S U M M E R F A L L 2 0 1 1 - ASID Georgia Chapter

Branding EnvironmentsAdding Value to the Bottom Lineby Nujhat Fatema Jahid-Alam, Allied Member ASIDand Geneva Evans, ASIDDesigning a branded environment isnot only about the brand colors andlogo but also about the quality thebrand embodies. It’s also about whatpeople think and feel abouta company and their services. Clientsapproach us to help them createinterior spaces that reflect theirbrands. Designers might be asked toeither create a brand or incorporatean existing branding into a space.Whether it is a hospitality or corporatedesign, a branded environment candifferentiate itself from its competitorsand have better customer recognition.The process can add perceived valueto end-users and investors. There areother benefits including employeeretention and satisfaction. It helpscreate a positive work environment andpotentially increase productivity.Branding environments also helps extend the experienceof an organization and the interior design industrycontinues to play a big role in the process. As morebusinesses, compete in the competitive economicCourtesy F.A. Hunter and AssociatesCourtesy F.A. Hunter and Associatesconditions, designers can play a critical role in increasingthe bottom line for commercial clients. What better wayto add value to clients’ businesses and to our profession!Another justification to how interior designers add value tothe bottom line and to the daily lives of the public at large.F.A. Hunter and Associates, an Atlanta design firmspecializing in hospitality design, collaborated to createthe brand as well as the interiors of an exclusive boutiquehotel in Vero Beach, Florida. Vero Beach Hotel and Spa,a boutique hotel, was not well known or an historic spacewhen Farley Hunter took on the project with anarchitectural team three years ago. For this project, abrand had not been created previously and no guidelinesabout how to brand were given to the design team. Sodesigning the hotel’s brand consisted of collaboratingwith the owner and a marketing team. The owner had alook and feel of the space in mind while the marketingteam brought experience and research needed to add tothe process to create a well-designed interior thatappealed to the needs of hotel guests. “Many of theinterior finishes and colors were submitted to thegraphics and marketing team to develop the logo for thehotel after the interiors were designed,” says Hunter.9