
• Customers like to browse. About 95%
purchase items either because they can
only find the item here, they like the
quality of the merchandise or they are
drawn to the variety of merchandise they
sell. A typical visit to the store is about 1
hour.

14. Pier 1 Imports Slide 1
• Pier 1 is a store with a good
reputation for their merchandise,
customer service and store
environment.
• Their sign reflects a store that is
relaxed. It does not represent the
quality the store promotes.
• The doors are closed and it is
difficult to see into the store from the
street or sidewalk. This is mainly
because of the low lighting in the
store.

15. Pier 1 Imports Slide 2
• Once inside, the store is
comfortable, cozy and warm.
• Sales persons wearing a uniform
apron greet you as you walk in. They
genuinely appear to enjoy their job
and look forward to helping you. The
ratio to customers is about 1:3.
• The color scheme of the store is all
over the board, lighting up your sense
of smell, sight and touch.
• There is no security personnel and
only one camera monitor noticeable as
you walk in the door.
• The age of sales persons range in the
20s and provide a good representation
of the store’s image. It is not evident
that sales people use the products, but
it is likely.
• The cash register is in the front of
the store with impulse items
surrounding it.

16. Pier 1 Imports Slide 3
• Many products are arranged by color
and function. Like these candles, scent
is also a coordinating factor.
• The first products you see as you
walk in the store, however, are large
pieces of furniture placed around the
store and double as displays for other
merchandise.
• There are no demonstrations in the
store, but they do have free samples of
items you can test.
• Most products are a eye level.
Furniture like chairs are hung on the
walls close to the 24’ ceilings.
• Prices are easy to find, with the most
and least expensive products
intermingled.

17. Pier 1 Imports Slide 4
• The store has a red linoleum tile
floor, ceilings about 1 ½ story, and low
track lighting that brings about the
cozy and warm atmosphere of the
environment.
• Music is playing in the background,
but you can also clearly hear
customers talking and the door bell
sounding when people walk in.
• The shelves are stocked full, using
the floor and walls in diverse ways.
The store is nicely scented with
candles and potpourri placed
throughout.
• The value of the merchandise is
consistent with the environment and
the store’s reputation.
• Pier 1 is a store that invites browsing
and touching the products. About 50%
of the customers, who are middle aged
women do buy. They spend upwards
30 minutes in the store.

18. Ross Dress for Less Slide 1
• The store’s name “dress for less”
would draw you in. Once in, however,
the environment is not one that you
would want to stay in for too long.
• The exterior is pretty sterile and as
you walk through the front door, there
is a feeling that all eyes are on you, not
only because the check out line is right
in front of you, but also because you
have to pass by the security guard at
the front door. The security guard
usually greets you with a hello.
• Customers regularly walk the same
way in the store because there are
many obstacles that have to be
dodged to get to the central area of
the store.

19. Ross Dress for Less Slide 2
• Customers have to line up like cattle
within a corded area to check out at
the next available cashier.
• While the line gives you a feeling of
“hurry up,” the store in general feels
hurried because of merchandise
strewn all over the floor and hanging
haphazardly over clothes racks.
• The ceiling is between 1 ½ and 2
stories. Signs directing you to the
merchandise hang overhead. Lighting
is traditional ballast and very bright.
• There is no music playing and the
talking, crying or whining of children
can disrupt your thoughts.
• The store does not feel warm and is
not comfortable. You have to step
over merchandise and the aisle are
quite tight.

20. Ross Dress for Less Slide 3
• You will not be greeted by a sales
person, nor will you find one on the
floor to ask a question. The ages of
sales people range from young adult to
seniors. They do not wear uniforms
and you cannot tell whether they use
the store’s products. Sales people do
mirror the store’s image.
• The approximate ratio of sales
people to customers is about 1:20.
The age and gender of sales people is
mid 30s to 50s.
• Most customers are with their
families, whether husband and wife or
mother and children.
• Customers typically appear on a
mission, with above 80% purchasing
something.

21. Ross Dress for Less Slide 4
• Jewelry are the first products you
see as you walk in the door. Most
customers are not shopping at Ross for
jewelry. The next major item you see
are purses. Since the majority of Ross’
customers are women, there is always
activity in the purse area.
• Sale items are intermingled with
other items and identified by sale
stickers on the price tag. Products are
arranged by function.
• The store does not offer free
samples or demonstrations.
• All products are at eye level except
for the pictures and other home goods
at the back of the store.

22. Walgreens Slide 1
• The store draws you in with its open,
front façade that has a covered entry
before you enter the store. The colors
are muted and feel comfortable.
• The door is closed, but it is
automatic and opens as you approach
the eye.
• Customers must walk the same path
to the middle of the store, unless they
turn right and maneuver the cash
register line to get to the photo shop
area. Customers probably spend
upwards 30 minutes in the store and
purchase about 80% of the time.

23. Walgreens Slide 2
• The color scheme is basic white walls
with gray speckled linoleum tiles. The
ceiling is about 1 ½ stories tall and the
lighting is very bright.
• The store looks to promote an image
of clean and healthy, especially after
renovating the Pharmacy area to be
more open and comfortable for people
waiting to fill prescriptions (photo not
available).
• All products are at eye level and it
does not matter whether they are
most or least expensive. The prices
are on the shelving and not the
product, so it is oftentimes
inconvenient for the customer in trying
to remember the price of the item.
• Impulse items are located around
the cash registers which are at the
front of the store.

24. Walgreens Slide 3
• The first products you see when
walking in the door is a display of toilet
tissue and paper towels that are on
sale.
• Other sale items are listed where the
products are shelved. There are no
free samples or demonstrations.
However, the store does offer a blood
pressure booth where you can check
your pressure for free.
• Most customers are women and
middle-aged and seniors shopping
alone. The Pharmacy caters to all age
groups. A typical shopping event is
probably 30 minutes and customers
are more on a mission than browsing.
Approximately 80% of customers
purchase.

25. WRAP UP
• The six stores observed were: Dollar Tree, Khol’s, Michaels, Pier 1,
Ross and Walgreens. Ross would not give permission to
photograph its store, so I did not ask at the other stores, except for
Pier 1. The manager in that store was very accommodating and not
intimidated or concerned by my taking pictures. This experience
affirmed my opinion about the reputation of Pier 1.
• While I have shopped in all these stores at one time or another, I
tend not to tarry in the ones that I feel have an uncomfortable
atmosphere.
• I believe all stores could benefit from a Mystery Shopper program,
where someone comes in unknowing to staff to record a customer’s
experience and report back its observations.
• I suspect all stores worked hard to establish their brands and
perhaps have something in place to continue to support their
brands in a positive way. New opportunities may not be relevant to
these stores, but opportunities for their competition.