Imaginasium

There’s a shared consciousness among Imaginasium associates. It’s the mindset of taking the ordinary, the mundane, the discarded, and getting something special from it.

This renaissance thinking can be seen throughout Imaginasium headquarters, most notably in furniture and signage. Hardly interior designers, associates do appreciate the art of reconditioning and reusing perfectly serviceable raw materials. Why start from scratch (spending money and time) and trash old furniture (adding to landfills) when existing items can be retrofitted for a new space?

Some tables have traveled from Imaginasium’s first office to today’s current location (the firm’s fourth). Signage seen outside the previous location now hangs on the wall as decoration. The old reception desk was dismantled and rebuilt as a podium and interior signage.

Even furniture and design elements from the building’s prior occupants, Nicolet Bank, were used to fit Imaginasium’s current needs. The bank teller counter was cut, dropped, and made into workstations. A kiosk was saved and serves as a stand-up meeting table.

Most recently, 14 desks were designed and built by Imaginasium associates using reclaimed glass from the restored Bellin Building (corner of Washington and Walnut Streets), the firm’s neighbor to the north. Art Director Jon Stubb got the idea when he saw the remodeling crew removing the glass from the building, and Production Coordinator Shelly DeBouche did the inquiring. Next thing you know, the glass was cut and ground and now serves as attractive and functional desktops.

When the firm was asked to participate in an advertising exhibit at St. Norbert College, Imaginasium Creative Director Joe Bergner and Jon Stubb went “dumpster diving” to make part of the display. After finding scraps of plywood, they plastered them with print ads, creating a cool, urban feel to the exhibit. There’s even an old Coke cooler that was rescued from a neighbor’s trash that the firm has since filled with ADDY awards.

It’s all done to reduce waste and save money. This long-term outlook manifests itself in other ways, too. Some associates regularly participate in Bike-To-Work Day, and four who live in the Valley carpool every day of the workweek.

Living your convictions not only feels natural, it helps business efforts as more and more clients want to sell the benefits of their own sustainable achievements.