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FSL Group
In Design, Interiors, Project, Trends

The importance of office branding

Find out why branding matters, especially when it comes to your office and how you inspire your staff.

Let us begin…
Branding means marketing your company using a wide variety of practises such as logos, colour schemes, symbols and tone of voice to differentiate your business from others.

Branding is important because it enables your brand to be remembered by all who interact with it in some way. It also tells the story of who your business is, what you stand for and what you offer. Good branding helps you standout from competitors, ensuring you are perceived in the way you truly want to be.

One area that many businesses miss the mark with when it comes to branding, is in their office decor. The focus of brand strength goes outwards, and the powerhouse where the ideas and inspiration, creativity and growth begin, is forgotten.

It’s not just for the “big boys”
Branding is about culture & connectivity

Anybody who has been to the Google or Facebook offices knows that there is a strong brand presence throughout, from the colour schemes and activity based working areas, to the culture of providing free food and drinks to staff.

There is huge attention to detail and that is what makes the leading brands stand out. These companies understand exactly how important the office decor is to those working in that environment, and those visiting that environment to potentially do big business.

Take a look around. Is your office currently somewhere positively oozing with your brand? Do you feel inspired when you walk around your building? Do you know for sure that any employee or potential client walking in instantly gets a strong overview of your company values without having to do anything but look around?

Find out why branding matters, especially when it comes to your office and how you inspire your staff.

Your Office Shouldn’t Just be Where You Are, But Who You Are
In the office you expect big ideas to be born.

You expect amazing business deals to be made. You expect staff to work hard and feel inspired by the company. They won’t get that from a few pot plants and some nice furniture to sit on. A branded work environment is a great way to create a visual representation of who you are so that anyone who walks through those doors gets a complete picture of your business.

Your office is more than a place, it is a helm and a hotbed of exciting ideas and growth. Show your imagination and aspirations for the future of the brand with all aspects of the office, from scent to sound, visuals to verbal – attention to detail in office decor will only reflect what matters to the business.

Office Branding Matters To Employees
These days, more than 1.54 million people work remotely from home.

Candidates no longer need to be local and can essentially be anywhere on the globe. That is fantastic for you looking for the best talent in the industry, but it also means more competition for your business as the best candidates can work for anyone they want to across the globe.

To be a more attractive prospect you can’t simply offer more money these days. Statistics tell us that the top priority for potential employees is career development and learning. The second priority though, is the organisation culture and work environment. To inspire the best talent to work for you, a fantastic branded environment to work in is a really great starting point.

Brand Consistency Should Begin In Your Office
Nearly 100% of consumers search for local businesses online, so it makes sense that increasing online presence is a priority for most companies.

However, that doesn’t mean that the physical space your company works in should be ignored. Your brand image and tone should be reflected in your office design. A workspace consultant can work with your business to creatively and effectively incorporate all aspects of your brand into your office space. It shouldn’t simply be a visual makeover, but rather, a refit that encompasses the past, present and future of the brand, nurturing the kind of culture and environment you truly feel reflects your brand and its values.

Inspiring Your Workforce To Drive The Brand Forward
At the very least, a comfortable and healthy work environment is important for employees.

A recent study told us that a massive 87% of workers would like a healthier workspace, including ergonomic seating. Employee productivity and creativity can also be deeply enhanced by an inspiring environment. You can find out more in this interesting article by Harvard Business, which looks in detail at the affect of a working environment on an employee. Data they look at, amongst many interesting finds, suggests that rather than reducing square footage that is wasted, companies are better off reworking the space. Creating an inspirational branded workspace will provide a strong base for employees to drive your brand forward.

“How do you change the world? Bring people together. Where is the easiest big place to bring people together? In the work environment.”
Adam Neumann

Branding in the work environment is an essential factor to consider when you plan your next office-refit. Speak to a workplace consultant who knows how to make your office decor truly represent your business in the way that it works, and looks. With an educated and experienced insight, the right office branding can enhance brand consistency, employee creativity and business growth.

Let us help you rebrand your space

We can design & deliver your interior branding needs

Contact your workplace experts now
FSL Group
In Design, Furniture, Interiors, Project

Key components of a well-designed office

You need to know about these key components of an innovative office fit-out to guarantee a design that truly works for your business needs.
An office fit-out is both an exciting and stressful event to organise. There’s a lot to think about, first and foremost ensuring that the results are ultimately worth the budget spent, and worth any disruption to day to day business.

