How does your commercial space reflect your brand identity? How do people FEEL when they are in your space?
Branding and identity should play a foundational role in the design of your office, shop, restaurant, or any other type of commercial or public space. Just as your home reflects who you are and your unique style aesthetic, so too do your commercial premises reflect your brand, business, and company.
Your brand and its identity underpin everything you do as a business, playing a crucial role in your success, recognition, and the general feelings you inspire. Elements of this include your logo, colour scheme, typography, style, imagery, signage, packaging, communications, customer service, website design, and overall mood, and must reflect your values and offering as well as appeal to your distinct target customer or client. For utmost success, it must extend from your website to your social media presence, your communications, your physical location, and everything else you do.
Branding and brand identity influence the design of your commercial space by:
- Creating a positive, specific first impression
- Immersing customers/clients in a consistent, memorable brand experience for ongoing recognition
- Enhancing your brand’s perception and reinforcing its values
- Differentiating and amplifying brand exposure
- Improving customer interactions and boosting customer retention
- Conveying your brand’s story in a tangible way
- Inspiring employee pride and motivating engagement
- Supporting your reputation and success
How Can Interior Design Express Brand Identity?
A cohesive brand identity combines visual and experiential qualities, and this extends to interior design – layout and configuration, lighting, fixtures, fittings, furnishings, window treatments, materials, textures, colours, signage, artwork and other graphics, flooring, and accessories. Even acoustics and background music or other intentional sounds play a role.
Consider:
- A tech company may feature bright colours and light, airy workspaces to reflect its creative culture.
- A medical clinic design will likely be modern and minimalist with clean lines and a soothing atmosphere.
- A legal firm may elect to have a more traditional, high-end style with dark wood and leather furnishings.
- A children’s clothing or toy store will likely be colourful, fun, and vibrant.
- A luxury hotel may choose a warm, cosy, lush aesthetic with soft lighting and rich materials.
- An airport terminal will likely be bright, airy, and sleek with wide open transit spaces.
- A high-end restaurant may opt for an intimate, sophisticated vibe or a modern, dynamic mood. Its design may also reflect the origin or style of its cuisine (e.g. Japanese, Italian, seafood).
Tips for Communicating Brand Identity Through Interior Design
Incorporate your brand identity into your interior design scheme with:
- Consistency across all settings, locations, etc.
- A colour palette that is consistent across your entire brand, from your website to your logo, packaging, and everything else.
- A layout that aligns with your brand identity and values.
- Visuals, graphics, imagery and décor that are brand-centric.
- Sensory experiences that align with your brand – lighting, sound, materials, warmth, aromas, touch, etc. Consider everything from potential water features to window treatments and background music to the use of candles, aromatherapy, an aquarium or live plants, the use of natural materials or man-made inclusions, and much more.
- If you are a retailer, consider whether you’re better served with a crisp, clean, minimalist approach with only a limited number of products (e.g. a luxury shoe or handbag brand) or a warm, cosy, store with a cornucopia of offerings for customers to take their time browsing (e.g. a bookstore).
Get in Touch with Us!
CMLS Commercial Interiors has been working with businesses of all kinds in Sydney, Parramatta, Penrith and beyond for more than thirty years. From retail to office spaces across many sectors, our shopfitters, office fit-out specialists, and commercial interior designers bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. We can work with you throughout the entire process, from brainstorming ideas to design, manufacturing, installation, and handover to bring your vision for your commercial space to life with strong branding for your success.