I’m a volunteer usher in our performing arts center and to help us perform our duties we’re given a “cheat sheet” indicating the location of the balcony seating layout, odd and even section numbering, and zones for each ticket. Every time I usher, I need to refresh my memory with this diagram so that I can accurately seat patrons.
When I attended Six out of town (dot 3855), it was striking as to the simplicity of the auditorium layout. Even though I was a first-time attendee, I could easily find my seat without usher assistance. The theater has what I have come to learn is “continental seating”, with no center aisle, balcony, or boxes. Rows are indicated by letter and numbered straight across — making it easy for anyone to locate their spot. And without a center aisle, it adds in some prime middle seating and trades the space for enough room in each row for people to walk by without everyone else having to stand to let them by. I am a fan!
Have you made your space more complicated than it needs to be? Can you make changes to make it more intuitive for first-time visitors to find you? Have you dedicated prime space (i.e. the middle seats) to purposes that don’t warrant it? You may not have an architect with such an egalitarian vision or have the opportunity to reconstruct your space but you likely are able to rearrange desks, seating, and where resources are located, or adjust how traffic flows in your area. Doing so can be the ticket to better service for your clients and more efficiencies for your staff.
Thanks, Emily!
