Under construction

The office is a probably one of the most purposeful spaces business leaders have the responsibility of curating.

The office has to enable our concentration, creativity and communication to varying degrees. In our industry, all of the above are vital as we’re in the business of selling our time (and the creative products of said time). So, it’s with the greatest pleasure that I can announce that after two long years of discussion and negotiations, work is now underway on our much-needed office expansion.

I’ve always felt that contrastingly to the amount of creative businesses in Dorset, something we are woefully lacking in is inspirational commercial spaces. Most agency bases are lacking soul to them which is why we committed the time and energy to secure our quirky dwellings for the future. Collectively we’re all comfortable passing up ceiling tiles and a grand entrance hall for exposed brick walls and a jaw-dropping view over the quay.

Having been bursting at the seams recently, our development into the top floor will give us dedicated space for break-outs, provide us with a much-needed board room, a fully-equipped staff kitchen and working photography studio. We all love food at Salad and it’s quite a distinctive part of our culture so we’re looking forward to having enough space to sit and eat together too.

While there are movement restrictions for some due to equipment, we also wanted to allow those with the ability and desire to move around, the freedom to do so. The hope is that everyone’s concentration will improve with more space to themselves. Distractions will always be the adversary of an open plan office but it’s nice to be together and we don’t want to sacrifice that.

Much like when making changes at home, it feels so invigorating to give your space a fresh feeling. As human beings we often find change quite hard and the office is no exception – whether you’re used to being near a radiator or you like a chair without armrests… you get the picture. For us, this shake-up is welcome and will give everyone the feeling they’re working in a shiny new agency in some ways. Whilst we are creatures of habit, I’m hopeful that a new look and more space will install a newly reformed sense of pride in the team.

But alongside these benefits, the expansion is actually so much more significant than space for me. I care deeply about this project because it stands for something bigger – our ambition. Having gone through some path-altering changes in the last few years, my leadership of Salad is fuelled by a desire for growth. This new space is a valuable symbol for me because it will reflect our mindset, our expectations and intentions for the future. It warms my heart to think about what we’ve achieved already and I’m excited for what’s going to come next.

NB: We’ll be inviting local friends and family to come and experience the views for themselves and have a nose around our new and improved space soon so please keep your eyes peeled for our opening drinks. It would be a great pleasure to celebrate the occasion with you too.