At one time, casino design was “build it and they will come.” No more. Architects and designers need to be much more involved with the business of their clients to determine what will work and why. YWS Design & Architecture has taken a different approach. In addition to consulting with their clients on how the business runs and markets itself, YWS will conduct independent research to determine what the customers want and how they want it delivered. Tom Wucherer, the company’s CEO, recently brought in Robert Coppola, the former head of consumer research at IGT, to conduct this research and produce white papers that will validate their findings. The first white paper, on restaurant choice and design, is included in the recent issue of Casino Design magazine. A second study on connecting with the “next gen” audience will be released soon. Wucherer and Coppola met with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at G2E in October to talk about the YWS approach to casino design.
