Why a Resolved Design Matters. SKB ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN Joseph Boyette, AIA, is a senior design architect at SKB Architecture and Design (SKB). He has over 13 years of experience working as an architect in the Mid-Atlantic region designing base building, mod- ernization, mixed use, historic preservation, interi- or, and building envelope projects. Mr. Boyette has taught architecture studios at The Catholic University of America, University of Mary- land, and the University of Texas. He continues to sit on reviews at a number of local universities. S K B A R C H I T E C T U R E A N D D E S I G N UNIFIED WORKPLACE DESIGN Branding is the defined personality of a product, service, company, organization or individual. Many folks confuse A clear and unified architectural design contributes to “having a logo” for an ongoing branding process, but in the coherent mission of a workplace. A meaningful de- fact a good logo is an extension of a defined identity…Like sign, rooted in the identity of the firm, indicates longevity, an artist finding his or her voice the goal of a branding which builds confidence and trust. It can be a source of process should be to always frame in a concise way what satisfaction and pride within the firm, and it should be part makes your endeavor unique; and then apply that mes- of a larger narrative that effects the perception of the firm, sage to each medium. – Michael Pinto, Brand Strategist both internally and externally. Branding and the image of a firm As offices move from a traditional structure of cubicles and We can see from the definitions above that Branding is closed offices, to a structure of open collaborative work- the overall plan by which a firm positions itself in the mar- spaces, unified workplace design is being replaced by inde- ketplace. It is the way a firm defines itself. It is the way in pendent design elements that lack a cohesive underlying which a firm differentiates itself. It is the method by which design idea. a firm attracts and retains loyal customers. This paper will attempt to illuminate how unified office de- Branding is the strategy by which an organization express- sign can enhance the quality of the brand, and the culture es the value of its product or service. It should not be con- of a firm. fused with the tactics used to share these values with the consumer, which include the company mission statement, STRATEGY AND CULTURE logo, website, marketing materials, and even the design of its office space. According to the 2012 Deloitte Core Beliefs and Culture Key to the effectiveness of brand identity is that the mes- Survey, “Exceptional organizations think about their busi- sage is consistent and legible in every effort to reach the ness as a two sided ledger: strategy and culture.” But what consumer. Let’s take advertising design as an example. In do strategy and culture look like from a design standpoint? the retail arena, consumers are looking for the message How can the design of the office influence the strategy? in an advertisement. If the message is not apparent, if How can it help build a positive culture? the pitch is confusing, then there is no sale. So in order to reach an individual, an advertisement must be potent, A focus on strategy and culture, from the standpoint of de- or else it is impotent. There is very little in between. With sign, must address two main points: such limited time to make an impact, the potency of one single unified impression is certainly more effective than a 1. The design of the business strategy, also known as handful of disparate ideas. In the retail arena, where good branding. branding encourages people to spend more money, the 2. The design of the office space, which directly effects integrity of the brand in its most distilled form flourishes. office culture. Case Study: BMW Branding defined Branding is the encapsulation of a company’s mission statement, objectives, and corporate soul as expressed through the corporate voice and aesthetic. – Margie Clayman, Marketing Executive Branding is the sub-total of all the “experiences” your cus- tomers have with your business. For branding to work you must have consistency, frequency & an emotional anchor. – Bryan Eisenberg, Bestselling Author Branding is an ongoing process of looking at your compa- ny’s past and present…and then creating a cohesive person- ality for the company and its products going forward. BWM’s brand is focused on luxury, and loyalty. In fact, BMW – Lois Geller, Marking Executive is such a luxury brand, that it doesn’t even sell cars. Instead BMW sells the “Ultimate Driving machine.” Their ads keep Why a Resolved Design Matters 3 the focus on the experience of ownership. The auto is typi- Within the BMW Central Building, for instance, the space cally set in front of a backdrop of natural beauty or elegant is organized to diminish the visible clues of the divisions of architecture and the driver is unseen. Every single print labor. There is no physical hierarchy between personnel, ad, every single commercial speaks to the idea that BMW only the larger vision of the company is expressed. This ar- is the most beautifully crafted, most extraordinary vehicle rangement of the space gives everyone the opportunity to designed for the sophisticated individual with discriminat- buy into the culture that they are working together toward ing taste. Their success comes from targeting a very specific a common goal. The common goal is expressed through the demographic and working hard to create brand loyalty with architecture and therefore strengthens the brand. this group. They back up their claims with a quality product while catering to the buyer well after the sale of the vehicle. A brief history of the office They sell a lasting experience. Hierarchy within a firm exists regardless of the way the space is allotted, but the visible expression of hierarchy has So what about the spaces in which their employees work? mostly lessened over time. The most direct expression of What would the effect be on the brand if these spaces did hierarchy in the office existed from the early 1900s onward, not support the mission? Would there be an effect on the when workers were crowded together in an open environ- culture of all of the many individuals that BMW employs? ment, while their ‘Mad Men’ bosses surrounded them in Would that find its way down to the consumer experience? perimeter offices. Then, in 1968 the cubicle was born. De- The answer is unequivocally, yes. BMW has built one of the signed by Robert Propst at Herman Miller, and based on a strongest brand identities in the world because the culture European workplace philosophy of socialist values, the de- of BMW is expressed at every available opportunity. sign, called Action, was meant to be liberating for workers. It was meant to give them the type of autonomy and pri- In early 2005 when they reimagined their manufacturing vacy they needed to do the increasingly intellectual work process, they placed a £37 million building, designed by a that they needed to do. The idea was not to give them a provocative architect, Zaha Hadid, at the center of the £900 corner office, but to give them a place in the pecking -or million plan. The BMW Central Building in Leipzig, Germany der that reflected their value to the firm. But, then, in the is a marvel of engineering and design that represents the 1980s & 90s, the pressures of the office grew as layoffs and BMW brand identity. The assembly process that takes place mergers became commonplace. As Nikil Saval explains in on site, actually takes a detour through the office building, his book Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace, the cu- focusing the workspace design around the manufacturing bicle became the symbol of an oppressive workplace filled process and connecting those in the office building with with middle-managers; the very opposite of the designer’s those working in the factory building on the larger complex. original intention. Branding and firm culture Today, there are at least two factors that are influencing Just as consumers are looking for the message in an adver- a return to the European idea of open-office design: the tisement, employees of a firm are also looking for a deeper emergence of the startup, and the entrance of Millenni- message within their workspace. They are looking for clues als into the workplace. A startup is designed to scale very to the culture and values of the firm. If they are exposed quickly and so the workplace must be open, changeable, to those values in their environment, they will internalize and fluid. Millennials, want an office that allows collaborat- them. ing in groups, the free exchange of ideas, and a feeling that they are making a difference from day one. Deloitte’s survey mentioned above concluded that when contributors to positive office culture are discussed, owner- ship focuses on compensation and financial performance, while employees focus on open communication, recogni- tion, and access to management. The things that manage- ment sees as important to office culture generally lie out- side the reach of office space design, while the things that employees hold dear are very much influenced by the way the office space is organized. The ideas of access to man- Ultimately, a coherent design, rooted in the identity of the agement, and open communication are heavily influenced firm, indicates longevity which builds confidence and trust.