Get your office fitout brand on buddy!
Got an office fitout happening? Got your business branding sorted for that office fitout? Given the silence I’m hearing you may be wise to read through my pointers below because ‘ol Baxter here knows his stuff and when it comes to adding your business brand into your office interior, you’ve got to do it right!
When you consider that a company logo and name are the key elements to any business, every office fitout should weld that specific branding into the thread of the interior. Whether it be through colour, signage, accessories or a combination of all of these, it shouldn’t leave people wondering what you are all about.
And if you are a little confused, let Baxter lead you through this and help you get your brand on.
Colour my office fitout me
Not correct grammar I know but hopefully you’ll understand what I’m trying to say shortly.
Whatever your business logo looks like, it will no doubt have a source of colour. Even if it’s just plain silver or black, we’re still talking colour, you know. Our crazy designer often likes to take certain colour aspects from a business logo and spread them across an office fitout. To give you a bit of an idea, this is a list she gave me the other day and then told me to get on my bike and get out of her hair.
- Paint colours
- Seating upholstery
- Screen fabric
- Furniture finishes
- Flooring
Then on my way out, she told me the list could be endless so she was stopping now. Well, some people…! But I guess you get the gist of it, hey? Colour impacts on all of these elements and when you start to look at some business logos, you can sometimes even incorporate a bit of their form or shape if you find corresponding finishes to help you do this.
Branding in your office fitout?
However, I feel this is a task for another time so I’ll get back on track now.
And don’t forget to look at my pictures along the way as you read this because this is how I’m showing you examples of what I’m saying!
Give Me A Sign!
Unless you want to be incognito, don’t ever think your business can do without a sign of some sort. A sign tells people coming to meet you that they are in the right place. A sign puts your business on the map. And a sign is the first impression of your corporate identity. When you think about it, a sign takes on a huge responsibility in your office fitout.
The thing is though, there are multiple hundreds of options of signs and somehow, you have to choose what is right for you. Personally, I do think some people overdo the sign thing on occasion and end up with an over-bearing, over-showy tagline that can irritate passing trade. Here at Bellfort, we like to get the right fit of sign for our clients.
Here are a few tips to consider for your business signage.
Does it have to be on a wall behind a reception desk? Can it be integrated within glazing film so that the message is subtly distributed? And is it covering the best vantage points available? If you have more than one entrance to your office, you need to cover them all. If you have signage that is concealed by traffic, furniture, buildings or plants, it’s just not going to work.
You may have a great sign in mind but if it fades away into nothing then it’s not so great. Colour will help your sign pop but it has to suit your business branding and office fitout. Light is a huge help in making an impact but don’t overdo it. Remember, you want a sign to draw people into your office, not burn their eyeballs.
You got it…keep it simple stupid! I’ve seen some signs that are so fancy pants you can’t even read the company name. And I’ve seen wording that is misleading and possibly detrimental to the actual business. I once used to chuckle at a sign in the city for a clothing store that stated – Fashion clothing for women, girls and ladies. I don’t see it when I’m riding about any more, so the non-ladies must have been a bit un-lady-like and pulled it down.
Brandessorise your office fitout
Yes, I’ve invented another new word!
Does your business have items that are branded? If not, why not? You don’t have to be KFC to get your brand working for you.
RP, the chicks and I went to visit a nice SEO man the other day. His office was in a serviced suite and as you know, they are often personality-less. Well, this guy injected his brand into the room he was using and owned the space, even though he didn’t really. On the table in front of us were pens, note pads, a report, mug and bottled water. On the screen we were looking at his business name. And now I think of it, he was even wearing a shirt with his logo on it.
It wasn’t too much because the room was on a large scale and could take it. And it worked. And as you see below, we also have a bit of a Bellfort range happening…designer of course!
Going back to KFC, you instantly know the building identity from the outside due to colour, shape and signage. Inside it’s the same deal and even the product you purchase is branded. Now, while I would never recommend serving fries and nuggets to your customers if you are not in the food trade, you can still brandessorise your office fitout here and there with personalised items. It’s not expensive and let’s face it, some of the items will even come in handy for your own use.
It doesn’t even have to be a name. If you have an identifying colour within your business branding such as blue, why can’t the office use blue sticky notes or blue mugs. Get it?
So, these are my thoughts on branding for today. I could go on but I won’t because there is just way too much else in my head right now and I want to start sharing that with you as well. So, I’ll say later’s for now as I have to go sharpen my pencil.
Later’s buddy-pals!
Baxter at Bellfort
79 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000, Australia
