Continuing our Highsnobiety Visits series, we dropped by Protein's office in London and caught up with founder and CEO, William Rowe, to learn more about the agency's work environment.
Protein is a multidisciplinary media network that offers key insight and creative production into the world's leading brands, including many often featured on Highsnobiety. The agency is perhaps best known for tracking and defining trends on a global scale, and keeping brands up to speed with the latest attitudes within contemporary culture. By way of example, Protein provides insight and information for international organizations such as, Nike, Samsung and Range Rover, Red Bull and Burberry.
The London studio and headquarters is situated in the heart of Shoreditch and includes a gallery space for shows, and a new vibrant café serving up hearty sandwiches and hot coffee. Upstairs at Protein you'll find a bright, open-plan office, low-key meeting area and Will’s own personal studio. While touring the grounds, we asked Will a few questions about his workspace and how he finds inspiration in his surroundings.
Check out our interview below and to keep up to speed with Protein, pick up a copy of their magazine, Protein Journal.
What's your favorite aspect of your work space as a whole?
I love the fact that our ground floor is open to the public, as it means hundreds of different people every week find out about Protein by grabbing a coffee, buying a journal or coming to our forums, publisher talks, show openings or annual charity block parties.
Tell us about your favorite piece of furniture or equipment in your space.
There are a few (our fully-spec'd Sonos setup or our three-bottle Jägermeister machine), but if I had to choose one, it would be the Chromo color clock that I designed. It tells time by color, so it slowly changes throughout the day. I really like the "slow tech" aspect of it as it's orange when you get in in the morning, red at lunchtime, pink for your afternoon coffee and purple when it's time to go home.
Is there anything specific you do to keep your workspace inspiring?
Always move things around. That applies to items of furniture and plants as well as people.
What role does location play with regards to your workspace?
It's important, as most of my staff live East and where we are in Shoreditch, it's easy for people to come to our events or drop by for a coffee.
How do your tastes differ in terms of aesthetics between your work space and living space?
It's pretty similar. Open plan, good kitchen, nice artwork and not too minimal.
If you could add something new or change one thing about your space what would you do?
Add two more floors (one for more desks and one for an apartment) and then move it to New York!
Lydia Garnett for Highsnobiety.com
