While U.S. offices continue to struggle to bring employees back to their desks, in-person retail is thriving. The International Council of Shopping Centers recently found that 79% of consumers prefer to shop in-store, driven by the themes of community, engagement and the experience today’s retailers are embracing.

Mariju Wille, vice president and project manager of architecture and design firm Corgan, said that one way modern offices could entice employees to come back is to take a retail-centered design approach. Retailers look to create an experience for customers by considering how they can best navigate store layouts and where to position certain products to keep people moving and engaged while shopping. Great office design can do the same, while also helping companies showcase their brand.

She said office interior designers can explore how a space can provide an experience for employees that represents the company's mission and vision and enhances the feeling of belonging without being overly complicated. Employees should be able to move about the office without thinking twice about how to get where they need to go, and they should be able to take advantage of whatever work environment fits their needs.

“We are always thinking about how to develop multiple options or destinations within the office that drive employees there and make them feel like they belong,” Wille said. “Being in the office is not just about human interaction, but also how employees feel about and navigate the workplace.”

One way to evoke positive feelings is to ensure that design emphasizes the company’s branding, Wille said. While in the past, branding was mostly limited to a company’s logo and mission statement, now it is incorporated into facets of the building’s architecture. These facets are intended to evoke emotions, such as pride, and enhance the employee’s experience in the office so that the building becomes a destination. Lighting and artwork are additional layers added to the office design reinforcing the user’s experience.

“Having a branded environment uplifts the space and contributes to the image of the company,” she said. “Art should be planned and included in the overall design of the space. It should be representative of how the company wants to portray their space and be meaningful to employees.”

She said Corgan creates offices that enhance creativity, with spaces that can be shared with coworkers as well as those that are conducive for deep work or private meetings.

“The sound levels in the space are an important consideration, and if the client is very concerned about the noise level, we make sure to put distance between the quieter and noisier areas,” Wille said. “There are many ways to mitigate sound and provide employees with the correct sound level for the task they are performing.”

Wille said that architects typically design spaces to provide multiple options for employees, and Corgan designs spaces with the noise level in mind, adding the appropriate wall types, office fronts and acoustic materials to accommodate all working modes.

One Corgan office project, the headquarters for Keurig Dr Pepper in Frisco, Texas, strikes a balance between promoting the company's work and ensuring its employees have the space they need to collaborate effectively.

Branding elements include a circular glass sculpture designed to be reminiscent of soda bubbles as well as a 3D wall display in the lobby. The office also features remnants of the company’s products, such as incorporating recycled glass from Dr Pepper-owned brands like A&W and Snapple into its countertops.

Each floor has an end zone work lounge with diverse furniture that supports a variety of work styles, whether employees want to work independently or with small or large groups.

Corgan’s team collaborates with clients to lay out their vision for their building and workplace and creates images based on that discussion. While the scope may change over time, this vision serves as the backbone of the project.

Wille said that Corgan steers away from a “cookie-cutter” model and ensures that designs feel distinctive to each client’s brand and employees’ needs.

“The branded environment is the representation of each of the clients, and most of the time I’ve never seen one project that is similar to the next,” she said. “It’s exciting how architecture and a branded environment can be combined together to make the space, and therefore the experience.”

This article was produced in collaboration between Studio B and Corgan. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.