4 pitfalls to avoid when developing culture

What are the keys to getting culture right?

If you have an office to which you bring customers or prospective clients, then you are communicating a great deal to them before they are even met by a receptionist. The question is — are you paying attention to what you are silently communicating?

The age-old adage that you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression applies not only on a personal level but a corporate one as well. Clients will take on perceptions about who you are as a company immediately based on how you as a company present yourselves and this applies to your walls, ceiling and floor as much as it does your clothes.

The appearance of your environment can potentially make the difference between closing a deal and losing valuable clients before you have even delivered your pitch

So how do you make your office space into one that communicates what you want?
Firstly, you have to have a very clear idea of what it is that you want to communicate. What is your tone of voice? Do you want to be perceived as creative, adventurous and stylish or are you going for a reliable, professional and secure space? Answering this question is both the starting and finishing point. It is not so much about creating specific elements of interior decoration as it is creating a holistic environment that works toward a desired outcome. This may take some serious meeting time and concept creation is something that we can help you out with if you need guidance during this critical stage.

Once you have this nailed down you can start looking at the implementation. There are a few things to consider at this stage. Inevitably cost will come into the question. We don’t all have the budget to install wooden cladding or slides in our reception. However as pointed out by Jacqueline Barr of Ted Moudis Associates it doesn’t have to cost the earth. The tasteful introduction of a brand colour could be the only change required to meet your goals.

Another point well raised by Jacqueline is that you have to plan with the future in mind. Either go for a timeless look, or go for a solution that is low cost and easily removable.

Here at Vi we have a variety of materials to meet either of these needs. Removable vinyl is a great solution if you are looking for a low cost and temporary design feature that can be easily changed.See office products

Alternatively go for a more premium look with contour cut Foamex signs to deliver a more premium look that will last.See Foamex logo

Finally first impressions will only get you so far. It is important to maintain consistency and continue the experience. If your reception looks amazing and delivers the ‘wow’ factor but that is where it ends, then you have a problem. No one wants to be the person that over promises and under delivers. A design theme should be maintained throughout a space; however, this doesn’t mean making every room look the same. There should be a continuity that makes each room look like it belongs in the building.