Started From the Bottom, Now We...Have a Slide? The Truth About the Modern Office Space
written by Rachel Lessing
When I first sat down to write this editorial for KAKE, I was going to write about the differences between office spaces and the rise of the open floor plan. After doing some research online, I found that over 70 percent of today’s offices have an open floor plan. I did some more digging, and found repetitive lists like “10 Cool Office Spaces” and “World’s Best Office Spaces.” I then came across this ridiculous photo of an employee slipping down a slide in an office. What company would ever install a slide in their workplace? Well, you can Google the answer to that.
A slide in a Google workspace. Google also has fireman poles to slide down, nap spaces, massage chairs....etc.
Yes, in recent years Google has become known for their crazy, playful, and expensive office spaces. There is nothing wrong with this. While the idea of this space is nice, it does not set Google apart from any other established and modern digital companies. In fact, I found Microsoft on the same “cool office space” list, and Facebook, and most companies that Google might deem as competitors. Clearly, the fun space is not as unique to Google as we once thought.
Kake co-founder Na’el Shehade commented on the fact that Google started in a garage. I found that much more impressive than any sort of jungle-gym located in Google’s new office space. SERIOUSLY. A billion dollar company was founded in a garage? If a company so powerful could be developed in a tiny garage space, then why does it matter how fancy and fun their offices are? Without using Google, I quickly figured out the answer: it doesn’t matter at all.
Pictured above, the tiny garage where Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin developed Google during the winter of 1998.
Na’el, an entrepreneur and music producer, didn’t have much interest in discussing an open floor plan versus a tiny office space. He simply stated, “You could be in f*ck!ng dumpster but if your idea is good then it will work. The focus should be on the work and not the space. Everything is possible, but everyone focuses on how cool a space looks. you should be worrying about what is going on in there.”
Artist Jean Deaux and KAKE co-founder Kellen Winters, working at the studio.
KAKE is a visual marketing company. We worry about how things look, because it’s important to us to make everything we produce for our clients to look amazing. I personally love the KAKE office- it’s a huge loft space with cozy furniture, tons of art, interesting books- and let’s not forget the amazing recording studio tucked away in the corner. But as cool as it looks, after talking to Kellen and Na’el, I realized everything in the space was there for a reason- and that’s the way it should be.
The KAKE/F17 office space.
The cozy furniture serves as a place to relax after long hours, and sometimes overnight hours of work. The art and decor is mostly representative of past work that has been done in the studio, like frames filled with Chance the Rapper's early achievements with the studio and Na’el’s credit on Kanye West plaques. The space is for comfort, and is a reflection of everything that has been accomplished. And that's what makes it feel like no other place in the world. Kake co-founder Kellen Winters explains, “I think that when people come in here, this is a space that is very conducive to creativity. There’s always something going on, there are always multiple projects happening at once...but once you see someone accomplishing and creating great things, it inspires the same.”
Na'el making magic in his studio, located in the same studio space where KAKE was born.