CREJ

June 2020 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \ 17 laboration, and fostering a strengthened sense of team unity, leading to positive employee well-being and a re- cruitment advantage. How to incorporate environmental branding. I believe in order to provide good design for clients, you need to know them – really know them; understanding the culture, key values, company history, aspirations and more. Branding is a complex platform for every client, with each brand being different, so there is no copy-and- paste approach when it comes to design and branded environments. I’ve found that the best way to go about understanding a client prior to design is by starting with a visioning session. This is a fun, collaborative process during which the design team works with the client to take a closer look at goals, culture, mission, industry and corporate aesthetics. Following this session, the design team presents initial ideas and concepts for the client’s feedback to capture the look, feel and messaging that best represents the client. It’s vital to understand each client and its motivation. For example, a law firm probably doesn’t have the same objective for its clients walking through the space as a tech company. Most law firms would like their employ- ees and clients to feel a sense of security, trust or em- powerment upon entering the space (and again, this is dependent on each unique firm and can also vary with the type of law they practice). Using a firm’s individu- al branding, this could be done through sophisticated messaging, high-quality finishes or infusing a color pal- ette that exudes the firm’s values and objectives, such as bold, contrasting tones for strength or softer earth tones for a more peaceful, reassuring vibe. On the contrary, a technology company may want a fun, youthful and cut- ting-edge feel to its space to attract the best and bright- est talent, while demonstrating that it is an innovator. One of my favorite examples of this is a well-known tech company that incorporated a branded, interactive video wall that people could engage with and the wall would engage back, creating a playful interaction between the user and the environment. It captured the spirit of the company while being very memorable. Another way to incorporate branding in a space is by highlighting the client’s industry. In my past life – when I was designing for a government agency – our team utilized graphic wayfinding to help people navigate a nine-story, 11-department space, infusing the history and mission of the agency to define the levels and de- partments. The agency’s history was celebrated through custom wall montages and photography display niches in main corridors. Custom window film and wall graph- ics represented the flow of water, which tied to their mis- sion statement. My advice. For any client considering incorporating environmental branding into its office design, I would advocate strongly to make the effort and make sure your branding is solidified before embarking on your office design. Occasionally, clients will undergo a joint effort of re-branding themselves while renovating or moving into a new space. Rebranding can be essential in elevat- ing your brand; however, this is a time-extensive process, and I would recommend having firmly established ele- ments such as a brand color palette, type treatments and logo usage before the facility project begins. This way, the interior design team isn’t duplicating efforts and the project isn’t costing more by redesigning things that may change, making the process go more smoothly for every- one. No matter how big or small a project is, you can always incorporate environmental branding, even if it’s in sub- tle ways. Although there are different levels of customi- zation, environmental branding is more than just paint or some text on a wall – it’s an investment in people’s experience with your company. I’d love to hear about your experience with branded en- vironments. What are some spaces you’ve walked away from that still resonate with you, and why? \\ Design Forward Capturing the spirit of the North American fast-casual chain, the Red Robin corporate headquarters emulates elements of its famous restaurants, including booth-style collaboration areas sur- rounded by graphics and artifacts that can be found at its various locations. A tech company, Workiva wanted its reception to make an im- pression while capturing its spirit and energy. EUA transformed the Workiva logo into a sculpture.