We’ve talked at length in some of our previous posts about establishing an identity through logo design and usage, selecting a color palette, typography, and graphic standards, and then using these elements in our collateral pieces. There are a number of nuanced and critical determinations that have been made along the way to ensure our brand is displayed consistently and with intentionality, reflecting the core values of our business. Another significant, but often overlooked, component of curating and embracing a holistic identity is finding and utilizing space that similarly reflects one’s core vision and values. In a subsequent post we will discuss how finding the right space for your event will help you establish a connection with your audience, increase credibility, and enhance your message. In this installment, we’ll focus on selecting a fitting office space.

There are two major considerations which need to be determined before honing in on individual spaces. The first, of course, is budget. The second is location. Does the building have access to public transportation, making commutes as easy and short as possible for your employees? Is there a great greasy spoon diner nearby for breakfast meetings? Once those are established, the search is on!
We decided that a co-working space would be the most economical for starting out and easiest to budget around. The building also needed to be within short walking distance of the “L” line that runs from our neighborhood to downtown. The relative costs and benefits of one co-working company to another are comparable, and so finding our office for two wasn’t going to be swayed greatly by the economics of the place, and with choosing to set up shop in Chicago there were at least a dozen buildings which fit our transportation criteria. Since the individual office space afforded is quite limited no matter which company we might choose to go with (enough for two desks, a little wall space, and a chair or two for visitors), we knew we could focus almost solely on what each building communicated to us, and, subsequently, what that building would communicate about us and our brand to clients and partners. So, on a very cold and rainy spring morning, we trudged around the city looking for a place for Medley to call home.

We saw sleek and modern spaces that maintained a really nice sheen; some that we could only classify as totally functional with no distinguishing form at all; and a few that were marketed as “vintage” (and anyone who has ever rented an apartment in Chicago knows exactly what kind of place they are getting when the real estate listing cites “vintage” as a primary descriptor); some that had well over 100 offices on multiple floors with lots of activity; and at least one that left us wondering if anyone actually worked there at all…

Taking all of the options available to us under consideration, one building stood out as exactly the type of space that aligned with the visual identity we had been working so hard to craft.

As we touched on in an earlier post about our launch party, the common area for all members to use is a seamless blend of modern and industrial, mixing the history of the building with a number of current design elements: bright orange accents, reclaimed wood tables with iron legs, open shelving on a subway tile backsplash. The rest of the space consists of high, exposed ceilings reflecting the original usage of the building which was to house an elevator company’s headquarters during the first half of the 20th century. The hardwood floors are original to the building, reflecting a century of foot traffic with a few restorative treatments along the way.

Like our name suggests, we are committed to building something new out of existing materials, and that is exactly the feeling we got when we walked into the old Otis Elevator Building at 600 W. Jackson Blvd in the west loop. More importantly, that is the feeling that we want our clients and partners to experience when they visit our office - that we are equal parts dependable and creative; offering something unique that is built on solid experience.

Now that we have a space we are proud of, it’s time to get to work!

The Space | Installment #1: Finding an Office to Reflect Your Identity

Medley