Swanline Print is encouraging customers to share ideas in their new Design Lab. Located at the company’s Stone, Staffordshire site, the space enables customers to sit down with designers face to face to inspire creativity and discuss new projects, fulfilling their new product needs as effectively as possible. The undertaking comes in response to increasing industry expectations for fast turnarounds on projects and enhances Swanline’s service offering.
The company’s emphasis on maintaining customer confidentiality has previously limited opportunities for onsite customer collaboration, so the creation of a separate space where ideas can be explored in private opens the door to more productive engagement. Alex Smith, Constructional Designer and project lead, said, “We found that the traditional approach of liaising with customers over the phone or via email on projects was limiting turnaround times. The best products are a result of customers and design teams working collaboratively together, so we wanted to provide a functional space where concepts can be discussed in person and where we can respond to feedback straight away. This process will allow us to mock up samples on the spot and establish almost instantly whether something will work and whether the client likes our ideas, streamlining the design journey and involving them more in the developments.”
The new Design Lab maintains a creative rather than corporate environment, with meeting tables doubling up as Ping-Pong tables and a 3D media wall providing an inspirational showcase of past projects. Swanline also manufactured many of the materials used to furnish the space, showcasing the company’s constructional design skills.
