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The Grid.works A Co-working environment.
Innovate | Collaborate | Plug-in
  • Organization
  • Industry
  • Project Type
  • My Role
  • Tools
  • Focus
  • The Grid.works
  • Coworking and Flexible Office Space
  • Website Redesign and Integrated Marketing
  • Part-Time Multimedia Designer
  • HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Web Design, Photography, Video and Marketing Collateral
Project Details

The Grid.works is a coworking space and subsidiary of ABI Multifamily. While working full-time as a multimedia designer for ABI, I also supported The Grid.works in a part-time multimedia design role.

My largest project was redesigning and developing the company website using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The space had a bold industrial personality, with exposed materials, Edison lighting, urban artwork, and meeting rooms named after well-known graffiti artists. I used that environment as the visual direction for the website while working within the company’s existing identity.

I photographed the coworking space and used my original images throughout the site instead of stock photography. The website presented available workspaces, amenities, events, community information, and nearby restaurants and businesses, helping potential renters understand both the facility and its location.

My work extended beyond the website. I created promotional videos, motion graphics, LinkedIn content, print materials, apparel, business cards, flyers, and other coordinated marketing pieces. I also produced a video walkthrough that the manager could use when presenting the space to potential renters who could not visit in person.

I did not create The Grid.works logo, but I extended the existing identity across web, video, print, social media, and promotional materials.

The website remains live and continues to use the design I created during my time with The Grid.works. The current site provides a working example of how my original visual direction and layout continue to support the business.

Project Goals & Design Challenges

The primary goal was to create a website that reflected the industrial, creative personality of The Grid.works while making it easier for potential renters to understand the space, available work areas, amenities, events, and surrounding neighborhood.

Project Goals
  • Create a Strong Digital Presence: Build a website that extended the existing identity and captured the personality of the physical space.
  • Show the Real Environment: Use original photography and video to give potential renters an accurate view of the offices, meeting areas, shared spaces, and amenities.
  • Organize the Information Clearly: Present workspace options, community information, events, and local resources in a format that was easy to explore.
  • Support Rental Inquiries: Give visitors a clear path to learn about the available spaces, contact the manager, and arrange a visit.
Design Challenges
  • Serving Different Workspace Needs: The website needed to speak to people seeking private offices, meeting spaces, shared work areas, and flexible short-term options.
  • Translating the Physical Space Online: The industrial interior, urban artwork, and personality of the workspace needed to carry into the website without overpowering the information.
  • Managing Different Types of Content: Workspace details, amenities, events, photography, community updates, and neighborhood information all needed to feel connected.
  • Balancing Style and Usability: The design needed to feel bold and creative while keeping the navigation, page structure, and content easy to understand.
Research & Insights

The Grid.works manager regularly spoke with current renters, potential customers, small business owners, and remote workers about their workspace needs. Through those conversations, the manager learned what customers commonly asked about, what information they needed before visiting, and what influenced their rental decisions.

The manager shared those insights with me throughout the website project. I used that information to help organize the content, present the different workspace options, highlight the amenities, and make it easier for visitors to understand what The Grid.works offered.

Customer questions also showed the value of presenting the actual environment. Original photography and video gave potential renters a clearer view of the private offices, meeting rooms, shared spaces, and overall atmosphere before arranging a tour.

The research was not something I conducted personally, but it gave me practical audience information that I could translate into visual and content decisions for the website.

Key Insights
  • Customers Needed Flexible Options: Visitors included remote workers, small business owners, traveling professionals, and teams with different workspace and scheduling needs.
  • Real Images Built Understanding: Original photography and video helped potential renters see the offices, meeting rooms, shared spaces, and amenities before visiting.
  • The Location Was Part of the Offer: Nearby restaurants, businesses, transportation, and neighborhood information helped customers understand the convenience of working from the space.
  • Clear Information Supported Inquiries: Visitors needed to quickly compare workspace options, understand what was included, and contact the manager to ask questions or arrange a tour.

personas

These retrospective personas represent two types of customers The Grid.works regularly served. I created them after completing the original project using the audience needs, customer questions, and workspace preferences shared by the manager during my time with the company.

