At Bainbridge, we believe in thinking bigger. Your office should represent more than just a workspace, it should represent who you are as a company. A strong sense of brand and the belief that a healthy corporate culture makes them a better business is becoming a key trait of attracting and retaining employees.
Every Brand, Employer, and Office Culture is Unique
So, what defines a brand? And how do you put a finger on corporate culture? Those questions deserve articles of their own, but let’s see if we can summarize. A brand isn’t what you sell, your slogan, or your logo. Similarly, your corporate culture isn’t based on your product or the industry you’re in. Those are WHAT you do. Your brand and corporate culture are based on WHY you do it.
Your brand is what your customers feel when they think of your company, and your corporate culture is what your employees feel when they walk into work every day. They are nuanced concepts, but can always be seen in the details. That’s how we approach designing for brand and corporate culture expression, by using elements that express the ideas and beliefs of your company.
Brand and Corporate Culture Expression At WellHaven Pet Health
WellHaven Pet Health is a great example of a company that has invested in an innovative brand and corporate culture. In fact, creating unique and enriching experiences is why the company was started in the first place. It makes sense then that WellHaven would want a central office designed to express their branding and corporate culture.
Working alongside WellHaven’s branding company, Blue Collar Agency, Bainbridge designed and developed a beautifully branded office space. As with every project, we took time to understand the company’s strategy and unique identity that had been created. Understanding their needs and expectations we took creative approaches to make sure they were met. It was truly a team effort, as our designers leveraged Blue Collar’s strategic branding to make smart design decisions.
Working with Blue Collar was a fantastic experience, and we think they had fun working with us as well! We’d totally agree with Tom Lehmann, Creative Director & Partner at Blue Collar, and his kind words in describing our collaborate process.
“The team at Bainbridge, after only a few short meetings, took the brand we established for WellHaven Pet Health and translated it into a beautiful, functional, physical space. The collaboration along the way was an example of true teamwork!”
Visitors and employees can see WellHaven’s branding and corporate culture reflected in every aspect of the office space. As a brand, WellHaven empowers pet parents and their veterinary professionals to provide the best care possible. Three core principals define the brand and we used them to jump start our design approach. They were professionalism, transparency, and personal connections.
Bringing the Brand and Corporate Culture to Life
For starters, a vibrant color palette was applied to furniture and walls throughout the office. It’s not often branding colors translate into the interior but in this case, it worked. Early on, a central collaboration zone deemed “the dog park” was created to act as a gathering place. The idea came about with some grass-inspired carpet, reminding employers who the real customers are, and providing an animal loving personality for the space.
Openness and availability also are key to WellHaven clinics. It was important to them that those aspects of their corporate culture, specifically open lines of communication, be represented in the office design. They wanted all their employees to feel there is transparency in the workplace, and that the executive team is approachable for every team member.
Forgotten were the corner offices, replaced by an open executive work area with smaller private phone rooms. An open office layout can be viewed in its entirety from the conference room, while communal workspaces and glass-walled meeting rooms encourage collaboration and communication. It’s a corporate office design that encourages trust in teammates and faith in the organization.
Designing a space that reflects a brand and corporate culture requires attention to detail. But, it also requires that a company lives up to what it aspires to be. Even the best designers can’t trick employees into believing something that’s not true. That’s a big part of what we enjoyed about working with WellHaven. They stand behind their brand and have a corporate workspace that shows it.