Warwick SU HQ

The SUHQ was unconsidered and underused – it looked like a drab office, so students were often oblivious to the services on offer. Our brief was to turn it into an attractive, engaging space for students and to signpost the various services and functions inside.

By making some simple, informed design decisions, we were able to turn the SUHQ into a truly hybrid space – one that’s fresh, practical and inviting. Increasingly, students are engaging with the space and using it to access SU services.

Improved layout: We looked in depth at the layout of the SUHQ – how students interacted with the space and way people flowed through the area. Inspired by our experience of designing for retailers, we created new touchpoints – a Welcome Area and reception – and added clear signage, pointing students through to the different SU services.

Room to relax: The space needed to be more than functional. By adding furniture and mood lighting, we created break-out spaces where students felt comfortable relaxing and studying. Along with improving the acoustics, this made the SUHQ feel more welcoming and encouraged people to come inside.

Connecting through branding: One of our skills as designers is to be able to bring an organisation’s brand to life in three dimensions. You can see this in action in the SU. We’ve created bespoke graphics that communicate the university brand and signal to students that they’re in a public space, not a private office – that they’re meant to be here..