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“Journey Associates quickly got to grips with the issues facing the organisation and effectively engaged staff on some quite tricky and emotive subjects. They did a great job of drawing together all of the things we have thought about but have never clearly articulated. The design brief provided a clear, succinct,
Martin Herbert, Customer Services Director
independent view of requirements and allowed us to move seamlessly into the design concept stage.”
The student loans company is a non departmental public body of the government, providing financial services including grants and loans to university students. The organisation required a strategic design brief to inform the refurbishment of their headquarters, accommodating staff located over seven
storeys.
The Journey team worked closely with to identify their needs and to engage key stakeholders within the organisation. In line with new facility in Darlington, the key objectives were to better reflect company values and improve working practices and innovation by changing how the workspace was used. Interviews were undertaken with the executive team to understand their aspirations, and a workshop was held with a range of senior staff members across the key business functions, to gain in-depth information of operational issues and requirements. The primary research was augmented by an extensive review of
internal information, including staff surveys and departmental adjacencies.
The strategic brief provided a clear way forward for the refurbishment. It identified where improved design of the workspace, reception and customer areas would ensure more effective implementation of company values. The possible co-location of certain teams was suggested and design elements
identified that would reduce fragmentation, improve communication, staff morale and knowledge flow; and which would increase efficiency in the business process. The brief was implemented by workplace specialists, 3 FOLD.