Back to school (well, the studio).

With the kids (mostly) merrily going back to school it's thrown the spotlight on us grown-ups and how getting back in the office could do us the world of good too.

Well, I am pleased to say that as of September we are back into the Sparkloop studio.

Work-life before lock-down

This is us working in real-life, pre lock-down. Just look at our happy faces – sketching, collaborating and coming up with our next bright idea!

But then everything changed (a bit)

We were incredibly lucky that the transition to working from home was a simple one. Our culture, structure and processes already allowed for this flexibility. We simply unplugged the office and just plugged back in when we got home, without any major interruption.

We were also fortunate enough to remain busy, which meant that no-one was furloughed. Although initially we would all have enjoyed some time off, as time went on we were really happy to feel valued by our clients and have a real sense of purpose.

To keep morale up we kept our regular team meetings in place. We also issued 'Wellness' vouchers, to put towards anything that would make us happy. And we also recently met up for a sensibly distanced afternoon at the Wheatsheaf, Bath. No talking shop allowed.

Without doubt, the one thing that we missed (and I am sure we are no exception), is real human interaction. That spontaneous place where innovations, ideas and some belly laughs come from.

There are pros and cons

Sure, working from home all the time has some short-term advantages. But do the longer term issues that we highlight for our school kids, ring true for us too? I would say, YES!

The pros..

• Less time commuting

• Less spending

• Extra 30mins in bed

• Quality time spent with our pets

The cons...

• No delineation between home and work

• Feeling more isolated and sedentary

• Less motivation and collaboration

• Breakdown of healthy routines

• Love handles

Looking forward...

Of course the studio will not be exactly the same. We will wear masks when needed, have enough hand gel to shower in and resist the urge to share pencils. Nor will we be in five days a week. Instead we shall continue to be flexible, safe in the knowledge that as a team, we can work as effectively at home too. Most importantly, we are looking forward to striking a healthier work/home balance again, while also sharing a cuppa and discussing the next thing to watch on Netflix. We shouldn't overlook the smallest interactions that make the biggest difference to a company culture and creative ideas. #creativeagency #creativestudio #backtowork #backtoschool #september #worklifebalance

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If you want to come and see us in person, or virtually, then please get in touch.

Gayle Carpenter, Creative Director Connect