On Reframing Workplace
There has been much debate and many predictions on the future of office. It’s a daily voice and constant stress––for our Clients, fellow entrepreneurs and companies at-large. A topic that traverses industries and yet, there is no industry-specific solution. Nope, this topic ––the connection of a company’s brand (reputation) and place (culture)––is a profoundly personal one, both living and non-formulaic.
Spoiler alert: we’re not here to give our predictions on the future of work; we’re far too focused on the present and defining our future together, inclusive of a team who collaborates effectively regardless of studio or elsewhere setting, a team who gives and asks for grace daily, a team who candidly would rank across the spectrum on the question: ‘ideal number of days per week in-studio’ (it’s true and that’s 100% okay). Rather, we focus on reframing our lens on what workplace means to our company.
Join us for this special edition of #nimbleonrecord where we voice the importance of reframing workplace and reveal our big studio plans for 2023👀.
A Q&A with Nimble. Founder and Creative Director, Candice Riley Campbell.
Q: Define workplace for the Nimble. team.
Workplace ––let’s redefine this as our ‘together place’–– for the Nimble. team in current times must offer:
High-speed Wi-Fi without interruption (hello? designers ;))
Comfortable places to spread out/break away to focus, away from distraction and with user-controls (ie. lights on or off, blinds open or closed, white noise on or n/a)
Stimulating places to come together, places that offer flexibility and convenience for collaboration in the moment
Routine spaces to ground –– aka, a dedicated desk to feel at home when away from home
Outlets (literally too, but…) to step away completely and venture elsewhere (walkable access to reset stimuli –– coffee, park, neighborhood, outside noise, everyone has a different reset)
An ‘elsewhere’ shared space to be proud of
This living definition of workplace for the Nimble. team has been further clarified post-pandemic, but it certainly hasn’t been overhauled. A proud hybrid-work company since our origin, one who places great emphasis on family-first (read: expected disruptions) and travels often (for projects, for reset), it’s been in our DNA to ‘be on’ from wherever we’re on[line]. In early seasons of growth, this resembled full-time in-studio, to train our team and support the daily learning of rising talent. In pandemic times, this transitioned to full-time remote, with accountable check-ins and daily routines to make connecting natural and key. For the past two years, we’ve adopted a Distributed Work model. On paper, this looks like 3 connected days per week together in-studio with the other two days elsewhere (any preferred place where there’s secure, high-speed wifi and little background noise). For new hires, there is a required 6-8 weeks of full-time in-studio for proper training and acclimation before hybrid-norms begin. Is it 3 days per week together in-studio every week? Not always. Life, travel and elsewhere projects create disruption to this routine, but it’s one that we’ve committed to each other to ensure impromptu and imperfect make space in busy growth seasons. It is this open grace for adaptability that has kept us moving forward.
Q: How have Nimble.’s physical workplace needs evolved?
Nearly six years ago, we moved into our first turn-key, self-designed studio. At 1,651 SF it has been ample space to grow from the mighty team of 4 that moved in in 2017 to the evolving team of 8-10 that has inhabited it over the past few years. We designed our current studio especially for collaboration––IDEAPaint and abundant glass make it productive for active thought capture and mindmapping sessions, an open floor plan centered around a large island for starting and ending the day with brews (of both kinds), and closed offices that have transitioned from overflow rooms to solo spaces for virtual connects.
Planning for our next phase of growth, we’ve determined our current studio is limiting in delivering on our living definition of ‘together place’, not because the design does not fit (it’s perfectly designed for <10 teams who desire alternative, attainable creative space in an accessible-by-car-to-freeway location), rather because as designers who respond to problems creatively, it was our opportunity to solve for our forever space –– one especially fit for a hybrid team.
Side note: our current studio is actively on the market, +view the listing here.
So, in early 2022 we ventured out to find our next space guided by the received, independent insights of our team on the below two anonymous prompts––
1) What factors are most important to you in our next workspace environment (rank in order and please give context):
Walkability/access to outdoor space
Surrounding amenities/places to dine/explore
Flexible interior space –– specify/expand in a comment
Other –– specify/expand in a comment
2) An ideal ‘together place’ for me includes the following _________ (fill-in-the-blank).
–––
Feedback collected was not shared publicly and not influenced by group dynamics. It was important to hear unique perspectives and only then to determine the common thread.
Snapshots of Nimble.’s Current Studio Space in Sandy Springs
+View the Listing
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Q: How did you use employee feedback to guide your ‘together place’ search?
