Naked Communications: New Office Design

Naked Communications needed an open, adaptive office to reflect its hierarchy-free, collaborative ethos. Cyrus Vantoch-Wood, head of creative, Europe, reflects on its peaceful nooks for focussed creativity, flexible socialising spaces and a monochrome palette that lets the work show its true colours

Naked Communications creates experiences of value to both people and brands.  With the diversity and the increased complexity of channels, it is vital that our philosophy and approach to work is based on a human need and supported by a dynamic, yet simple process. Our physical space, in which we investigate, collaborate and create, is a reflection of our philosophy to creating great work.

When we work with partner organisations, it’s vital that we create true collaboration. Rather than throwing briefs over walls, we’re much more excited in setting up problems in tandem and pulling in the expertise of those with the chops to get the job done early. This is the approach we took with Frans, our very talented interior architect, whose company, Blue Bottle, helped us craft a space that gets to the centre of who we are and how we see the world.

As we began the process with Frans, we highlighted 2 simple ways in which we work: Firstly, internalised process’, where we as individuals can be still, focus, craft and find some peace in which to make. A cocoon of thought. Secondly, collaborative working, in which we must gather, co-create, present, entertain and socialise

Our final output clicked. We created a group of interconnected, flexible environments that we can shape alongside the diversity of our tasks-at-hand. Flexi-desks, multi-purpose booths, making space and a sectional meeting room pivot together in an open space, creating a symbiosis of premium form and dynamic function.  A simple palette underpins the setting. We use black and white as bold references to our company identity, spread out to represent a canvas for our creativity. The people and the work add the colour. 

As we’ve settled-in, those new-comers are usually surprised at how we work. We have no fixed desks, we use lockers for our things.  To the traditionalist, it could come across as uncomfortable. There’s little truly private space, so it’s not the environment for cloak and dagger meetings. Instead it asks something of us. It requires openness.

John Maeda in “The Laws Of Simplicity” states that, “openness simplifies complexity”. Being truly open in the way we work has some risks but bigger rewards. With the design of the Naked office we have tried to embrace this thinking by creating an open system to the way we work together. It’s a system in which the transparency flattens hierarchy and empowers the sharing of our thoughts. A home for our group of misfits, in which we can innovate and challenge convention.