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Authenticity Post -Ta'Chelle Morris 

7/10/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
    I decided to observe two places. The first place that I observed was TechTown. From a quick glimpse, TechTown looks like a busy environment. There are people constantly walking around and there is always a program going on. Now that I have taken the time to truly take in the environment, I have noticed new things. One thing I have noticed that TechTown is very open. Just from one corner of the office, you can practically see everyone. The employees of Techtown seem to truly enjoy this environment and have taken advantage of the relaxed, casual setting of the office. The random placement of chairs, desks and décor around the office creates a “come as you are” effect. This promotes the authentic feel of the office. The office also appears to be very clean and free of clutter. For an office space, it is unique and unusual. The use of random artifacts that have been collected from around Detroit and placed in the office makes the office appealing from an aesthetic perspective.  

    The second place I observed was this place called Always Brewing Detroit.  Always Brewing Detroit is a small coffee shop that is located in Rosendale. The shop was opened by one of TechTown’s graduates and has been in business for one year. I noticed that the coffee shop is not like your typical Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. The attempt for a “homey” feel is clearly seen and the pace of the shop is very slow. I think the shop will have success because it offers that alternative environment in comparison to Starbucks. It seems like a place to just sit down and read the paper and it feels like you’re in your kitchen at home.  As you can see from the picture, the set-up of the shop is expansive and open. After observing the space, you can see the love and effort put into making the coffee shop unique. The owner clearly added her own touches to make sure that the customers felt welcomed. The environment was raw and original. As a customer, that could make someone feel great while enjoying their morning cup of coffee. While I was in the shop, I noticed that four elderly women were seated at the table near mine. It seemed like they had created a ritual of meeting there in the mornings to have their morning cup of coffee and spend time with each other. Always Brewing Detroit was the perfect spot for this because of the homey environment. This coffee shop is the definition of “authenticity” and I hope it has great success in the future.


1 Comment
Katherine
7/15/2014 03:59:04 am

Ta'Chelle,
I noticed the same thing about those adorable old ladies. I love that they chose to meet in such a unique place. That unique little coffee shop seemed to be a safe haven for them to embrace the simple pleasures in life and also the true authentic Detroit.

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