Great minds don’t just focus on one thing at a time, whether that’s products, people, spaces or time. Working with Ted (Teddy) Leonard, the CEO of Photobucket, we found one of these minds that innately understood that a workspace is more than just somewhere that teams sit and get things done all day. Teddy rides mountain bikes with us and from the saddle of our bikes is where some of the best time designing his new space took place – because the design of a truly valuable space demands an intimate understanding of the brand that their workspace serves. It’s imperative to understand the company Core Values, their Mission and their growth Goals, and it’s even more important to understand who they are, as individuals and as a team. How do they like to work together? What percentage of their time is occupied with collaborative work vs head down getting shit done? How and when through the day are they looking for social time? What kinds of activities do they spend their time on outside the office?
While riding together we were able to dive deep on the nature of the work Photobucket does, their goals, the personality of their brand, marketing initiatives, cost structure of their product and how each of these things should influence the design of their environment. The bike seat seems to inspire our ideas so much more than a conference room seat – and the cold beer and high fives really bookend our experience.
One of the key pieces we made for Teddy was our new Pods. Pods are modular workstations that can be added to and arranged so a space can meet the current needs of a team while being flexible enough to allow for growth.
Pods can be used individually – providing a wide-open work surface, individual privacy screens and a storage cart – or in clusters. Each pod has been designed to work in grids of varying configurations so they can be set up in countless arrangements. Made from recycled steel, paper-composite Richlite and FSC Certified, CARB compliant hardwood veneer plywood with No Added Urea Formaldehyde, these designs are sustainable and beautiful. Here’s how they looked in Teddy’s new space.