On-Brand Office Design
Your office is more than just somewhere your staff happen to work. It's the place where your people come together, and it has a huge impact on their performance. It is also a physical representation of your company.
Whether you’re a revolutionary tech startup or a well-established law firm, the design of your office speaks volumes about who you are as a company. It's where your employees spend most of their time, and it’s the first thing clients see when they walk through the door. If your office doesn’t reflect your brand’s values, culture, and vision, you’re missing out on a powerful opportunity to reinforce your identity.
Every week we speak to numerous companies about their upcoming office redesign projects. In recent years, one of the top concerns of these companies has been bringing their brand identity into their office(s). We’ve had 15 years of experience working with a wide variety of brands all over the UK. During that time, we’ve learned the importance of making sure an office design matches the brand identity of the company, as well as how to do it.
No two brands are the same, so the process of creating an on-brand office design looks different for every company. However, there are several factors that need to be considered for every company. In this article, we’ll explain why on-brand office design is so important to your company. We’ll also go through how you can work with an office designer or design & build company to create an office that reflects and enhances your brand.
The Importance of Brand Identity and Office Design
Your brand is much more than your logo and colours. It's not even something you own. Your brand is how you are perceived by the people involved in your company – including staff, clients, and investors. Managing your brand effectively is essential, and your workspace has a part to play.
Brand identity is a crucial part of office design. If your office doesn’t reflect your brand, it risks becoming very similar to the millions of bland, lifeless office designs out there. This will make it much harder for you to attract and retain talent. 81% of job hunters say that the office design and workplace environment are important in deciding whether they want to work at a company. An office that matches your brand identity will set you apart from the competition in the battle for top talent.
An on-brand office design is also a crucial driver of staff engagement. Staff engagement is the level of intellectual and emotional investment your people have in your company. The impact of staff engagement on performance is huge. Engaged employees are 45% more productive than satisfied workers. An on-brand workspace will help increase the commitment of your people to your company. This will create significant performance improvements.
As well as improving staff productivity via engagement, your office design has a direct impact on the ability of your people to perform. If they are working in an environment that doesn’t match the way they work, they will be unable to fulfil their potential for your company. Creating an on-brand office that maximises your staff productivity will be an excellent investment for your company.
Location
Branding in your office starts with the location of your office itself. Especially in large cities, certain areas are well-known as hubs for certain industries. For example, creative companies in Soho, or financial companies in Aldgate.
Where your company is located will be part of your brand, for staff and clients alike. By ensuring your office is in a location that matches your brand, you are helping to make sure your company is perceived in the way you want it to be.
The building itself should also be considered. The style of architecture and quality of the space will also impact your brand, especially for your staff. A shabby or outdated building will also detract from your brand.
Layout
The layout of your office itself is also a crucial component of your brand. A spacious layout will create a very different perception from a compact design. An open plan layout will create a very different culture to an office with many individual offices.
The types of space in your office will impact your brand. Collaboration and breakout spaces are especially important. As areas that bring your people together, designing these spaces in a way that helps build culture correctly is essential.
You should also consider how your brand personality can be reflected in the other types of environments you have in your space, such as client reception areas and meeting rooms. Ensuring your office is laid out in a way that matches your brand identity will help give your people a workplace experience that matches your brand.
Finishes & Furniture
Finishes are what people most often think of when it comes to on-brand office design, and they do have a huge role to play. It goes further than just wall finishes. It includes all of the finishes throughout your space – the floors and ceilings, as well as the joinery and furniture.
When working with your designer on your finishes package, it’s important that you consider the overall atmosphere of the space. Making sure your office is on brand is important, but you also need to consider what effect your brand colours may have. For example, an entire office in a red and black colour scheme could be very overpowering.
Colour psychology is a hugely important part of office design that is often underestimated. Each colour has a different impact on performance, so you should work with your designer to choose the best colours for your space. With a finishes package that embodies your company’s brand identity, you will be well on the way to creating an office design that brings your brand to life.
Design Features
Design features are the talking points of your office - a signature space or an item that is the highlight of your space. However, there is more to a design feature than simply being eye-catching. By choosing an on-brand design feature that has meaning for your company, you can further integrate your company personality into your office.
If your company sells products, then showcasing these throughout your space can be a good option. If you are a services company or your products are not suitable for your office, then you could include design features that showcase the heritage of your company or the impact that your services have.
Designing An Experience: Making Your Office On-Brand
Designing an on-brand office is about more than just aesthetics. It’s about creating a space that embodies your company’s identity and culture. By creating an office that matches and strengthens your brand, you’re creating a brand experience for your people.
A workspace experience is more than the sum of its parts. It includes everything that impacts your people throughout the day, from the location of your office to the quality of the coffee.
To take the next step toward making your office on brand, get your own copy of the Definitive Guide to Office Design. This guide will walk you through the most common questions companies have when deciding whether to redesign their office, and how to design the office your company needs. Get your Office Design Guide Here.
To learn more about creating a workspace that reflects your brand and culture, read How to Create an Office Design Tailored to Your Culture, How to Improve Staff Engagement With Office Design, and How to Create a Culture of Performance in Your Office.
