If you own a business, you likely live and breathe branding. After all, it is an immersive process and it incorporates pretty much every part of a company; from the office culture to the print media campaigns and even the choice of corporate address. In other words, branding is everything. It is ironic then that so many businesses are missing out on a valuable opportunity to boost and strengthen their brand values.
Commercial interior design is an oft-overlooked tool. Yet, it has the potential to be used as a signature. With the right architecture, color scheme, and floorplan, you can turn your workspace into a unique “fingerprint” – an environment that is synonymous with your brand. This is important, particularly in the digital age, because consumers want their brands to have a story. They want to know who you are, how you operate, and what it looks like.
This guide to the importance of commercial architecture and design will explain why you should be investing in custom interiors.
Your narrative is marketable
The unstoppable rise of streaming and sharing tools has opened the workplace up to a new level of scrutiny. We all spend a huge amount of our lives at work, so if we’re sharing our experiences with online followers, we’re also showcasing the environments in which we operate. Rather than fearing this, brands should embrace it.
Your brand narrative is a marketable commodity, as long as it tells an engaging story. For example, if you are a company that specializes in cruelty-free beauty products, one way to get followers excited would be to hold ‘Bring Your Pet to Work’ days and upload photos and video content to social media. It gives the brand a personal touch and links your everyday activities to the message that you send to customers.
Using commercial design for branding
As soon you realize that your work environment has branding potential, you can start to shape it to fit your narrative. For instance, you might be quite an unconventional tech company; a startup, perhaps, or a small team of entrepreneurs. Moving away from the traditional cubicle-based design and getting rid of physical barriers, as Google has, is one way to promote a more creative and dynamic brand.
Ultimately, it is all about embodying the perceptions you want your customers to have of your brand. If you’re eager to be seen as eco-friendly and super sustainable, recycled materials and natural, earthy color palettes are key. If a ‘no-nonsense’ minimalist approach to business is your thing, embrace open plan interiors and multifunctional ergonomic designs and accessories. When your customers imagine what it would be like to work for your company, the reality should never be too distant.
Five examples of companies with great office designs
1. Google, London Headquarters
This 160,000 square foot environment puts a distinctly British stamp on a very American brand. It features London-themed decals, pop art flags, and broad open windows so that employees can see the skyline.
2. White Mountain, Stockholm
The incredible White Mountain headquarters is actually buried 100 feet beneath the ground. It used to be a nuclear shelter, but it has been turned into a super slick subterranean hideaway. This is very clever branding because it links the product (fast internet) with concepts of permanence, strength, and solidity.
3. Pallotta Teamworks, Los Angeles
The Pallotta Teamworks building received much acclaim because it is located inside a warehouse. Ordinarily, this isn’t a suitable space for a conventional office, but it does have the benefit of being very eco-friendly. So, the company hired an architect to design individual ‘islands’ within the warehouse from brightly colored shipping containers.
4. Microsoft, Vienna
The Vienna branch of Microsoft is filled with earthy, organic materials. The focus is on expansive, relaxed open-plan spaces, where employees can get together and discuss ideas. Therefore, the office has lots of windows, few doors, and adaptable, semi-transparent partitions which can be used to create more private environments when needed.
5. Pixar, California
It should come as no surprise to find that animation company Pixar has split its workspace into the coziest, cutest range of big and little environments that you can imagine. The culture here is all about being silly, creative, and totally at ease. The office design reflects this with quirky lighting, comfy couches, and meeting rooms set up like domestic living spaces.
Image sources: Breather