Even before the pandemic threw the entire design world for a loop, the office was getting a pretty bad rap. Work space design and planning has long been driven by lease expirations and real estate footprints but the key inputs to make a great real estate decision were missing. The data about what people really need and how they really work was missing. With project timelines shrinking, we felt rushed to create a great space without the time to truly understand the companies we were working for.
The pandemic was a catalyst for change. Companies want to be led in the right direction but they also need to understand that all the right answers come from within. What is your company vision for the future? How do you see people working with technology in the future? What will your clients and employees expect in an office? When we truly understand the answers to these big questions, the design becomes a perfectly tailored suit to the forms of the company and its occupants. It becomes a truly great experience that is holistically synchronized with the company’s digital and external presences.
Check out this video about the next iteration of the workplace!
The short answer:Today, we know experiences happen across physical spaces, between people, and through technology. geniant is leading the movement to evolve the experience design profession–integrating expertise from architecture, interior design, user experience, service design, team & change management, and software development. geniant is helping global leaders shape the future of their customer and employee experiences.The company is based out of Dallas, TX where the leadership team lives and works.
The long answer:geniant is uniquely positioned to deliver seamless experiences across employee and customer journeys – across physical space, interactions with people, and technology. Working with a wide range of organizations – from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies – geniant excels at delivering exceptional experiences for your employees and customers. The geniant management team is composed of seasoned professional services entrepreneurs who have built, scaled, and sold businesses to Dell EMC (DELL) and Amdocs (DOX).
Today, the company is leading a movement to evolve the experience design profession, integrating expertise from architecture, interior design, user experience, service design, team and change management, and software development. geniant helps innovative leaders shape the future of their customer and employee experiences. For more information, visit geniant.com and watch our video on transforming your workplace into a "Performative Office" at www.geniant.com/flow.
geniant is not associated with Dell Technologies, EMC Corporation, or any parent or subsidiary of either.
Why geniant?
As mentioned in our press release, the Eastlake Studio leadership realizes that additional methods are needed to truly understand the evolution of the modern workplace. With geniant, Eastlake Studio gains several capabilities around research and strategy, workforce management, and technology. Our teams are excited to gain even more insights into the clients we're designing workspaces for.
What does this mean for the project work Eastlake Studio currently has underway?
There will be no gaps or changes to current project work or teams.
How will your team change in this transition, now and in the future?
We are providing stakeholdership in this new venture to all our current employees because we understand that we cannot succeed without their efforts. We will not be replacing any of our current staff in this change. We will also be growing over the next 12-24 months. We are committed to hiring a talented and diverse team of people. If you know of any great designers, architects, graphic designers, or project managers that would be a good fit please let us know! Reach out to getajob@eastlakestudio.com for career information.
Will you still be creating award-winning workplace interiors projects of a similar type?
Yes, nothing will change in that regard! We will still be taking on projects in the same traditional manner as we do currently. We now just have expanded capabilities and offerings!
What kind of new capabilities will you have?
Traditional discovery methods like surveys and questionnaires can only touch the surface of what people truly need. For customers that understand data drives all major business decisions, we will have the capability to do more in depth research studies with qualified behavioral scientists that understand how people work, play and live. This data collection will allow us to create more personalized & performative workspaces for its users & help businesses achieve their goals around productivity, hybrid-work strategy, employee retention, attraction and more.
With the onboarding of UX designers, geniant will be able to offer experiential technology services in the digital sector such as web & app development, digital product strategy and software development. Whether your project is beginning in the digital space or the physical space, as a team we can create a holistic experience that is cohesive between your customers & employees.
Will you still be known as Eastlake Studio?
Always in our hearts and for at least another 6-12 months, yes. At some point in the future we will become “geniant” and we will make sure everyone is aware of the change with an exciting campaign. At that time we will still be operating as we currently do, with the same type of projects, and the same design teams you’ve come to know and love.
Who will be running and managing the team now and moving forward?
The leadership team will not be changing. Kevin Kamien will be the studio’s Managing Director and Christina Brown will be the Director of Design. Both partners will retain stakeholdership in Eastlake Studio and be in charge of the firm’s management, operations and ultimate success. The firm’s current directors, Lorraine Kasznia, AIA / Mel Chotiner, NCIDQ / Nicole Tabata, AIA & Peter Randolph, AIA will continue to lead project teams and be involved in the management and direction of the firm’s future as well as having an equitable stake.
Tom Zurowski will no longer be involved in the day to day operations but will be involved in the strategic direction at the parent company level. His duties will include advising on future acquisitions in the design world to supplement our capabilities in other vertical markets such as retail, hospitality, healthcare, education and more. This is truly a great opportunity for Tom to further the mission, culture and success that was originally found and built under his leadership at Eastlake Studio.
Due to health issues, Jon Salzmann will no longer be involved in the day-to-day at Eastlake for the foreseeable future but will be returning at some point when he is able to devote his efforts to the firm.
David Dewane is geniant’s Chief Experience Officer, based here in Chicago, and will be working out of the Eastlake office. His duties will parallel with Tom and also be a design resource for the team at Eastlake Studio and future architectural practices within the group.
David Lancashire & Keith Jacobs, co-CEOs of geniant are based in Dallas, Texas.
Will you be relocating your office?
We have no plans to leave our incredible location at 333 N Michigan. As we grow, we may need to offer additional space for employees to work but we don’t think that needs to be a traditional office space as we know it.
Can you do a presentation to our team about the expanded capabilities?
Absolutely, we’re developing a roadshow to share our vision for the next evolution of cohesive experiences. We hope to be ready sometime in September to begin that messaging. In the meantime we’d love to share our vision with you. Please reach out to chat any time and we’ll be in touch soon!
Who can I reach out to about future project opportunities?
Our Business Development Director, Kristin Pautlitz (kristin@eastlakestudio.com) would love to chat with you about future opportunities. You can also reach out to anyone on the leadership team that you feel comfortable talking to. We will bring in additional experts from geniant to talk about the expanded service offerings on an as-needed basis.
