How can you infuse a
company’s heart into its
headquarters?
Create spaces that truly
reflect the people who
innovate there.

THE OPPORTUNITY

IBM is a company that has thoroughly contributed to our modern age. From developing hard drives to welcoming Watson, they’ve been pushing the envelope for decades. When IBM recognized that collaboration amongst their software brands was key to their evolution, they consolidated their six Massachusetts divisions. The result? A new workplace for 3,400 employees and more square footage than Fenway Park. So, our team had the challenge of helping 3,400 people love their new space and engage with their new officemates.

THE SOLUTION

Recognizing the need to break the large spaces up into smaller spaces, the interior design team created “neighborhoods” and within those, several areas designated for graphics to give each neighborhood a personality. To make those graphics reflect not only IBM, but the people who work there, we created a solution that spoke to both. To reinforce IBM’s global influence, we started by identifying all the cities around the world where IBM has a prominent presence. Next, we curated a selection of panoramic photos that captured the spirit of each place. Those panoramic photos were then recreated as mosaics, each one comprised of thousands of smaller snapshots. The best part? Many of the snapshots were contributed by IBM employees. The personal nature of the photos reinforced to staffers that they are the most valuable part of the company. The mosaic technique speaks to the idea that collectively, each person and each software group, is part of a larger whole.  The result is an engaging graphic system that stands up to constant revisiting. It’s one striking image from far away, and thousands of personal images up close.