Micdee Designs created an impactful environment for the offices of food processing company, UAC, located in Lagos, Nigeria.

There are few brands in Nigeria that have had impact across generations through its products & operations as UAC.

From the young Lagosian taking a trip home from work who buys Gala as a snack, to the corporate executive living in a UPDC managed residence, or the thousands of customers who have frequented UAC’s Quick Services Restaurants, Mr Biggs & Debonairs; the relevance of the brand across industries since 1879 has been understated. To stay relevant for over 150 years, the brand has had to be in constant motion, evolving to stay relevant with the times. So when UAC reached out to us, we understood deeply that delivering a workspace environment for a legacy brand like theirs required a strategy-led design approach that is tailored to their needs.

Challenges Based on a series of strategy sessions with the client, we primarily discovered that they needed a brand environment that not only pays homage to the legacy they have built over 120 years but also matches a vision of an evolved and progressive UAC. We realized that the existing workspace had become outdated both in appearance and user experience. It was no surprise then that our design exploration with the end users of the space revealed a dip in staff efficiency and productivity.

From outdated communication tech that made integration with 21st century tech difficult, to a spatial environment that inadvertently hindered seamless flow of work, we also recognized a reality that inadvertently affected UAC’s ability to attract and retain the best talent as well as inspire staff to work more effortlessly.

This was the challenge the UAC brief and our strategy sessions unveiled.

The Solution Based on the challenges we established from our strategy sessions, it became clear that we needed to approach the office-fitout holistically – looking beyond the space to the bigger vision of what UAC was trying to achieve. This led to the realization of the need for the Evolution of a Legacy brand to match the demands of the 21st century. Legacy therefore, served as the bedrock for our brand inspiration all through the design.

Our solution was aimed at creating inspiring, notable experiences for all stakeholders, staff and visitors alike that reflected a modern, clean aesthetic intune with the needs of a 21st century workspace.

The Result The triumph of this project is marked more by the seamless integration of the new workspace environment with the overall vision of the client than by anything else.

Design: Micdee Designs

Photography: Mujib Ojeifo

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