With many organisations now accommodating a hybrid working model between the home and office, adding some wall graphics to your office space or wall art and imagery can help make the office environment welcoming, and possibly 'homelier’ than the more austere corporate aesthetic we’ve all perhaps been used to. A brand's identity can be carried throughout whilst still making sure the visuals look like an inviting, interesting space for staff and customers, a win-win for both.
One of the reasons people like to and will be in the office is interaction with their colleagues and friends, so let's encourage this. Wall graphics, branded or not can become a focal point for different areas such as kitchens, break-out and rest areas – communal spaces which bring people together, enhancing their time 'at work' rather than working from home.
A blank wall suggests it is a place in transit, not somewhere to congregate or head to as a feature wall might do. Even signage with descriptive iconography can help create the right vibe in an office, one of inclusion and friendliness. Our graphics for The Communication Store, seen below, work really well in this regard, even with a clean, geometric brand identity, the style of signage is fun and engaging when used throughout their office environment.
Also, as one of our favourite confidants recently said, “remodelling the office with 'collaboration spaces' in favour of traditional desks, bespoke wallpapers can really make each room come alive. (It also adds some authenticity beyond simply a room name on the door. If one team is meeting in Brunel, another in Nightingale and a third in Mandela, let's bring those names alive and remind the occupants of the meaning behind the moniker.”
Graphics can also aid with privacy. Whether this is to shield sensitive documentation, pitch ideas that haven’t gone live, or a new product that you’ve signed an NDA for, covering glass room facades with cut vinyl decals or printed graphics helps you feel less exposed inside a glass box.
Gone are the days when glass manifestations were just a series of dots or panes blocked out completely with frosted vinyl. Let your imagination flow and create a safe space that expresses itself and its personality. Again, this is for the benefit of your brand, staff and your visiting clients. Give everyone a thought-out and considered place for meetings. There are many ways to produce interesting graphics for glass including standard cut vinyl decals, or printed and cut imagery.
Perhaps it's even time to expand your brand's visual language, taking into consideration office decor and how it can be used effectively? As mentioned, the feature wall can be a bright, bold, interesting addition to the office, and when run throughout, it helps bring cohesion across multiple floored offices including desked spaces, bathrooms, and even travel corridors such as stairwells and elevators.
Using your own visual language across the whole office and common parts can help bring everything together, creating a brand experience that works internally as well as externally. It's not just online and in social media that a brand comes alive, it's in the workplace too. Engaging staff is the starting place to understand and encourage brand values and company dynamics – graphics can be so much more than just a pretty picture and can help to tell the company philosophy right from the get-go.
And let's not forget the humble reception room. It's the first, and the last place everyone sees, so make them proud to be associated with the brand – be it the employees, clients, or delivery people. Goldcrest went super big, creating a bold visual statement with the company logo emblazoned floor to ceiling across their Soho reception area. But for all its grandness, it isn't showy, as the choice of vinyl decal colour works seamlessly with the surrounding decor and architecture.
If you have offices or other work environments you would like to add inspiring graphics too, please get in touch. We're happy to be involved with any part of the process – from initial site visits, design, artwork, production and installation.
You can find more of our wall or floor graphics for offices: explore our projects here.
