Make A Branded Office Environment Your Next Big Move
Branding your office environment creates more than just a beautiful space. It creates a funnel for recruitment, retention, and rejuvenated morale. Workspace design is a complex journey that has to provide not only pertinent furnishings and savvy space planning but it must communicate who you are quickly and concisely, to both visitors and employees. You put a lot of thought into creating your brand. A branded office environment transcends that effort.
Aside from presenting a professional demeanor, office design does have a function, it strives to maintain morale and inspire great work. Trending heavily toward creating a home away from home aesthetic, office design has upped the ante on attracting top talent. Designing your office with intent gives your brand a voice and a cohesive environment where employees can stay productive, focused and comfortable. Color is a great place to start this process. Walls, flooring, furnishings, and artwork all converge with opportunities to inject your brand story into a unique office design. That said….
What is your primary brand color?
A colorful brand story of how your company began is always a great icebreaker for a new client pitch. Finding ways to bring that to life within your office space is where designers come in! Establishing a cohesive color story by introducing colors from your company’s current and historical branding is a great place to start. Use an online color visualizer to find a complementary palette. Then search for inspiration online for inventive ways to use those colors in your office space while keeping it professional, fresh and visually interesting.
Creating a focal point
Your reception area is the first impression visitors have of your brand, your company and the people who work there. Make an impact with your own distinctive work style. But don’t stop there. Keep the style flowing into meeting spaces, community spaces and breakrooms with pertinent furnishings and a cohesive color story to create a distinctive rhythm and flow within your office design. If your workspace is open and collaborative, designate areas for certain tasks and meetings as focal points with pattern, color, and unique features.
Select unique furniture
Seek out stylish pieces with updated laminate finishes, creative hardware, and interesting configurations. Realize you may not find precisely what you want at first glance. For instance, if you can’t find the conference room table you really want, create it. Branded office environments are the perfect place for some creativity. Enlist the help of local furniture designers who specialize in reinventing things and create your own signature style. Expand upon open office design by creating uniquely designed flexible, multipurpose meeting spaces with stunning views and amenities. Durable construction from high-quality materials will help your pieces stand up to years of use in a commercial setting.
Local business + local art
Mass-produced motivational office artwork has been done. So why not invest in some local talent to create your very own brand-centric art? Think outside the box with motivational and inspirational messaging custom designed for your specific environment. Consider commissioning a painting that features your company’s mission statement, goal, and colors. Open office plans use a lot of glass-walled spaces to keep light moving around the space, those walls are the perfect pallet for vinyl decals.
Incorporate live plants
Bring a little bit of the outside world to your office with open views and live plants that fit your décor. Treat plants as a sequel to creating some zen around the office. Atrium spaces, green walls, and skylights can enlighten meeting areas and breakroom spaces. Greenery can create an oasis of calm if you work in a high-powered, fast-paced industry.
Create flexibility
Collaborative design is flexible by nature. Designing your entire office with flexibility as the intent kicks that up a notch. Outfit team spaces with a variety of seating options that coordinate with the look and feel of your space. Create zones that imbibe your brand philosophy, not just your colors. Let employees choose when and where they work by what works best for them. Provide desking options with modern ergonomics and style.
Embrace individuality
Today, branding is an experience. We see this often in retail spaces that create an environment that surrounds you with their branding ethos. by branding your office design you are essentially creating a living user experience. While a cohesive workspace design is a powerful tool for office morale and productivity, creating a unique, comfortable space that your staff will enjoy spending time is the ultimate way to embrace the individuals that make up your team. Maintain some flexibility where your employees curate their spaces with tokens home.
Creating compelling environments that encourage productive discussions is always a great design plan. Our team loves helping businesses create inspired workspaces, so we’ve got lots of ideas!
MEET TERESA ALVAREZ: Teresa is an office furniture specialist who can help your workspace become more intuitive with its design and furnishing options. With 12 years of experience in the office interiors and office supply business, she can help you find creative solutions for your branded office design. Contact her via email at teresa@officefurniturenow.com or give her a call at 888-910-3769 x139.
