Project: TikTok Offices in Culver City, California
Role: Design Project Manager
Project Overview: TikTok’s in-house Creative Studio drove the visual design of the company’s new office space - encompassing 120,000 square feet over five floors. My team was responsible for mural designs, paint color and materiality, select lighting designs, and way-finding, as well as consulting on furniture, finishes, and layout. The in-house team collaborated with the architecture firm Gensler to create a new home for their employee workforce, influencers, and community. The design embodies TikTok’s ethos for community, inclusivity, and joy while cementing the growing entertainment and technology company’s presence in the U.S. and its commitment to Los Angeles.
Awards & Accolades: Finalists for the 2020 Architizer A+ Awards. Ranked 1st by Interior Design.net for top 10 office design projects of 2020.
My Responsibilities & Process:
Partnered with design lead to create project plan, identifying creative opportunities in the space and outlining full scope of design deliverables while also becoming informed on architectural and structural limitations.
Resourced and assigned DRI’s (Directly Responsible Individual) from in-house creative team to determine ownership across different areas of work.
Scheduled and ran several weekly design charrettes in order to communicate status updates, identify blockers, and create space for creative collaboration.
Blocked out heads-down time for designers to get work done and meet their deadlines by establishing prioritization criteria for other incoming creative requests for other TikTok projects unrelated to the office design.
Represented the Creative Studio in project calls with Gensler and TikTok Executive Leadership to keep project statuses visible to key stakeholders through the full project lifecycle.
Scheduled and attended site walk-throughs during construction to fill in information gaps and allow creative team to get inspired.
Helped company give recognition to both the individuals and team that contributed to the design of the office by photographing the interior (submitted to awards and publications) and team portraits inside the office before the employee move-in date.
TikTok Creative Studio:
Leslie Kosier - Project Manager
Josh Covarrubias - Design Lead, Creative Direction, Lighting
Emily Giglio - Mural Design, Illustration, Art Direction
Vanessa Ong - Artist in Residence Recruiter and Lead
Harrison Jacobs - Mural Design, Art Direction
Ian Alexander - 3D Design, Motion Design
Conor Kort - Motion Graphics, Video Editor
Emma Hazen - Design
Partners:
TikTok’s Real Estate & Facilities Team, Lead by Giorgio Umali
Gensler Architecture and Design Firm
Artists in Residence:
Commissioned murals included works from: Ashley Lukashevsky, Ricardo Gonzalez, Jessalyn Brooks, Jade Brown
Photos of completed TikTok Office (taken by me! ◡̈ ):
TikTok Creative Studio Designers Portrait
(behind) Rainbow Road Mural Inspired by TikTok’s AR rainbow brush effect and the supergraphics of the 70s era, colorful lines in Rainbow Road paint the space and create wayfinding and dimension. The shapes also create “rainbow freeways” to connect back to local LA community.
A lighting installation was designed across the ceiling in the café to display a map of Los Angeles as a nod to its new hometown.
Los Angeles Check pays homage to TikTok’s new hometown with bright typography complementing the colors in Rainbow Road. “Checks” were an early viral trend unique to TikTok and highlight traits of the different tribes on the app (e.g. TikTok check, famous relative check, vibe check).
Local artists were commissioned to design mural installations which inspire creativity and bring joy to employees and guests. This initiative led to establishing the global TikTok Artist in Residence series, which aims to champion diversity through identity, influence, and medium, bring liveliness to the workplace, build a community of artists, and create dialogue between employees and artists.
”Come As You Are” mural designed by Ricardo Gonzalez
Playful neon lighting designs were installed in the elevator bays to bring intrigue and fun into even the seemingly minute moments of a day such as waiting for an elevator.
Fully immersive, wall-to-wall screens were installed in the office’s lobby entrance to channel and celebrate the video-first platform at the center of our business. The Creative Studio produced and managed the rotating content displayed on the screens.
A large “TIKTOK” text-based mural is displayed for employees who are both ascending and descending the pink stairs - unifying each of the five floors.
TikTok Drip mural displayed between the TikTok neon and lobby screen wall, laying a subtle easter egg for our guests to enjoy as they wait in the lobby.