What we learned from our team was that flexibility required a wider lens than physical location. Flexibility meant the opportunity to independently choose environmental conditions. Some of the data responses shared captured simplicities such as, “a couch to work from” (aka casual seating resembling the comforts of home) and, “ability to dim or turn-off lights without impacting team” (aka user-controls). Others gave us new insight on location. While historically, we assumed Central Perimeter to be our fair mid-point, with employees spanning far North of ATL and South below the city line, what we heard is walkability––the ability to step outside and walk to coffee, lunch or happy hour––and outdoor space (the ability to plug-in without Wi-Fi disruption) play a repeat theme.
___
So, we honed our lens and ranked our search criteria as follows:
Flexibility in daily routine –– ability to spread out, come together and control your independent space with an emphasis on comfortability (not office space norms).
Access to safe, walkable spaces and outdoor outlets –– walkability is great, but with a young, dominantly-female crew, safety leads.
A sprinkle of unexpected –– TBD, but our next space needed a moment of ‘wow’. That intangible ‘it’ to inspire return and fuel creativity.
Q: Tell us about the search.
We started our search in the location we felt most comfortable; long-time Nimble. clients and friends will automatically guess this… yep, Roswell, Georgia. Almost eight years ago, Nimble. began in a co-working studio on Oak Street and we built our community there. Over the years, we’ve done meaningful work with many Roswell clients, shout out to Variant Brewing Co. (and who could forget Roswell Restaurant Week). We love Roswell for its tight-knit community and walkable downtown. There’s a comfortability to the area that just feels good. Plus, it’s only a few miles North of our current studio.
We explored a few options there over many months, from leasing ready-to-design space to buying and completely renovating, but something just wasn’t clicking. It was time to expand our search elsewhere.
On a Sunday at the studio (a weekly ritual with my oldest son, Lan), I happened upon a listing that felt too good to be real. I immediately inquired 🏃♀️(and then told my brokers I did so💨). The location was new, yet so perfect in the most unexpected way. Steps to coffee, neighborhoods, a food hall, a downtown square, breweries, entertainment. Close to the highway. The most dreamy front porch. Double the square footage to host, work, and grow. Could it even be possible for Nimble.? It felt like a tremendous leap.
After months of process––or let’s be real, having gone through it, let’s redefine it as a journey––negotiating PSA terms, working through SBA loan approval (x2), more paperwork, more negotiating, I am incredibly proud to share Nimble. has located our next ‘together place’, a charming circa 1908 residence-converted-to-office off Marietta Square 📍.
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Allow me to introduce, Buro off the Square.
Watercolor Illustration by Junior Brand Designer, Abbey Kostyal
Q: So, wait. Nimble. BOUGHT a building?
I know, that realization (probably with a few extra, ‘!?!’) is one I still reflect and shock on daily since our closing in July. But yes, we did. It was the most sincere investment in our team, in our Clients, in our mission (bridging the gap between brand and place to deliver spaces and experiences that feel hand-selected down to every last detail) I could fathom and it still feels unreal. It was a leap but one mostly of faith. Faith to believe in the future of our mission over fear of advancement. This is a challenge for business leaders, myself especially.
Through the hurdles of the pandemic, we cut smartly, saved everything and survived. It’s been a tough rebound and a slow grind as our team has expanded, contracted, and continually fights to reestablish flow in an ever-changing, hyper-paced world. I’m confident this sentiment is real and felt amongst this reader-base, regardless of role or industry. The energy in the virtual air is harsh, project timelines inevitably disrupted by lack of controls and endless variables to constantly manage. It’s felt like a daily game of just keep up. You’ve felt it too?
It’s fair for you to ponder, “So, wait. Nimble. really bought a building?”. We did. In large part because I needed a physical, daily reminder of belief that better days are ahead. They are. Reframe your outlook and keep your pace forward. It is never too late to bet on yourself, your team and a vibrant future (inclusive of a ‘together place’ to call your workplace ‘home’ [away from home]). Leaders reading this, know your team. Unite your team. Reframe your collective definition of what a ‘together place’ can deliver to your mission, output and bottom line.
Q: When do you move?
We will officially move in December, but are making appearances weekly to transform this beautiful building into our own. As a company who specializes in Branding for the Built Environment®, it’s only fitting that we have a little fun connecting our brand and place. Stay tuned for a future On Record capturing an extended reveal.
But for now, here’s a small teaser––
Q: Can we visit?
We’d love for you to visit in 2023. Follow on social @nimbledesignco for information regarding future open houses or design events. It’s our hope to open our studio to select organizations and industry partners requiring studio space for photography or videography shoots. 👉Send us your info. below if this is you and we’ll circle back with more information.