Redesigning The Agency: Reinvigorating Boyd Digital’s Glasgow Office
Boyd Digital is an SEO Digital Marketing Agency based in Glasgow. They are a dedicated team of marketing professionals who specialise in content creation, PPC, social media marketing and search engine optimisation. Boyd believes in an open approach to working with clients to drive traffic to their online channels; they aim to make SEO transparent and deliver results.
As lockdown came to a close, Boyd came to us with a challenge: redesigning their Glasgow office space and making it effective, efficient and exciting – reflective of what they stand for and what they want to show their clients.
WHAT INSPIRED THE OFFICE REDESIGN?
Boyd decided to change the office design as they wanted to create an environment that their staff would be excited to come back to post-covid. After working from home for such a long time, the thought of returning to a tired office space didn’t offer the sense of community and culture that Boyd wanted to give to their employees, so they decided it was time for an updated office design.
They believed a new office space would be important in helping staff bond and allowing them to regain a sense of work/home balance with an office space separate from what most of us experienced over the last couple of years (i.e. working at your kitchen table). It would also allow for a professional environment to take client visits and meetings, to showcase what the brand looks like and what they stand for as a digital agency.
Boyd wanted to illuminate its branding
Boyd wanted to create a space which illuminated its branding – in part, this was done by colour-scheming the walls to match their branding and logo, so the whole space is a ‘Boyd’ space. There are a series of keywords on the main wall illustrating what the company does and what they can offer their clients. This wall is also there to inspire the employees, reminding them of key elements of the business and helping them to focus and create.
Are There Any Special Features?
Perhaps the most exciting feature of the new office space is a large table tennis table. Originally showcased by Glasgow based creative design studio Pim-Pam, the table was purchased from the ‘SP!N’ silent auction. SP!N was a charitable art exhibition for the Drumchapel Table Tennis Club (DTTC) and was a project showcasing 42 table tennis paddles designed by artists, designers and illustrators from across Scotland. At the heart of the show was the table, designed by Glasgow based artist Roddy MacNeill, a large feature piece that encouraged visitors to engage in a game.
Table tennis table designed by Roddy MacNeill
The theme of SP!N was balance, resilience and strength — three things important for table tennis, and three things that resonated strongly with Boyd during their return to in-person work culture. The table now acts as a bright and colourful feature piece in the office, there not only for looks but also to help relieve stress and creative blocks by offering employees a physical outlet; to help staff bond over a fun and productive activity, and to give a new home to an artwork by one of Glasgow’s most dynamic artists within their agency.
Did You Maintain Any Of The Original Design?
The one thing Boyd wanted to keep the same during the redesign was the open layout. They wanted to maintain a space where their staff could work collaboratively and have an added layer of comfort with large desks and natural lighting from the windows. The space feels open and free, with plenty of room to move and plenty of space to breathe. They also highlighted the importance of keeping a functional kitchen space, so that staff feel comfortable and can make as much coffee as needed (including dozens of cups of our office favourite from Conatum Coffee). Community and comfort were at the heart of this redesign – Boyd made it very clear that they wanted the new Glasgow office to be a positive space for their staff members, a place which they want to return to.
What Was The Process Like?
The process of changing the office was exciting. Knowing that on the other end of lockdown was a completely refreshed Glasgow office was exhilarating for the members of the Boyd team. Working with designers and builders to create the office they envisioned was a fascinating experience, filled with creativity and ideas. The works were conducted within the scheduled period and budget, and the collaboration of ideas between management and designers allowed for heightened attention to detail.
What Were The Results?
When the offices reopened, the staff were excited to come back and experience the new space. And as a growing digital agency, Boyd can now showcase its branding through its physical office space – presenting a stronger image of who they are and what they do to clients. A redesign is also a reinvigoration, and we hope that the team at Boyd can feel this positive energy as they continue to work in their Glasgow offices.
Published: 1 June 2022
Text: Boyd Digital Glasgow
Interior Photography: Studiovhf
Design consultancy and furniture specification
The young, fun and vibrant creative company Sunshine Communications moved offices to future proof themselves for further team growth and increase their ability of creative outputs. So what is a better place to move to than Commercial Quay in Leith Edinburgh? Commercial Quay lies at the heart of the popular shore area of Leith and has a mix of cafés, bars and restaurants.
Commercial Quay in Leith Edinburgh
Our design team worked closely with Sunshine Communications to provide a fit out and soft furniture items that meet tight budgets, functionality and aesthetics. A space full of colour and plants, a home away from home.
Design consultancy and furniture specification Sunshine Communications Edinburgh
As you enter into the workspace, you're greeted by a neon pink side profile face - illuminating the essence of Sunshine Communication, a talking head. Social by nature, social by trade – they gain traction with everyone they work with.
The geometric shapes painted in soft pastels add interest to the back wall. The paints used in the scheme are from Craig & Rose, the oldest independent paint manufacture in the UK, a nod to their origins on Leith Walks. The colours echo Sunshine Communications branding without being overpowering to the entirety of the space. As the office is also a working photography studio, we had to consider colour balance.
For the meeting room, we needed to create privacy but also wanted to make a statement. The dichroic film is beautiful, constantly reflecting shifting colours and radiance depending on the perspective of the viewer. Inside we placed a large brass conical base table that balances a glass top to contrast from the pink velvet seats sat below.
And to continue the velvet, we placed two green velvet sofas facing each other as an informal meeting space with plant pots on stands help to separate it from the open workspace as well as adding biophilia.
And of course featuring in their offices: “Sunshine on Leith”, the Scottish musical film directed by Dexter Fletcher featuring songs by The Proclaimers:
Design & text: Design Team.
Interior Photography: Architectural Photographer Edinburgh.