There is a concept called Gestalt. And although it is a word with no direct English translation, it's derived from the 1890 German philosophy of Gestaltqualität, which means "form or shape."
Gestalt has two or more parts that are so integrated together that we perceive them as one object and subject. So the perception of ‘oneness from many’ is the basis of gestalt.
For the customer, The Graphical Tree is probably viewed as a whole. While our overarching ethos and business description (specialists in large format print & display) is of a single entity, it's also the sum of its parts. As well, it is the reason why it’s important for the people you interact with, and whose who produce the work, are back in the studio together after 2020's great spring and summer of discontent.
While we of course value our staff’s physical health, we also value their mental health too. And the truth is, they both go hand in hand. Post lock-down, after a little obvious apprehensiveness regarding safety and public interaction, the view from staff has most definitely has been, “it’s great to be back.” At the very least there is a routine for staff from being in the studio. As well as having a purpose. Yes, staff work to earn money, but we know that everyone at The Graphical Tree also wants to do a good job and be helpful to others. We see this play out in the work environment constantly in a myriad of ways in, including how people interact with each other and customers. There is respect for their colleagues, associates, clients, and enjoying being part of The Graphical Tree community as a whole. This was the overarching feedback from our annual individual staff meeting sessions, and a company workshop run last year.
So what are some of the benefits for The Graphical Tree being together in the studio?
Maybe you are experiencing some of these yourself and realise how important they are to you as an individual too. Yes you might save some money working from home, and precious time commuting, but the benefits of in-person interaction and having a daily purpose are almost un-quantifiable.
And while we acknowledge we are lucky whereby a lot of our staff cycle to work, lessening the health risks from public transport, the call to be here in our physical studios is strong and essential. Not just for us, and our staff’s mental welfare, but also for the local community and economy around us. Without the community supporting itself in resources and local spending, there’s a whole lot to lose not least in vibrancy and culture ~ sometimes seemingly invisible traits that are missed in our daily working routines. In fact, there has been a big upturn in work produced for art galleries, which may be an indicator just how important the arts are in our lives.
We have to remember that we’re all in this together, the Account Managers, the production staff, the accounts department, the creatives, and marketing team, directors, and of course, our own suppliers, and our customers. A group of individuals, within a whole, which is The Graphical Tree ~ the perception of ‘oneness from many’.
We'll be happy to hear from you so the community continues to can grow and support each other. You can find us via email here ~ print@thegraphicaltree.com / call us on ~ 020 7580 4405 / or knock on our door here ~ 21 Great Titchfield Street, London W1W 8BA
You can read a further post about the importance of community here.