Mei Chen - Remote Worker
  • Age: 25
  • Occupation: Marketing Specialist
  • Location: Suburban area, currently visiting family
  • Tech Savvy: High; uses various digital tools and platforms regularly.

Mei is visiting family for several weeks while continuing to work remotely. She needs a quiet, professional space where she can focus without household interruptions. Reliable internet, comfortable seating, and flexible access are her main priorities. She is also interested in opportunities to meet other professionals while she is in the area.

Pain Points
  • Household distractions make it difficult to concentrate.
  • She needs dependable internet and a quiet work environment.
  • She only needs workspace temporarily while visiting the area.
Preferred Features in the Grid.works
  • Quiet work areas
  • High-speed internet
  • Flexible workspace options
  • Community and networking events
James Washington - Small Business Owner
  • Age: 45
  • Occupation: Small Business Owner (Consulting Firm)
  • Location: Urban area
  • Tech Savvy: Moderate; familiar with essential business tools and platforms.

James is a retired military veteran who runs a consulting business. He needs a professional setting where he can meet clients, work with his team, and present a credible business image. Because his workspace needs change from day to day, he values flexible rental options and access to different types of rooms.

Pain Points
  • He needs a professional space for client meetings.
  • His workspace needs change based on the size and purpose of each meeting.
  • Maintaining a credible business image is important when meeting clients.
  • A traditional long-term office lease may offer more space than he regularly needs.
Preferred Features in the Grid.works
  • Private meeting rooms
  • Flexible rental options
  • Team collaboration spaces
  • Business equipment and office services

website design and development

I redesigned and developed The Grid.works website using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The site needed to explain the different workspace options while capturing the industrial and creative personality of the physical location.

I organized information about private offices, shared workspaces, meeting rooms, amenities, events, community updates, and nearby businesses into a connected website experience. I also used my original photography throughout the site so visitors could see the actual environment rather than generic coworking images.

The website remains live and continues to use the design and visual direction I created.

Design Process

I used the physical environment as the starting point for the website’s visual direction. The Grid.works had an industrial interior with exposed pipes, visible wiring, Edison lighting, urban artwork, and meeting rooms named after well-known graffiti artists.

I carried that personality into the website through strong accent colors, modern typography, large photographs, and structured layouts. The goal was to create something creative and distinctive without making the information difficult to find or read.

Because I also photographed the space, I could plan the website and imagery together. I selected views that showed the offices, meeting rooms, shared areas, amenities, and interior details that made the location different from a traditional office.

I did not design The Grid.works logo. My role was to extend the existing identity into a complete website and supporting marketing system.

Key Features Developed:
  • Original Photography: Photographed the coworking space and used the images throughout the website to show the real environment.
  • Workspace Information: Organized private offices, shared workspaces, meeting rooms, and flexible options so visitors could compare what was available.
  • Tour and Inquiry Path: Gave potential renters a clear way to contact the manager, ask questions, and schedule a tour.
  • Events and Community Content: Included information about events, networking opportunities, and the coworking community.
  • Local Area Guide: Highlighted nearby restaurants, shops, and services that added value to the location.

magazine advertising and print design

My work for The Grid.works also included print materials created to promote the space and maintain a consistent identity beyond the website. These pieces included advertisements for AZRE and a promotional flyer highlighting the coworking environment and its services.

I carried the same photography, colors, typography, and industrial personality used on the website into the print designs. Each piece needed to attract attention while giving potential renters a clear sense of the space and what it offered.

What I Took From It

The Grid.works gave me the opportunity to build a visual experience around a real physical space. I was not simply choosing colors and arranging content. I was translating the atmosphere, services, community, and personality of the location into something potential renters could understand before walking through the door.

The project also showed me how much stronger a brand becomes when its website, photography, video, social content, and print materials feel connected. Because I worked across each of those formats, I could maintain a consistent direction while adjusting the design for different purposes.

Creating the website strengthened my experience with front-end development, content organization, photography, and designing for an audience with varied needs. It also reinforced the value of listening to the people closest to the customers and turning what they know into clearer visual communication.

The website remains in use today, making it one of the clearest examples of my ability to create work that continues supporting a business after my role has ended.