The Benefits of Employing Older Workers

If you think that it's just young people who are the innovators in modern creative businesses then you might want to think again. Even new technology companies like Swiftspin can benefit from the experience and enthusiasm of the older generation.

As well as the obvious benefits older people bring to the working environment, such as reliability, commitment, dedication and flexibility, their people skills and ability to deal with change can make them excellent 'coaches' to younger members of staff. But that's not all. It may seem contradictory, but in companies developing the technology of 'tomorrow' the experiences of 'yesterday' can help in the area of innovation.

At Swiftspin we certainly benefit from old-fashioned experience. When we need a new turntable for our studio we don’t approach high-tech engineers. Instead, we call in the big guns... Pete's dad Alan and Terry's dad Bob.

Pete, Alan, Bob and Terry

We're constantly developing new turntables on which to photograph clients' products in 360 degrees. Each new product throws up a different challenge but Alan and Bob are always on hand with a practical solution. Neither of them can use a computer, but then again, neither of them need one. They don't spend time working up a Powerpoint presentation to explain what needs to be achieved and how best to go about it. They just get on and do it. That's why, if we need something done properly, we always turn to them first. Not only are they enthusiastic and full of ideas, they both have an eye for a bargain too, which has come in useful during the current financial climate.

Carpenter Alan (71) partakes in woodturning during his spare time, whereas Bob (73) is a keen mechanic and when he's not building turntables he's restoring old Hillman Imps. Together, the two men have created turntables on which we have photographed all sorts of products including a floating bicycle. It's fun working with our dads and we're reaping the benefits of the older generation's work ethics, whilst providing them with challenges which they love to solve.

Having said that, not every build goes to plan. When testing Bob's idea for an automated turntable (using the axle from a Hillman Imp, a paint mixer motor and Terry as the test dummy) the results left a Terry shaped dent in the studio wall. If the light is right you can sometimes still see it:



We're sure we're just one of many companies making use of the skills and experience of the retired generation. We're certainly proud to be proving that reliable, hardworking staff are readily available, we just looked a little closer to home in order to find ours.

Are Glasses the new Shoes?

We don't mean are you going to start wearing glasses on your feet. We're talking in terms of 360 spins. When we first started 360 product photography way back in 1746 (or around that time) it was the online shoe retailers who embraced our technology with the greatest gusto. The eighteen footwear products on our samples page represent just a small proportion of the styles we've photographed for numerous shoe retailers over the years. The studio still regularly resembles a high street shoe shop with boxes of shoes and boots piled to the rafters.

Shoes remain top our list of most popular products to display in 360 degrees. This is because retailers are continuing to see the benefits of 360 spins as opposed to traditional still imagery. But there's one product which is showing signs of competing for the coveted top spot... Toilet Brushes. Sorry, that was a joke. The products which are arriving at the Swiftspin Studio in greater numbers are in fact glasses, from the usual prescription glasses to sunglasses, safety glasses and funky 3d glasses.

 

Click to see the Panasonic DVD glasses above in 360 degrees

Not only are vision problems corrected by eyeglasses, they are also a fashion accessory and therefore come in many, many different styles. Similar to those who buy shoes, customers who buy glasses want to see every bit of their potential purchase before they buy. Online glasses retailers, like their shoe counterparts before them, are beginning to recognise that 360 degree spins are the perfect way to show off their product and it may not be very long before consumers expect to be able to spin products every time they want to check out a new style.

There is a huge array of spectacles to choose from and with cheaper prices and ever improving customer service, the online market is growing in both share of sales and number of retailers. A quick check for glasses on Google will present you with plenty of choices for retailers. Then a search through those retailers' websites will present you with even more choices of frames, from designer styles to value ranges.



Click to see a 360 Swiftspin of these Big Wig designer frames

As E-Commerce expert Matthew Curry points out in his funny and informative blog post about buying glasses online there are certain things customers expect from an online glasses website. One of the most important being clear photography.

With such a huge range of styles stocked by most retailers, you might think that producing spins of each model would be out of the question in terms of cost. That's where Swiftspin come in. In order to cope with demand and to considerably reduce costs, we've developed two turntable set ups specifically for glasses. One for traditional glasses, the other for sunglasses with mirrored lenses (which to be honest is many a studio photographer's nightmare).

 

Click to see these Oakley Shades spinning in 360 degrees

Oh by the way, have you read our blog post about mirrored sunglasses?

We can offer a number of different spin types. From ones with subtle reflections (Big Wig above), ones on a pure white background (Panasonic above) and ones which seem to float in mid air (Oakley above). And with a production system which enables us to produce over 120 basic spins in a single day, there's no issue with volume.

So will glasses replace shoes in the 360 spin charts? That remains to be seen. All we do know is: