Design powerhouse Nendo completed Puma House, a multifunctional space in Tokyo.
For anyone who reads our blog regularly, you have probably noticed that we often remark that interior design can enforce and strengthen your company brand. Since we are currently completing a new office space design for our favorite brand marketing company, Urban Jungle, we thought it was a good time to take a deeper look at this topic. There is a lot of buzz out there about branding, and rightly so, but what exactly does it mean? What are the real effects of establishing a strong brand? And how does interior design tie into this? We will cover all these questions, but first let’s take a look at a case study for branding gone right.
Puma really understood how their brand needed to connect with their interior environment (see image above). Nendo, the designer of this space outlined “For our design, we placed ‘staircases’ that climb around the existing features around the space like vines. But these staircases are not for people to climb. Rather, they function as display stands for PUMA’s sneakers and as a compositional element that gives the space a special character. The resulting effect is a strong reminder that we exercise our bodies daily going up and down stairs, and has a visual connection with stadium stairs and podiums too, to bring in PUMA’s important relationship with sports.” What do you think? Did the subtle connection between the stairs and Puma brand connect with you? We think so.
The Importance of Branding
A company’s brand is what makes them unique and helps them to stand out against the competition. There are many companies that sell computers, but none can compare to Apple when it comes to an effective brand strategy; and that’s an understatement. Apple’s sleek design, simple and minimal material palette, intelligent and attractive packaging, and clean looking website contribute to a popular brand that is known by anyone who hasn’t been living underground for the last ten years.
And it doesn’t stop there. All of these elements also work into another one of Apple’s branding tools; you guessed it, their unmistakable retail stores. Their interior spaces are designed with the same brushed metal and pure white finishes (with some wood to warm things up), the same simple and clean lines, as their products are known for. I’m not sure about you, but if I was placed blindfolded in a Mac store, I’m pretty sure I’d know where I was when I removed the blindfold.
This Apple store by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architecture exemplifies how your commercial interior spaces can communicate and strengthen your brand.
Hire Branding Professionals
Branding your company is a big deal. You want to make sure you are hitting your target market where it counts and making a lasting impression so that you are the obvious choice for whatever goods or services you are offering. And not to worry; just as you are an expert in what your business does, there are experts who know about this branding stuff too. They will ensure the development of your brand is done right. If you are in need of an effective brand strategy that tackles your business from all angles you need to hire a professional, particularly one that specializes in brand marketing.
At Hatch we work closely with Edmonton-based Urban Jungle for all of our branding needs. The UJ team has been an invaluable resource for us. Their creative and personal approach to the workings of our company helped us evaluate who we are and how to portray that through everything that Hatch does. Because we have an awareness of what we want the Hatch brand to be, it is easier for us to apply those goals to all areas of our company. This applies to the way we answer the phone, to the way our project drawings look, and everything in between. And, yes, this also applied to the design of our office space.
100% Chocolate Cafe knew that the interior of their store needed to express their boutique image and sweet product. Japanese firm Wonder-Wall did an awesome job translating this brand into a built form – makes me want chocolate. Yummmm.
Your Brand Translated into Your Commercial Interior
We, of course, took care of our office design. We let our already established, and always evolving, brand inform the concept and final aesthetic of our storefront space. Catchy window graphics emulating our circle pattern, Hatch colours of bright yellow and grey displayed through funky patterns, and super sleek materials mixed with natural elements give people a pretty good idea of who we are before even talking to us or checking out our website.
For our office design we implemented elements from our brand to create a commercial space that is uniquely Hatch Interior Design.
Logos, mission statements and company ideals are only a few of the elements that work into a cohesive brand strategy; all of these should be considered in the design of your workplace. Extending your brand into your interior commercial space helps your clients and customers understand a little about who you are and what makes you unique. As Urban Jungle puts it, “Your brand lives in the real world. When your customers and staff encounter it in their daily lives, your environment affects their thoughts and emotions—which, in turn, influence their behaviour.” Well said.