Choosing the right company to design and fit the new office can make the process much easier. A forward-thinking business will make the process extremely convenient and most importantly, they will collaborate with you to ensure that the most important aspects of the fit-out are fulfilled. To get a head start on exactly what your workspace consultant will focus on, take a look at the key components of a transformative office fit-out:

Activity based working
Agile is a forward-thinking way to work. 70% of studies suggest there is a positive effect on productivity and workplace performance with ABW compared to standard office layouts.

Any forward-thinking workspace consultant has their eye on activity based working styles, because they offer the opportunity for businesses to enjoy a more dynamic and effective working environment. The basic principle is that any employee does not have their own desk, but rather the office has various innovative workspaces for any employee to use depending on how and where they want to work. Each employee has total autonomy over finding the best workspace for their task whether it is collaborative or independent.

Workplace wellbeing
A healthy workplace supports the physical, mental and social well being of the staff who work within it.

Work related stress and mental illnesses now account for over half of lost working days in the UK. Work related musko-skeletal disorders are also a huge problem, with over 35% of all work related illnesses being MRMSD and 24% of work related absences being because of MRMSD. So on a practical level, there’s a huge reason for any business to place emphasis on the workspace they provide being a healthy one for employees. In addition, any brand who truly appreciates their employees wants to ensure they are providing the most emotionally and socially nutritious environment possible for each and every member of staff. Supporting that environment with furniture that is ergonomic in design, carefully designed lighting and sound-proofing ensures that employee physical health is also supported.

Embracing technology
An advanced office is a modern space that is utilising all possible technologies to enhance current working practises and possibilities.

Cable management, communication rooms, supported networking systems, cloud and audio-visual systems and more, can free up employees to work more efficiently and productively. In addition, technology can actively enhance communication and employee humanity. Take a look at this interesting Forbes article about how technology can transform workspace humanity for a deeper insight into how tech can facilitate a better workspace for employees.

Bringing the outside in
Plants in office decor have been in style for quite a while.

Outdoors inside decor stems from a greater eco-consciousness and health consciousness across the board, as style and decoration reflects societies greater awareness of the deepest human and environmental needs. In many basic re-fits, this addition of decorative plants is often highly simplistic and treats plants like ornaments. Whilst plants are aesthetically pleasing, it is a deeper connection to health and nature that is recognised by savvy workspace consultants who understand the true benefits of using plants in workspace design.

Did you know some of the key benefits of using plants in workspace design are: Plants naturally clean VOCs and other indoor air pollutants, Seeing ‘nature’ in some shape or form is known to make humans happier & just one plant in the office can reduce stress in the workplace by up to 60%.

Plants and living office design features are an intelligent addition to an agile fit-out.

Lighting, acoustics & functional furniture
Lighting is transformative in decor, and it is no different with office decor.

The look, feel and practical use of a space can be totally transformed with the right lighting. The acoustics of a space can also transform its feel and use, particularly if noise pollution is an issue and a noise reduction could enhance the quality of that particular area.

Furniture should always be beautiful and fit in with the visual theme of the business and branding. It can be easy to think that to have ergonomic, functional furniture, you have to sacrifice the looks. This isn’t the case. The most experienced workspace consultants will be able to source exactly the kind of furniture that your business needs to suit both aesthetic and functional requirements. There really is no compromise with agile office design.

Talking spaces
Talking spaces are spaces that say everything you want them to say about your brand to ensure that employees are able to live and breathe your business mission statement, values and visions each and every day.

Talking spaces spark conversation and thoughts, creativity and inspiration with employees and any visiting clients, who can see exactly what you’re about without having to ask a single question.

“An approach to getting work done with maximum flexibility and minimum constraints.” – Unilever

The above key components of a truly innovative office design should be at the forefront of any truly forward-thinking office fit-out company. By investing in an agile office that is beautiful, inspiring and functional, you’re investing in a more productive, happy and healthy future for your business.

Get in touch with the office fit-out experts

Have a project in mind?

    FSL Group
    In Design, Furniture, Interiors, Project

    Coming soon… Extreme E & their new London office

    This is the next stage in motor racing
    This is a new, radical, intense and utterly mental concept for racing, and it’s coming soon

    Extreme E is a competitive platform for accelerating the development of electric vehicles, to help create a low-carbon future powered by renewable energy. Extreme E are committed to supporting and partnering with organisations working to restore the degraded environments in which they race, the precious ecosystems within them and the people who live there.

