Philips customer-facing spaces
I shaped how Philips shows up in the rooms where it meets its customers, from a clinic on Mayo's campus to innovation hubs across three continents.
Branded environments are where a company's promise becomes physical, and the work is making sure the space says the same thing the brand does.
Client: Philips (internal real estate + businesses)
Project Type: Spatial Design & Environmental Branding
Overview:
Over eight years at Philips I led the design of customer-facing environments across the company's global footprint, working at the intersection of brand, real estate, and the businesses. My role ranged from setting strategy and advising to leading programs end to end, depending on the space and the stakes.
Innovation Experience Labs -Cambridge Master Plan
Project Type: Design Strategy & Environmental Branding (2025)
Role: Led master plan workshop, directed design development. Brand expressions and renders by Katie Davis under my direction in collaboration with Andrew Szurley from Philips Brand team.
A master plan I proposed, unasked, went on to guide the floor's soft launch, a C-suite grand opening, and 2026 capital planning, and piloted Philips' refreshed brand palette at full scale before it became part of a global guideline.
This floor of highly specialized R&D labs was being shaped by whoever asked loudest. When a new leader took over the Innovation Labs, I proposed a one-day deep dive with all parties to build a structure that could absorb requests and turn them into priorities, and test Philips’ new brand expression in a space at full-scale before it rolled out globally.
35
divergent design concepts investigated
8
iterative design explorations made
1
unified design solution moved forward
Option 1: Landmark Experience
Option 2: Resonant
Option 3: Explore and Engage
The Surgical Futures IGT lab, led by colleague Dave Ruthven, anchored the design language for the rest of the floor. I advised on the build, and later adapted the approach for the Bangalore hub.
Direction Selection
Three strategic directions were developed and tested against existing conditions and carried into design development.
The master plan went on to inform and sequence the soft launch with Real Estate, frame the grand opening and C-suite visit, and guide 2026 capex planning with Real Estate and site leadership.
Mayo Clinic Discovery Square
Project Type: Design Strategy & Environmental Branding (2021-22)
Role: Managed and coordinated E2E program with R&D leaders, account executives, real estate, brand team, and architects. Led programming and schematic design.
Discovery Square is a world-class destination for healthcare innovation on Mayo’s main campus, and an important touchpoint for the Philips brand. To create an exciting, inspirational venue for collaborative initiatives as well as meet the functional needs of permanent and visiting staff, Philips Design spearheaded the programming and schematic design of the ~5000sf space
Initial research report on user needs and purpose.
Lenticular image at entry representing 130 years of innovation
Washington DC Office
Project Type: Design Strategy & Environmental Branding (2023)
Role: Managed and coordinated E2E program with BU leaders, account executives, real estate, brand team, and architects. Led programming and schematic design.
As Philips largest customer globally, the VA and DoD along with related Federal (and State) government agencies are critical relationships to foster and enable collaboration amongst Philips business entities. In 2023 as a lease agreement was expiring, Philips Design team was called in to develop a branded environment and design solution that could accommodate local “resident” staff as well as frequent visitors and collaborative event space.
Customer Experience Centers
Project Type: Design Strategy & Environmental Branding (2018-23)
Role: Set strategy and initial concepts, advised through delivery.
Across Philips' global Customer Experience Centers, a new North American HQ, a major retrofit of the global center in the Netherlands, and innovation hubs in Bangalore, Shanghai and Cambridge, I set high-level strategy and initial concepts, then advised through delivery. These are long-running programs with many hands on them and competing stakeholders. My role was to make sure the experience logic held as they evolved.