Thames Valley Park, Reading is home to some of the world’s highest profile companies, including IT giant, Microsoft’s UK headquarters campus.
In the summer of 2016, Signbox was appointed to undertake a full signage audit across this 200 acre business park. Engaged initially by commercial property consultants CBRE, Signbox was tasked with redesigning more than two hundred signs with a brand refresh issued by Microsoft’s corporate communication team in the USA.
The brief included external high-level signage, numerous wayfinding totems, internal reception branding, and an LED illuminated 8 x 2 metre monument sign. All had to meet intelligent detailing that demanded vibrancy with functionality, and precise on-brand consistency. To keep disruption on this busy campus to an absolute minimum, all work was carried out over evenings and weekends over a three month period.
“Working for a global brand as well-known and widely respected as Microsoft, we had to ensure a high level of attention to detail prior to manufacture, accurately reflecting the company’s brand identity,” says Signbox Director Matthew Wilkins. “In order to achieve this, we worked closely with Microsoft’s global HQ, alongside business consultants CBRE. This was a substantial project and given the global prominence of the brand, as well the relative significance of this particular Microsoft location – it was vital that we got it right.”
Says Clodagh Cashman (CBRE): “We have worked with Signbox before, and have found them to be an excellent and reliable partner. We knew we could depend on them to manage this whole project from start to finish, with no inconvenience to us, or to Microsoft. Their professionalism and their attention to detail gave us this confidence, and it proved to be well-founded as they ultimately delivered a finished product that met all of the client’s expectations.”
