Is there such a thing as being too comfortable at work? Some employers worry about too much fun and relaxation in the workplace. They worry that incorporating games rooms, gyms, cozy couches and the like will lower productivity or send a message that this isn’t a ‘serious’ business.
Release those concerns if you have them. This hasn’t been our experience. In fact, the opposite is true. Giving employees a chance to blow off steam, socialize, and incorporate healthy breaks into their day is far more likely to increase productivity, creativity and staff retention. It could also be a strong hiring advantage when the employee market is tight.
The culture of your workplace and your brand itself is influenced profoundly by how the management team views ‘fun’ (i.e. ‘okay, but only in small doses’, or ‘where’s the party?!’ or ‘fun is just a normal part of our everyday life’).
If you would say that ‘innovation’ or ‘balance’ or ‘creativity’ are important brand values for your company, ask yourself if those are truly a part of your employee experience today.
Here are some thoughts for you to consider:
• Think of your workplace as a community. Then ask yourself: how can I make this community function in the most healthy, productive way?
• We advise: allow for fun. People are social beings. Productivity is not best delivered in a regimented environment.
• Create spaces that encourage informal discussions and interaction. Really. Some genius business ideas occur over a latte.
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We love to create unique spaces, and people sometimes wonder how it’s possible to continually come up with fresh ideas and new perspectives. The answer is simple. We are inspired by the story that each client has to tell. Interior design needs to reflect each clients specific target market, competitive advantage, market position, not to mention style and personality.
That’s why we take the time to really understand what our clients do. We immerse ourselves in their brand and culture. We get to know their team. We examine the marketplace, and study their ideal customers. We nail down (in specific detail) how the client will define success. Then, we endeavour to tell their story through design. Spaces that tell stories, define brands, evoke emotions and create amazing experiences. Here’s a quick breakdown of our process for getting to know a client’s story:
The People: Who are we designing for?
We get to understand the people that will live, work or play in the space. This information is the foundation of the story
The Culture: How do things get done?
The culture reveals the beliefs and values within a company that influence the way things get done, how decisions are made and how people interact.
The Brand: What is the message?
The desired market perception of the brand is the start of creating an intuitive brand experience.
The Dynamics: Does your space support the way you work?
We need to understand how people work and how the space can support them. This is key to designing spaces that really perform.
The Measures of Success: What makes the design a success?
Understanding baseline, mid-level and pie-in-the-sky expectations at the beginning of the design process is critical to the success of every project.
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Six years ago we re-envisioned our own workspace when we moved here to our digs here at 1111 Melville Street. A move to a new location is a chance to reinvent and refresh, and we wanted to fully embrace that. Now that our space is lived in, we thought we would reflect on what we set out to achieve with the space, and how it’s working out for us.
In a creative business like ours, people are everything. The designers we hire are not just the heart and soul of the business. They are the business. So we had the challenge of devising a space to serve these highly creative and innovative people. A place where they can find both calm and intellectual stimulation. A place where there are wide-open spaces for storyboarding and brainstorming, and where there’s a logical workflow throughout. We wanted to instantly convey who we are and what we do to anyone that first entered our office.
Here are a few of the design elements that really make the space work for us:
• The space communicates who we are. For example, there are multiple layers of glass with inspirational messages that lead to the peaceful exterior vista
• There is not one enclosed office in the entire space. All members of the design team are located in open workstations. We wanted to promote communication and teamwork.
• Multiple meeting rooms and breakout areas allow for privacy in project meetings
• Major millwork units are mobile and easily relocated. This allows us to use our space in many ways and gives us tons of space for our Annual Soiree.
• To reduce our environmental footprint, we made use of custom cabinetry from the previous tenant. With some re-configuring and refinishing this storage now suits our specific needs. Minimal walls were constructed and only to enclose meeting rooms.
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Our client says “in 23 years in business the Pub has never sold such items as Martinis, high end wines by the bottle, high end vodkas or liquors, desserts, fresh seafood, high end steaks, etc. – now with this amazing re-brand we are finding new clients that prefer to spend a little more for a quality meal and much more contemporary environment. It’s very interesting to see the surprised look on everyone’s face once they walk through the doors. Our average bill has gone from $18 per person to about $38 per person…”
The Fin is buzzing. The martinis and beers are flowing. The new menu is a hit. It’s the place to be.
For more information on The Fin, visit our website.
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SSDG received awards for two distinguished projects that were announced on April 21, 2010 at the Interior Design Institute of British Columbia annual Awards of Excellence. A group of highly respected designers (Richard Pollack, POLLACK Architecture, Lois Wellwood, Kasian Architecture Interior Design + Planning Ltd., and Tracey Sawyer, Igloo Design Group, Inc.) awarded SSDG a Bronze and Gold Award of Excellence.
Crossroads Dental was awarded Bronze Awards of Excellence in the Healthcare and Personal Services Category. Here’s what the judges had to say:
“This is healthcare at the upper end of the spectrum. It is a happy space with interesting textures and comforting feel. This is a wonderful design, very nicely done!”
Terminal City Club was awarded Gold Awards of Excellence in the Hospitality Category. Here’s what the judges had to say:
“This is a really good combination of traditional layering of very contemporary design. Really love this – this is lovely. The restaurant is wrapped in beautiful finishes. The glass on the bar is phenomenal. It is way beyond a masculine space.”
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