FACILITIES MANAGEMENT JOURNAL JOBS
FM CAREERS - CAREER LADDER
FM is known to be a career that people fall into from
other sectors. In this regular column, FMJ chats to a
facilities professional about how they got into the
sector and takes a look at their career path. This
month we talk to Sonia Brown, Director & Head of
Design at HUMAN by Quadrant Design.
Name: Sonia Brown
Current role:
Director & Head of Design at
HUMAN by Quadrant Design
Lives: Reading
What first attracted you to
working in FM, did you have much
awareness of the profession?
A er working in the retail and hospitality
sectors for the past 12 years, around
18-months ago we started to gain
organic enquiries from brands and
companies that wanted a design agency
to look at their o ice space from a
di erent perspective and not a cookiecutter
approach to o ice design. Since
then, we have been exploring how our
experience can influence how we create
workplace environments. Whilst getting
to know this sector, it also became
apparent just how male dominated it is
and bringing a more female approach
to design, and how it is relayed to the
client, is a space we really feel we can
bring a di erent experience.
How did you progress through
the profession to your current role?
I started o as a junior designer a er
graduating from Leeds Metropolitan
University where I studied interior
architecture. I joined Arcadia where I
worked my way up to a middleweight
designer, before moving on to work on
International design projects across
various sectors. Seven years ago, I joined
Quadrant Design, where I established
my career managing the account for
Watches of Switzerland, Radley and
L’Oreal, where I managed a team of
designers to design and deliver concepts
throughout the UK and internationally. I
was made a director of the company in
2017, and in 2020 developed sub-brand
HUMAN Workplace Design, our brand
build specifically for the workplace.
What have you found the most
challenging experiences working in
FM?
The biggest challenge I find is when
pitching against a design and build
firm, educating the client that selecting
a design agency doesn't mean a more
expensive option. There is real value
in selecting a team of people who
specialise in an area, rather than finding
a one-size-fits-all approach, which can
o en lead to weak design with the focus
purely on cost. We want to work with
companies and brands who really value
the design of their space and how that
in turn, a ects and connects with their
sta .
What have you found most
satisfying about working in the
sector?
I absolutely love being able to bring in
lighting techniques, furnishings and
artwork into spaces which are not
traditional to the workplace sector.
Hunting for pieces or specifying
furniture that would typically be used in
a restaurant, hotel or home, rather than
the many ‘samey’ furniture suppliers, is
the part I enjoy the most.
What qualities do you think are
most needed for a successful career
in FM?
Being brave and thinking outside the
box and looking for places of inspiration
that are unexpected. It is also so
important to connect with your client
and really understand what feeling and
output they are trying to achieve from
their environment.
What has changed about your
job role since the COVID-19 crisis?
E.g. home working, furloughed,
redeployed?
I have been fortunate to work
throughout the pandemic, however
working from home is not something I
had ever done prior to March 2020. For
me, the biggest challenge with home
working was not feeling connected
to my company. My role very much
stayed the same throughout, with more
of a focus on business development,
exploring how to pivot during such
challenging times. The outcome was our
workplace brand that is based upon the
principles of honesty, approachability
and a fresh approach to workplace
design, far removed from that of others
in the industry.
What is your organisation
doing to ensure the wellbeing of
sta – whether working at home or
returning to the workplace?
Without fail, since mid-March, we have
had a 9.00 am team call, every single
day. We felt it was so important to keep
the connection there and to motivate
one another. Also it becomes essential
to understand workload across the
team as not being in eyesight of each
other can easily lead to people silently
struggling behind closed doors. We
also made sure all equipment was
couriered to our sta 's homes so that
everyone had the right kit and set-up
to help them with their daily tasks. Our
MD also has frequent one to one catch
ups with the team.
Do you believe the pandemic
has highlighted the important role
of the FM sector and what areas do
you see as most key?
Yes, the pandemic has highlighted a
new way of working and has made
companies realise that we can all work
in a flexible way. Where home working
has not worked for many companies
previously, it has sped up the process
of understanding how this can work
and many have embraced it and
benefited in some way. It has, however,
also illustrated how important our
physical spaces are. They are the glue
that brings our teams together, socially
and professionally. Our o ice spaces
are o en our shop window, attracting
new talent and retaining sta and tell
the story behind who we are as brands
and companies, our ethos, values and
heritage. Our o ice spaces are not just
spaces to accommodate desks, they
are spaces that connect us, influence
and inspire us, to create a sense of
belonging and pride in our work.
What advice would you give to
someone coming into the profession
now?
I would encourage anyone entering the
profession to just really challenge the
brief and always look for inspiration
in unusual places. Research, research,
research always leads to a strong
concept that sticks when it comes
to design. There should always be a
root behind everything we design that
brings it back to the client.
Which of your achievements
are you most proud of during your
career?
One of my proudest moments during
my career to date, is a recent pitch that
I won on a project which was proposed
deep in the pandemic. I designed the
new concept for Goldsmiths, luxury
high street jewellers, which will be
rolled out across their estate this
year. They are a client I have worked
with for the last seven-years on both
store design and o ice designs, so
to continue our journey together,
especially during such a challenging
time, is something I am very proud of.
What do you predict could be the
main changes to the FM sector post
pandemic?
I think brand HQs will become
inspirational hubs and work a bit like
‘pop-up’ stores which do so well within
the retail sector. They are environments
which are created where we fall in
love with the brand, learn about their
ethos, become a fan. The transaction
doesn't happen here, but we engage
with the brand, that's how I see o ices.
Less as spaces where we do all of our
daily tasks, and more as environments
that allow us to do our best work,
our dreaming, our big ideas and
collaborating. In terms of future sta ,
these spaces will be where people learn
about the company, feel connected
to the ethos and a space which is
designed to attract the next talent
coming through. These spaces will
be hubs which accommodate social
interactivity, meetings, collaboration,
dreaming and also will be the safe
place. Where home is having to work
so much harder than it ever has, it
is now a school, gym, restaurant,
entertainment space, the o ice will
actually become the escape from the
stresses of life and a place where we do
our best work.
Would you, or someone you know, like to be featured in our career ladder column? If you’re an operational
FM with more than 10 years’ experience in the sector, then email sara.bean@kpmmedia.co.uk
54 APRIL 2021
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