We were invited to bid to improve the customer experience and consumer product testing facility at the Unilever R&D facility in Leeds as part of the staged Aladdin project which also included a vast office. The design had to reinforce the Unilever key values and brand identity and required two very different solutions for the interior. A consumer testing facility to provide a controlled environment for product testing, whilst the other “review” facility had to be very homely, providing a relaxed environment for consumers to come together and discuss their findings.

Consumers are now able to enter through the ‘front door’ to reinforce the key value that the consumer is at the heart of everything Unilever does. The Customer Experience Centre had two key zones. The front of house lounge area was inviting, designed to welcome consumers and make them feel at ease. The product review facility was also very homely, providing a relaxed environment for consumers to come together and discuss their findings. Bespoke feature joinery, lighting and finishes were utilised to give the facility the right ambience and be unique to Unilever. In contrast the consumer testing facility was very clinical, providing a controlled environment for product testing. The facility included changing rooms and lockers to make the testing process as comfortable as possible. The fit-out works were completed within an occupied building and were part of a phased refurbishment programme. Unilever maintained strict health & safety requirements on site that had to be adhered to at all times, and the project was completed on time and within budget.