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INSIDE PERSPECTIVE
It's not about type. It's not about color. It's not about the size of the logo. It's about business. It's about strategy. It's about building smart businesses and driving profits.

The 2006 AIGA Chicago Business of Design Series will provide a inside perspective of the value of design - the strategy, tactics and results that shape Chicago's best design-driven companies.

Marta Calle is the Product Director for CB2, the young spin-off sister of Crate and Barrel. Working with the talented CB2 team, she helps establish the brand that supports CB2's passion for innovative, high-quality, contemporary design.

With a background in product development and buying, Marta started with Crate and Barrel in 2000 as a Product Development Consultant. She soon drank the kool-aid and joined Crate and Barrel ranks, learning their philosophy and the intricacies of ready-to-assemble furniture.

Being in charge of creating the CB2 brand through its product assortment, what you see in CB2's stores and catalog reflects Marta's design sensibility and the hard work of many at CB2 and Crate and Barrel. She works with the designers as well as the factories where CB2 products are made, making sure that CB2 is modern, contemporary and value driven.

CB2's passion for product is obvious. However, CB2 is just as savvy on the business strategy front. After a five-year incubation period to "get it right", CB2 is evidence of a smart business who understands the value of design and integrates it throughout their organization.