Defining a creative culture
— Universal Music Group
︎︎︎
How do you make a 33,000 sq ft office define an organisations culture of communication, collaboration, and creativity?
Firstly start by thinking past the furniture, the cliché bean bags and pool tables, because the reality of every office is you go to work whether you’re working in a meeting, working at your desk, or working on a Teams call in the canteen — my point is we all work in different ways — so placing a few green bean bags, nobody will ever use isn’t solving a problem.
Now, post-pandemic we have all become to expect more from our workplaces they’re now places we escape to, not from — so we need to think more experiential, almost like a retailer or hospitality environment.
To create a space that truly communicates your brand values, you need to think in 3D, what are the touchpoints, how do you flow through the space, where are the organic places colleagues meet, the nooks and crannies, the social hotspots, then ask yourself how do these align to your core beliefs?
The solution...
When tasked with bringing to life Universal Music Group’s UK offices I begin by creating a book — a slightly odd way to start but it was the only way to concisely, and visually, share the hundreds of ideas that had been developed. Each idea related to word inspired by the businesses brand values.
The outcome was a 240 page book filled with ideas that correlated to an individual word. You can easily judge a picture, but a word is more thought-provoking. Shared internally, and presented to each member of staff, they choose the words that they felt defined their culture.
The result ended in 30 words being chosen. These words informed 30 pieces of unique illustrations, the furniture, fixtures, signage, and even the colour palette.
An unexpected outcome was the original concept / kick-off book then was then further developed into their internal brand book.
A good business stands for one big idea, a great business stands for hundreds.
Area of expertise: Consultation. Design. Brand. Interior. Strategy.
— Universal Music Group
︎︎︎
How do you make a 33,000 sq ft office define an organisations culture of communication, collaboration, and creativity?
Firstly start by thinking past the furniture, the cliché bean bags and pool tables, because the reality of every office is you go to work whether you’re working in a meeting, working at your desk, or working on a Teams call in the canteen — my point is we all work in different ways — so placing a few green bean bags, nobody will ever use isn’t solving a problem.
Now, post-pandemic we have all become to expect more from our workplaces they’re now places we escape to, not from — so we need to think more experiential, almost like a retailer or hospitality environment.
To create a space that truly communicates your brand values, you need to think in 3D, what are the touchpoints, how do you flow through the space, where are the organic places colleagues meet, the nooks and crannies, the social hotspots, then ask yourself how do these align to your core beliefs?
The solution...
When tasked with bringing to life Universal Music Group’s UK offices I begin by creating a book — a slightly odd way to start but it was the only way to concisely, and visually, share the hundreds of ideas that had been developed. Each idea related to word inspired by the businesses brand values.
The outcome was a 240 page book filled with ideas that correlated to an individual word. You can easily judge a picture, but a word is more thought-provoking. Shared internally, and presented to each member of staff, they choose the words that they felt defined their culture.
The result ended in 30 words being chosen. These words informed 30 pieces of unique illustrations, the furniture, fixtures, signage, and even the colour palette.
An unexpected outcome was the original concept / kick-off book then was then further developed into their internal brand book.
A good business stands for one big idea, a great business stands for hundreds.
Area of expertise: Consultation. Design. Brand. Interior. Strategy.