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Design Inc. Case Study

Fawad Naeem M10626
Asim Yasin M10594
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Design Inc. Case Study

Bill Klee is founder/owner of Design Inc.
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J Klee¶s personal motto:
Perfection or Bust!
J ³perfection is our only
concern´
J ± ³no compromise
with mediocrity,´

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   Design Inc

J ao satisfy customers and to create a ³third

place´ environment
J Perfection
J ahree components to branding strategy : the
quality , service, and atmosphere

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J Culture is paramount
because it is a way of
life, affecting not only
how an organization
creates value but also
how the organization
is perceived.

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 Overview of Case study
J Klee wanted to found an academy where talented young
artists and designers can perfect their skills
J ³I¶m not offering people jobs, I¶m offering them a unique
educational experience!´
J Klee¶s approach to potential staff members was highly
unorthodox
J ³You won¶t make as much money with us as you would
somewhere else,´
J But you will be doing the most satisfying job you¶ve ever
done in your life
J Klee was able to put together in short order a talented and
enthusiastic team of graphic artists and designers.

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 Overview of Case study
J ³We have no frills at this studio´
J If you want luxury, or if you want someone to
hold your hand, then go someplace else
J But if you want quality, the best commercial
artwork in this city, if not in this whole country,
then you¶ve come to the right place
J In a matter of months, Design Inc. had carved
itself a prosperous niche in the commercial art
industry

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 Overview of Case study
J Employees weren¶t making as much as their
colleagues in more firms
J At least this is what most of them argued, when
socialising with their better-paid colleagues
J Sometimes these conversations became quite
acrimonious, and some long-standing friendships
actually suffered.
J Employees of other firms did not take their
approach right

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 Overview of Case study
J It isn¶t surprising that Design Inc. employees
worked long hours, coming in early and leaving
late
J ahings that would be done three or four times at
another studio ± reviewing artwork for example ±
might be done as many as a dozen times or more
at Design Inc
J ahese hours cut even more into the social lives of
the employees, throwing them more and more into
each others¶ company.

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 Overview of Case study
J About 1ë months after Design Inc. was established, its top
layout artist, forced to choose between his career at Design
Inc. and his family, left the firm for another job
J Klee stepped into his position until a replacement could be
found
J Advertisements were put in the paper with the philosophy
of Design Inc µall for one and one for all¶
J A large number of qualified people applied, but somehow
none of them seemed exactly to fit the bill
J During this time, Klee, because of his additional
responsibilities, had begun to neglect his training mission

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 Overview of Case study
J ahe studio continued to function, but as a business and not
as an academy
J . It seemed to Klee that something of his dream had been
lost
J Furthermore, the firm was doing well financially, and so,
as owner, Klee found a certain consolation in the healthy
state of his firm¶s balance sheet.
J ahe staff still spoke of dedication to excellence and
insisted that the day when Design Inc. again became an
academy was close at hand
J . ahe visitor sensed a certain hollowness in their bluff
statements

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 Overview of Case study
J ahe layout position was never re-advertised
and no new candidates were ever
interviewed
J Most of the original staff are still with the
firm, however, which turns a respectable
profit each year

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 Excellence of Culture

J 

 

ahe foundation for creating
your culture of organizational excellence is
usually to formulate statements reflecting the
mission, vision, and values of the organization.
I know of an Organization where not even a single
employee was aware of their Mission and Vision ±
How do you expect excellence in such
organization.

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 Excellence of Culture

J r  
:
ahe lesson is that an
organization that is excellent has excellent
employees who understand and support the
organization¶s priorities.

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 Excellence of Culture

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:
Socialization occurs in
families as children are born and raised; and
it occurs in organizations as new members
are inducted, mentored, oriented, and in all
other ways formal and informal made part
of the ³team´.

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 Excellence of Culture

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! 
! :
ao create an
excellent organization, the leaders must be
excellent themselves: ahey must not only
believe in but show in their actions a
passion for the organization¶s mission and
its vision and values.

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 Excellence of Culture

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!

 :
A strong set
of unshakable values must drive the culture
since when the culture changes, the
employees have these values to fall back to
in times of crisis.

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 Problems
J ahe organizational culture created by Klee neglected
common ingredients like work life balance.
J Sometimes conversations became quite acrimonious, and
some long-standing friendships actually suffered.
J Working hours were undefined and employees were
stressed.
J Klee and his team wanted to hire such a person who has
perfection in his work from the first day he start.
J He started his Art studio as an academy but not a business.
J Firm were developing an onion layered culture like inner
circle and so on«where they cannot accept a new entry

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 Suggestions
J He may want to a decision maker in recruiting.
J Klee has to give incentives and bonuses to the employees
J ahere should be defined working hours and should pay
extra for over time.
J ahe environment of studio should be better for both
employees and customers.
J One should understand that when they came to Klee they
were in pursuit of excellence and not excellent, so they
should pick up a resource which is also under pursuit of
excellence«which Klee did when he was recruiting all of
them
J He has a commercial art studio so it need to carry on as a
business not an academy.

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 Conclusion

Klee should understand that though he is an

authority on Commercial Artistry. No doubt
perfection in the work is most important but
one should understand that employees have
their own lives too. For he has a need to alter
the approach time and again based on the
company¶s direction and momentum.

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ahank you

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