After a week of very little productivity, I'm back here writing the newsletter, it feels a little like groundhog day so can I ask a favour? If you like what I have been doing the last six weeks could you let me know by clicking the poll at the bottom?

I enjoy writing and the research aspect of the newsletter, but if no one finds it valuable, I will probably drop the frequency as it takes a full day to write, and I'm on the lookout all week, for great subjects to cover. So your feedback will be welcome. 🙏

This week's theme is all about Tiny-House ethos, or as I like to put it "maximising space to build your happy place". As many of us worked from home in 2020, we got used to working anywhere we could away from the cats, kids or couch. Space at home was often not abundant, so I thought we would spend some time on how to minimise the footprint within commercial spaces.

Tiny-home design themes and solutions can be a great idea for commercial spaces as it provides a compact and efficient layout that maximizes functionality in a small footprint. When designing commercial spaces such as retail stores, offices, and cafes, it's important to consider the needs of the customers and employees while also maximizing the use of the available space. Tiny home design principles can help achieve both of these goals.

One way to use tiny home design in commercial spaces is to create multi-functional areas. For example, a cafe might have a counter that doubles as a workspace for employees during slow periods. Similarly, a retail store could use modular shelving units that can be reconfigured to create different display areas as needed. By designing spaces that serve multiple purposes, businesses can make the most of their limited square footage and create a more flexible environment that can adapt to changing needs over time.

Another advantage of tiny home design in commercial spaces is that it can create a cozy and inviting atmosphere. By using warm lighting, natural materials, and clever storage solutions, businesses can create a welcoming space that encourages customers to linger and explore. This can be especially effective for cafes and other hospitality businesses, where creating a comfortable and inviting atmosphere is key to attracting and retaining customers. By using tiny home design principles to create a warm and welcoming environment, businesses can enhance the customer experience and build brand loyalty over time.

I recently visited the Workspace Design show in London and there were Pods or Booths everywhere. Now Pods are nothing new, but with the theme being 'small spaces' this week I thought we'd take a look at some cool 'little offices'.

Yo-Yo Pod

The Pod that took my attention the most at the show was not because it was a genius idea, but the way the stand operators used the pods was intriguing enough for me to go chat with them. I was watching from an elevation as the team moved the pods around every few minutes into different configurations. It was actually a genius idea to use them in that way IMHO.

The Yo-Yo Pod is a wheeled/portable unit that also has an onboard battery that can charge your laptop and phone, it can be combined with other Yo-Yo Pods to make a larger meeting space or used as a single unit. Some of the units come open-sided, but there is a half-height and full-wall version. Prices start from £4999

The pods are covered in colourful fabric, their website features eleven colour options, as well as numerous other customising features such as lights, sockets and the battery previously mentioned.

Nook Pod

The next pods I saw were the Nook Pod. Their pods are cleaner but harder aesthetically than the Yo-Yo pod, but I spotted that they can be branded and that leads to other possibilities beyond the office floor. They can be used in places like airports, shopping malls and exhibition halls.

Also, I liked the fact that they had a single-occupant office, in terms of tiny-home design philosophy it does get much smaller.

Max Furniture

Another booth or pod was from Max Furniture, they focused on the acoustic qualities of their booths, in fact calling themselves "The UK's leading acoustic booth specialists". Acoustic performance was also a theme that many other product makers at the show focused on.

I particularly liked the phone-booth sized offices which I found on their website, yet again minimising the footprint of the office, and as it is a standing office it could also have health benefits as it is thought standing desks could reduce the risks of heart disease and obesity. Along with a good helping of 'improving productivity'. It is available with a stool though if you cannot stand for hours.

Taiga Concept

And last but no means least was the rather beautiful Taiga Concept, again another booth boasting about acoustic performance. They say that "Lohko Box series features compact soundproof space solutions for private work and meetings. From the essential office phone booth up to a 6-person meeting space, Lohko Box is your go-to compact and cost-efficient workspace solution."

I took this rather scrappy photo of the Lohko Box with this fantastic back wall, which I can only imagine is print on a lightbox. Taiga have a great configurator (if a little slow), so you can play until you are happy.

Just as small living spaces are common in Japan and South Korea, small commercial spaces are also prevalent in these countries. In densely populated urban areas, commercial rent is often high, which makes it challenging for businesses to afford large spaces. As a result, many businesses in Japan and South Korea have adapted to operate in small, compact spaces that make the most of the available square footage.

In Japan, small retail stores known as "shotengai" are a common sight in urban neighborhoods. These stores are typically family-owned businesses that specialize in a specific type of product, such as fresh produce or household goods. They are often located in pedestrian-only shopping streets and are designed to be compact and efficient. Customers are expected to browse and make purchases quickly, as space is limited and there are often other shoppers waiting to enter the store.

Similarly, South Korea is known for its "jjimjilbang" culture, which refers to small, public bathhouses that are popular throughout the country. These bathhouses are designed to be compact, with different sections for bathing, relaxation, and sleeping. They are often open 24 hours a day and are frequented by people of all ages who are looking for a relaxing escape from the busy city.

Despite their small size, both shotengai and jjimjilbang offer unique experiences that cannot be found in larger, more generic commercial spaces. By maximizing the use of their limited square footage, these businesses have been able to thrive in densely populated urban areas and offer customers a unique, authentic experience.

My old college friend from Soeul has two bars/restaurants one is near Itaewon and 2nd one is Euljiro, both are compact in design but are always popular and busy.

Last week there was an opening day on a project we had been involved in, so we thought we would share with you some images of the space.

Do do not often get projects on our door-step to work on, so it was nice to jump in the van for a 3min drive to this shared office space the local authority is opening up to new tenants. We helped to brand the front entrance and lobby areas of the building and created a show-office with another local company Direct Imaging who supplied all the furniture.

This is our little recommendation section.We thought we'd do a little shout-out each newsletter to those businesses that help us in some way or we'll give our friend's businesses a space to promote themselves.

We work with all sorts of designers, creatives, trades and suppliers and this has to be one of our favourite, and most unique suppliers we know.

Sparrow Digital build high-quality websites. Taking the time to learn about your business and its core values, the team at Sparrow Digital move your website and digital parts to the next level. With successful results spanning a multitude of sectors, we've managed to mix high-end performance websites into an easy to understand, casual approach.

Visit Sparrow Digital for more information about websites and book a call.

EVENTSWhat's going on in the world of design, architecture and branding?

London Design Week - 13th - 17th March 2023 - Design Centre, Lots Road

Spring’s interiors design event will be brimming with creative ideas, expertise and inspiration. Over five days, this fusion of new launches and design encounters is a must on the design calendar.

WOW!house - 5th June - 6th July 2023 Macdonald Inchyra Hotel

WOW!house is a unique opportunity to view the work of world-class designers at first hand – work that is not always shown to the public.

Whilst we focus on commercial interiors at Wall Glamour inspiration comes from all over so the world of design.

Save the date - Clerkenwell Design Week - 23-25 May 2023Clerkenwell is home to more creative businesses and architects per square mile than anywhere else on the planet, making it truly one of the most important design hubs in the world.https://www.clerkenwelldesignweek.com/

This week...we ask...

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That's it for now folks, I hope this was interesting. Send us any items you'd like to see.We wish you all the best for the rest of 2023. Don't forget to #brandeverywhere