    Above all, Extreme E hope to raise awareness and inspire action to encourage every individual to come together and play their part to safeguard the future of the Earth and all its inhabitants.

    Read more about Extreme E
    An amazing basecamp
    Based in Central London

    Immediately adjacent to the London offices of Formula E, the stunning new Extreme E offices are themed to perfection. The new space has a host of features that include unique lighting, rope walls, on brand (colour wise) sprinkler systems, container style meeting rooms and even a DJ booth.

    A true visionary
    Meet the founder of Extreme E

    Alejandro Agag is a businessman, entrepreneur and visionary. Founder & CEO of Formula E – the electric street racing series – Agag has a knack for seeing what’s on the horizon and getting on board, and this time it’s RMS St. Helena and Extreme E.

    Agag was born in Madrid and enjoyed an international upbringing in Paris and across the pond in New York – gaining fluency in English, Spanish, French and Italian.

    Read more about Extreme E
    FSL Group
    In Design, Interiors, Project

    Welcome to the White Building

    From initial feasibility to the full delivery
    FSL Group provided initial feasibility design and budget costing advice on the building then followed up with full planning drawings, prepared the design and access statement, met with the local councilors and heritage association and drove through to a successful approval.

    The build project was awarded as a full turn-key design and build contract with FSL responsible for the internal conversion, external renovation and construction of the associated new part underground car park and landscaping.

    Mechanically a central plant room with full district heating system running individual HIU boilers with wet heating to each apartment, full MHRV throughout, removal of the internal lift shaft and creating two new lift shafts, provision of new corridor smoke ventilation shafts have all been provided.

    Heritage approved
    With a clever use of space

    Externally new openings for doors, windows and roof lights were created, heritage approved fenestration fitted and full repair and redecoration carried out. An adjacent part underground car park in a matching style to blend has been designed.

    Luxury apartments
    All covered with an NHBC guarantee

    Internally a mix of one and two bedroom apartments complete with fitted kitchens and integrated appliances, bathrooms and en-suites.

    Each apartment is planned with veneered doors,  energy efficient lighting and electrical appliances along with all floor finishes to every room. Every apartment is to be to a high standard with the development being covered by an NHBC 10 year structural guarantee.

    Image gallery
    Get in touch with the office refurbishment experts

    Have a building development project in mind?

      FSL Group
      In Design, Furniture, Interiors, Project

      IRIS Software HQ

      We have recently completed a 35,000 sq. ft workplace fit-out for IRIS Software in their new headquarters based at Heathrow Approach on the M4 contains many high end design features including a 17 metre curved wall as the backdrop to a solid corian reception desk. Accommodating the third and fourth floors it is now home to 240 staff members who have access to a large collaboration wing, bookable meeting rooms, quiet rooms, ad hoc meeting spaces and state of the video conferencing and iPad controlled coffee machines from our friends at Scanomat.

      The result of this project has been the undertaking  of furniture and fit-out project for IRIS Software’s further twelve offices across the UK.

      View the project here

      FSL Group
      In Design, Interiors, Project

      Trends are trending

      Work trends have shifted dramatically. We’re not referring to Simon Sinek’s wonderful talk on Millennials, we are talking about how the traditional office environment is changing, although, a recent article did study the perfect Millennial office.

      Trends change. We’ve seen users come out of cubes & into open plan, home working & collaboration. Spend within the office interior is increasing with timber residential style furniture & soft seating environments for collaboration/ breakout.

      These trends are manifested from a desire or perhaps a need to change our lives, what happens in society and in our own worlds continues to drive change in the office. Despite the fact that when you sit on the train, the tube, the bus or walk down the street you can’t help but notice that many are glued to smart phones, thus making us less social, we have a desire within the workplace to be more sociable, to collaborate, to maximise our productivity whilst in that office environment.

      We are experiencing a social & technological shift in society

      The traditional office or work environment is shifting due to technological influences, a change in demographics and a social shift that creates alternative and new expectations within the office. We have all seen over the years the offices of Google, Twitter, Apple, Facebook and the like, filled with trendies playing pool, not using the stairs and working in a space that provides great comfort, greater freedom of expression and movement. Supported by wireless networking, airdrop & touch screen technology, the work place is merging with our social space, with our residential space (in look & feel). The result for business is greater collaboration, greater creativity, a happier team and ultimately a greater staff retention and production output.