Personal Space

The workplace for many of us can seem like second home, but more importantly it's the physical space of your company and your brand. Whether an identity has recently been created or it’s well established, why does its branding tend to stop at the usual reception desk, website or brochure? With 20 years working closely with many companies we know that a brand should span every touch-point, whether it’s taking your number from your business card, getting directions from your website or stepping into your workspace for the first time. People should feel connected to your brand.

From an internal perspective, a branded workspace helps boost moral. After all, creating a stimulating and engaging environment is only going to have a positive effect on how people engage with their company and the work they do.

However, don’t be mistaken, adding personality to your workspace does take more than a motivational poster but that’s not to say it has to be a mammoth task or pull on resources. As with any branded material you produce you need to set your goals, your timeframe and your budget and go from there.

Working with an experienced design team will ensure you not only reach your goals, but they will also help guide you through the process as you go. With many of our clients we not only provide creative but also organise site visits to measure up, ensure health and safety is adhered to and installation is managed with as little hassle to daily working life as possible.

Our creative work has spanned from large format graphics covering two floors, to equally large wooden letterpress walls; and right down to the smaller details like branded glass H&S manifestations and wayfinding. Our breadth of clients, from those pioneering the change in Britain’s transport systems, to teams providing printed press to the masses and even social media champions, proves that we really can get to the crux of your brand and deliver a space that echoes your values and engages your staff and clients.

The images above are all items we've designed and produced for our clients, so why not take a look at some more of our workplace environments here.

Thinking logically

This month has flown by so fast at one point we were scared to blink! We started working with News UK around eight weeks ago when they first asked us to come in to discuss the structure and naming of their operations division. This aspect of News UK included the already successful Newsprinters brand, which we had created a few years earlier. Within a short space of time we managed to agree the naming as well as design, artwork, produce and install a new brand and interior graphics for their ‘News Logistics’ division.

Following initial talks and naming, we ran a full day workshop to help their team explore some of the key aims and aspirations for News Logistics prior to embarking on the branding. The workshop was a melting pot of ideas, exploring and defining a vision for the business, a mission statement, a set of values and how they wanted to be perceived both internally and to clients.

As a result of the day we were able to define some key themes that needed to shine through in the branding and a link back to Newsprinters was key. The best way to do this was to maintain the globe icon from Newsprinters and the impactful colour. Their knowledge and existing infrastructure is also key to their offering, with a focus on building strong, long term partnerships.

The brand uses various graphic devices, the most obvious being the use of A-B (suggesting what they do in the most simplest form), and A-Z (denoting the breadth of their offering).

More subtle is the use of the chevron, of course a symbol related with road travel. However scratch a little deeper and it suggests movement and forward motion, a company that isn’t standing still but looking to the future.

The idea of partnerships is shown through the wall graphics and also in the playful names of the meeting rooms (great and successful partnerships: Laurel and Hardy, Tom and Jerry to name a few) and the strapline that came out of the workshop; ‘Proud To Deliver’, features across various materials produced for the launch including some staff giveaways.

The space is now decked out with graphics and manifestations, and filled with News Logistics staff. The response has been fantastic, and their team are really pleased with their new home. It’s gone down so well we are now looking at livening up a few more spaces including their huge warehouse and beyond…

Where the interiors come to life!

Our relationship with Newsprinters has been going steady now for over four and a half years. During this time we've concentrated on evolving their brand, from the identity and marketing materials through to onsite signage and internal wayfinding.

Our latest undertaking is to bring personality to their largest print plant in Broxbourne with the design and installation of interior graphics. Whilst Newsprinters as a business is setting the benchmark in their industry through state-of-the-art technology and a specialised workforce that is second-to-none, the building itself has suffered somewhat from being devoid of any character. Turning that to our advantage, we have literally treated the site as a blank canvas on which we can inject some fun and humour through 50+ wall graphics.

The project has been layered – starting with dividing the site into working zones and introducing colour coding that is translated through colourful walls and a co-ordinated internal wayfinding system. We are now putting the finishing touches to the next layer which applies a theme across the entire building that adds visual interest and provides a stimulating working environment. The concept is simple in its execution yet also thought-provoking for both employees and visitors.

Each graphic is centred around describing a working area or task and is titled 'Where the, Where we, Where it...' and so on... This straightforward, no-nonsense tone of voice is an integral part of their brand and reflects perfectly the people that work in this company, and this industry. Newsprinters' core aim is to simply be 'the best newspaper manufacturer in the world'. No corporate waffle, no long-winded mission statements, just straight to the point. Each 'strapline' is illustrated in a strong, bold and modern font and accompanied by an image of an object that then brings another meaning to that task/area, and in turn, adds a lighthearted element.

The paper reel storage area

The paper reel delivery area





















It has been refreshing to work with a client that is open to a creative solution and has the confidence to create a 'non-corporate' environment. Even from the initial brief, Newsprinters made it clear that the scheme should appeal directly to the employees, to provide an uplifting ambience in the surroundings in which they work. Much of the plant is windowless so bringing colour and visual stimulation was imperative. Alongside this, the graphics have to communicate to visitors, many of whom are groups of schoolchildren that take tours of the factory, and so far our humour seems to appeal to those who have seen the ideas.

The press hall

The press control area

We feel that we have fulfilled the potential of the project to the full – through our creative thinking and concept in providing an exciting environment that offers the unexpected but also brings a wry smile to those that see the theme unfold as they go from area to area within the huge plant. We have delivered a vibrant system through the use of various materials, bringing to life the environment in which the staff work, and all within a budget that could well have escalated when considering the sheer scale of the building and the amount of wall space available. We didn't get too carried away and installation takes place next month when the true results and benefits will be seen, and hopefully heard...

The logistics centre
The boardroom