When you look at how most commercial design practices market themselves, it's all glossy images and pristine spaces. Too often, they overlook the most important element: people. The people who use their spaces every day. The real judges of its success.

To prove Stride Treglown's mantra of designing "spaces and places people love to use", we launched a magazine all about the users, not the building. 

Stumbling upon the magic

Through candid interviews and photos of day-to-day life, the idea was to shine a light on the importance of design practicality.

It would also help make architecture more accessible for non-industry folks. Particularly, clients were looking for designers who cared about their functional needs, as well as the building's aesthetics.

A very informal post-occupancy evaluation 

What started as a simple marketing idea soon became an important feedback loop for the practice.

People would openly share what they liked about the building, and what they thought could be better. No formal questionnaires or clunky surveys, just normal conversations to inform future design decisions.

Six years on and still going strong

Since helping plan and write the first edition, Filwood Green Business Park, Strides’ marketing has taken the reins and run with it, covering a huge range of building types—and publishing some wonderful stories.

This project was completed while part of Stride Treglown's in-house marketing team.