For a while now I have been wondering if shop designers ever work in the stores to find out what's convenient to the staff and what isn't. Indeed do the powers that be bother to find out what works and what doesn't? They certainly cannot pay attention to comments from their staff on what makes their life difficult.

What prompted this thought process? Well with technology and computerised tills comes the problem of how to make the counter tidy, what to do with keyboards and all the electrical spaghetti. Well pretty much without exception the shop design industry has gone for hiding the screen, keyboard and mouse under the counter - without a drawer to pull out the keyboard! This means the staff have to become contortionists to operate the tills.

If you do not believe this is awkward, put down the magazine, place your keyboard on your lap and try typing while it is under your desk. The smarter designers have allowed for the tills to pull out. Although the angle of the screens generally still makes it difficult to use.

But it doesn't stop there. The security tag removers are tucked under the counter making it difficult to remove tags. Why not try and make the shop staff's life easy? Why not go and work in the shops and find out the problems and issues first hand?

I worked on a bid for the redevelopment of Carlisle Market Hall 19 years ago. To find out the issues faced by the market traders and how we could improve their lot I worked on one of the stalls for three days.

For all McDonald's problems, everyone who works for the company has to do a week behind the counter each year.

Could I therefore suggest that you start really thinking about customers and staff. At the end of the day they are the life blood. Go-on, get your hands dirty. You might learn a lot and obtain a different perspective.

Roger Southam

Chairman & Chief Executive, Chainbow

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