Corporate chaos

I was going to write this piece for my column in ThisDay but I felt this would be the perfect medium for me to vent, without worrying (as much) about word limits and political correctness.

Not enough people know this but there is an area of overlap between interior design/decorating and branding. One should not exist entirely independently of the other. However, when interpreting your brand in the interiors of your workspace it need not be literal. Whenever I meet with commercial clients to get a brief for designing their offices, boutiques, bars, etc.. it is really important that I get a clear idea of their brand identity and the image they are trying to project. I take away as much literature, stationery, logos etc as I can. For me, the space in which your customers or clients meet you says in so many words what your 'mission statement' or slogan may try to capture. I do not however colour match your logo and cover every wall and surface with that exact same shade of blue or lime green!

An office not too far from me has all its interior walls painted lime green. As they were decorating I peeped in through the window and wondered how on earth they'd be able to do any work and be productive in such an acidic space. A few days later I drove past and they'd hung up tangerine coloured curtains! I wondered what they were thinking when they made those choices. What were they trying to say? What kind of business could this be? Great colours, yes. But put together it was just so intense and so.... much!

A couple of days ago I saw one of their business cards. Their logo is green and orange. Oh, I see! Now it made sense. They're a young company, bringing an innovative product to the market. The graphic designer who came up with that logo probably thought Green = fresh. Orange = bold, daring, avante garde. It totally makes sense. On a business card. But in their offices, the spirit of that message could have been interpreted in a light and fresh space. Maybe some modern furniture. The odd splash of orange or green here and there in a potted plant or a piece of artwork. Maybe the floors or ceilings could be clad in an unusual material, creatively used. Possibly some really funky yet simple lighting. That would have said to me: young, innovative, ground breaking company. And not just "I took my business card to Dulux"!