Unboxing a new brand identity for Office-In

One crucial element of our work with Office-In was creating a brand book, in French, thanks to our native speakers. It encapsulated everything, a veritable catalog of visual elements: colors, fonts, photography style and basic principles for layouts and text. If you’re not familiar with brand books they’re not about picking a few design features, writing some rules and sticking with them. We researched and compiled the elements which attested to Office-In’s unique identity and complemented their values and own professional aesthetics. For example, the distinctive visual feature of carbon paper covering part of the layout directly references a designer’s workshop.

Having a clear identity is crucial, especially in a design-based industry, but what you also need, is trust. It’s an important investment, creating a unique office ‘home’ for your employees, the right design can build a sense of belonging and promote team dynamics. Video is a format that can showcase additional elements of a business's personality, building trust and providing important details to engage potential clients and encourage them to make contact. For Office-In, refreshing their existing video to reflect the new brand book helped highlight the things that matter to them: their team, portfolio of work and guiding principles, including sustainability.   

Armed with a brand book it was time for a makeover of the Office-In website to create a beautifully styled digital showroom for their portfolio of work. As well as the visual continuity of color and font, the leitmotif of the concept, was the diagonal line taken from the logotype. 
Both the desktop and mobile versions were functionally and aesthetically designed to draw attention to their strengths, introduce the team and shine the spotlight on their galley of work.

The diagonal line, carbon paper effect and new color scheme were quickly integrated across all Office-In’s communication channels. For SM flashcards, the diagonal line beautifully balances the photos or color elements with the promotional text or announcement. This element, because it mirrors the website theme, also provides a valuable visual trust signal for clients moving between the two touchpoints.

Even with digitalisation having something tangible can help create a deeper connection. Sometimes the smallest elements can have the biggest impact. One unique idea for the offices was to produce a branded stamp to decorate packaging, folders, documents and or other physical items.