TZL 1395

BUSINESS NEWS WARE MALCOMB ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF LAUNCHDARKLY HEADQUARTERS IN UPTOWN OAKLAND Ware Malcomb , an award- winning international design firm, announced construction is complete on LaunchDarkly’s headquarters in uptown Oakland, California. Ware Malcomb provided interior architecture and design and branding services for the project. LaunchDarkly, a software company that produces the leading feature management platform, is located in the popular uptown neighborhood of downtown Oakland at the Lake Merritt Plaza. The highly sought-after plaza offers spectacular views of Lake Merritt, as well as quick access to the Oakland airport and the BART station. The 30,000 square foot remodel offers office upgrades across two floors. The design highlights the value of community within LaunchDarkly, paralleling the culture of Oakland. Strategically placed open-concept areas throughout the office promote employee

engagement. The expansive break room features a full kitchen with modern appliances and decor, with light colored wood, delicate accents, clean lines and exposed ceilings. The people-centric design encourages employees to congregate and foster a community culture within the break space. Other design features accommodate further company growth and alternative ways of working. The office has many flexible spaces that allow for independent work, small huddles or large collaborative meetings. Ware Malcomb integrated LaunchDarkly’s brand colors of navy blues and grays with light wood and greenery throughout the space. The branding team also developed space-themed graphics to align with LaunchDarkly’s company image. “Our focus was to bring the LaunchDarkly brand to life while weaving in the authenticity of Oakland culture,” said Rhea Butler, Director, Interior Architecture & Design of Ware Malcomb’s San Francisco office. “It

was exciting to contribute to the growth of LaunchDarkly.” The general contractor for the project was WCI-General Contractors. Established in 1972, Ware Malcomb is a contemporary and expanding full service design firm providing professional architecture, planning, interior design, civil engineering, branding and building measurement services to corporate, commercial/residential developer and public/institutional clients throughout the world. With office locations throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, the firm specializes in the design of commercial office, corporate, industrial, science & technology, healthcare, retail, auto, public/ institutional facilities and renovation projects. Ware Malcomb is recognized as an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private company and a Hot Firm by Zweig Group. The firm is also ranked among the top 15 architecture/engineering firms in Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 Design Firms.

JANE LAWLER SMITH, from page 9

consumer studies centered around the power of free. And an equal number on how to sell. For your firm, think about these questions: When is free not worth the price? And when you are selling, are your clients/prospects enjoying the process? There is a store that I frequent that is not part of this regional mall. And quite frankly, they do not aspire to be there. They are a department store chain that is actually opening new stores rather than closing locations like so many others. They are competing with big box stores and they are succeeding, on their own terms. Their corporate culture is of paramount importance and drives decisions. “When Boscov’s opens a store, it sends a group of salespeople, department managers, and buyers to the new store several weeks before it opens,” Jon Harris wrote in his article “As Department Stores Close, How is Boscov’s Bucking the Trend?” “They stay on several weeks after, working alongside the roughly 300 new hires. ‘The idea there is, “You don’t teach the culture of a company from a handbook,” Jim Boscov said. You work side by side, and you show what a Boscov’s is.’ That’s another reason for the company’s slow and stable growth: He said it’s not fair to ask co-workers to be away from home more than once a year.” For your firm, think about whether or not you have created a truly unique culture. How are you telling and living that story? When marketing within the AEC industry, technical knowledge is important. However sometimes, it is equally important to take a step back, look around our world, and see what lessons can be learned from places outside the AEC realm. JANE LAWLER SMITH, MBA, is the marketing manager at Derck & Edson, LLC. She can be reached at jsmith@derckandedson.com.

his mail cart full, the mail carrier stepped up to our group and asked, “Where do you want to go?” One by one, we revealed our desired destinations and were sent confidently on our way. For your firm, think about when technology fails. Who in your organization holds the knowledge to carry on and direct others? “Lessons in marketing can be learned pretty much everywhere, as we are living in a consumer-driven society and, as we’ve discussed before, the ultimate client is a human being.” Now striding along the mall corridor toward our destination, we were approached several times and offered “free” samples. Over the course of the entire day, no one in our group accepted any samples and we did not see a successful exchange with any other shoppers. Curious. We arrived at one of our select stores, LUSH. After browsing a bit, we were approached by a smiling sales associate who asked if we would like to see their newest product. First, she smoothed it on her hands and let us smell it. Then she requested and received permission to do the same to us. Afterwards, we washed our hands and tried out some more items. All the while, the associate was engaged with us, listened to us, suggested more and different items to us. She never said “free,” although all the sampling was exactly that. And yes, when we finally left the store, it was with purchases in our (freshly clean, massaged, and fragrant) hands. There are many fascinating behavioral science and

THE ZWEIG LETTER JUNE 7, 2021, ISSUE 1395

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