Talking Points
Fiona Livingston discusses the issues and challenges to be met in translating a digital brand into a 3D bricks-and-mortar space.
Words by Fiona Livingston, Studiofibre
The extraordinary pace of the digital revolution has brought about some fascinating changes, not least within the design industry, and especially for those of us that specialise in the design of office and workspaces for leading brands. Many 21st-century brands have launched and grown their business exclusively within the digital arena. The global nature of the internet has given 'digital disruptor' businesses the opportunity to grow at a phenomenal pace, with some start-ups achieving the extraordinary 'unicorn' status (valued at more than $1bn).
This growth rate, combined with the 2D virtual nature of these brands, presents some interesting challenges from a design perspective. Take brands such as Net-A-Porter, notonthehighstreet.com and Farfetch for example. These companies, all leaders in their field, have revolutionised the way we shop for clothes, accessories and gifts. Having built and established their unique, strong, on-line brand images, they then inevitably find that they needed to translate their digital brands into bricks-and-mortar spaces that work as hard for the business as their slick websites do.
For some companies the objective is to inspire staff globally and provide workspaces that allow them to live and breathe the brand. For others, it may be to create a brand experience venue to entertain stakeholders, buyers and VIP consumers. For many it is about branching out and moving towards the future of retail and embracing being omnichannel', where brands are able to provide consumers with a seamless brand experience both virtually (via desktop and mobile) and physically, in bricks and mortar stores.
Whatever the underlying drive for 3D space may be, the design challenge of taking a 2D virtual brand and developing a 3D branded space not only presents exciting opportunities but also considerable challenges. Taking a brand that exists only virtually, with no tangible elements, and creating and delivering a design narrative that works successfully across various bricks-and-mortar structures globally, requires a deep understanding of the brand.
Working with physical 3D brands that were established and grew in the bricks-and-mortar world tends to be a more prescriptive design process as there are existing design codes and guidelines. There may already be a retail store design that provides a case study to work from, brand manuals probably exist, and there are often showrooms and other physical spaces as points of reference that may have an influence on any new design scheme.
But when it comes to 2D virtual brands creating branded spaces for the first time, this 'blank canvas' design challenge can be both exciting and daunting (for both client and designer) in equal measure. Given the global nature of many 2D brands, this sort of brief often requires creating a design narrative that works as well in a small space in New York as it does in a vast modern building in London or Hong Kong. In addition, it can also involve creating an impression of heritage for a young brand that has little history.
My approach to this sort of brief is much like a chameleon. I start by absorbing myself in all aspects of the brand and doing a vast amount of research. At the chemistry stage, I begin to work out what the client's aspirations are, putting my own vision to one side and listening rather than talking. Time spent on the ground with the clients, from the junior staff to the management, is essential in gaining a full understanding of the business, its needs and its unique personality. A bit like dating, if there's an initial spark between you and the client, then the next stage is to understand what makes them tick and bring out the very best in them, highlighting aspects of their brand personality that perhaps they had never realised before.
An additional challenge is the phenomenal pace of growth of these digital businesses. Any design strategy has to be designed to constantly evolve, taking into account its inevitable (and often considerable) growth between the commission and completion phases of the project.
Interiors have to be flexible beyond completion, to meet the continually evolving needs of the brand. From moving 'studio set' walls, to multi-use amphitheatre spaces, I often draw on theatre and film-set references to deliver solutions that are both innovative, on-brand and adaptable.
Ultimately, any space has to deliver for the client on multiple levels. As well as being 'on brand', fully functional and highly flexible, it's also key to ensure that these 3D spaces also become a PR story for the brand, a staff-retention device, a magnet for attracting the best industry talent and a stakeholder perception tool.
I believe that 21st-century businesses looking to create branded bricks-and-mortar spaces should seek a full 'designer-maker' solution from their design agency. I believe that a branded interiors' scheme is just the beginning of a project. It is the bespoke furniture that adds to the overall story, and creates a fully rounded scheme and allows the company's workforce to truly experience and live the brand throughout their working day, as every fibre of their corporate identity is brought to life across every part of the space.
The successful creation of a 3D branded space for a 2D digital brand requires a fascination with the intangible (people, brands, identities, business models, operations, cultures, fashion, digital brands) combined with an obsession with the tangible: how things work and their make up. It is this that drives me beyond simply delivering innovative interior design schemes, and has led me to design and make bespoke furniture that completes a project.
I am a firm believer that considerable life experience is the key to delivering a branded 3D space for a 2D business.
Young designers fresh out of college are wonderfully creative and invaluable members of my overall team, but it is experience, and a genuine interest in and understanding of brands, the personalities that shape them, and the resulting business culture that allows me to filter through all the ideas and hone them into a design solution that truly brings a 2D brand to life.
Studiofibre is a multi-disciplined design studio based in Berkhamsted, just outside London, established in 2007 by Fiona and Ian Livingston.
