Fluid Ideas has completed the latest revamp of its studio, adding meeting pods and other new features to suit the changing needs of staff and clients in an era of blended working.
The five-figure upgrade means the full-service creative agency has invested £175,000 over the past three years to transform its headquarters in line with its rapid growth and the evolving working environment.
Fluid is based in a converted cotton mill at Darley Abbey Mills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the outskirts of Derby. The agency has seen staff numbers surge from seven to 50 since it moved there in 2010.
Three new meeting pods are the centrepiece of the refurbishment. The pods provide sheltered breakout spaces at Fluid’s open-plan studio and are used for meetings, individual quiet working time and video calls.
The upgrade has also involved the introduction of hot-desking to support a more agile and collaborative approach to projects. Improvements to the technological infrastructure have been carried out across the studio and meeting spaces.
In addition, Fluid continues to provide its team with free membership of a gym situated below the studio, along with weekly fitness classes and other health and wellbeing benefits under its Fluid Happiness programme.
The agency celebrated its 18th birthday in January and posted record annual revenues of £3.2m in the year to November, boosted by increased business from existing clients and a raft of new wins.
Joint managing director Ed Bowler said: “The pandemic has proved that the old ways aren’t the only ways of working.
“Our team has expanded both in size and geographically and, in many ways, the studio has become even more important in creating a central hub where people can connect and collaborate.
“We’ve proved that we can be successful working remotely, but we also believe the best work happens together.
“Being in the studio means colleagues can be energised by one another and feel part of something bigger – there’s a chemistry that you just can’t recreate on Teams or Zoom.
“However, this isn’t just about the practicalities of studio working. There’s an emotional side to it too. We want our team to feel proud when they walk through the door, and we want our clients to feel like they belong here just as much as we do.
“That approach seems to be resonating, as more and more of the brands we work with are choosing our studio for their own board meetings or creative sessions.
“It brings us closer together, and it means they benefit from fresh surroundings, which in turn can stimulate new ideas.”
Fluid Ideas is a full-service creative agency whose operations cover branding and campaigns, graphic and website design, computer-generated imagery, 3D animation and video, photography, copywriting, digital marketing, content management and social media – all in-house.
Its client base spans sectors including healthcare, retirement living, property, professional services, education, finance, leisure and hospitality.