LinkedIn is a global platform that promotes connection, trust, and harmony among people with different backgrounds, the Five Rings of Beijing creates a network across the Capital where people from all walks of life intersect and interact for work and play. By using the Five Rings of Beijing, we created a brand story that resonated with local employees and visitors without losing LinkedIn’s global brand DNA. Each ring had its own activities, themes, and unique characteristics. First Ring is the Capital’s historical center; Second Ring consists of lakes and parks;Third Ring is the new CBD; Fourth Ring is for art and sports and Fifth Ring focuses on leisure.

We branded LinkedIn Shanghai’s office in 2020 which was featured in Wallpaper, Kinfolk and several other design magazines. In 2021, we received another call from LinkedIn HQ to design an inspiring space that would boost creativity, communication, team collaboration and employee well-being.

We assigned each floor a ring road, a brand value and an associated theme colour.

11th floor – Greet Guests with LinkedIn’s Blue. This floor represents the Second Ring: Parks & Lakes. It communicates LinkedIn’s values: collaboration, transformation, and relationships. We leveraged different elements found within parks to create the overall look and feel of the natural environment.

7th Floor: Connect and Collaborate in Green. The Third Ring is the busiest ring as it became Beijing’s new CBD and is where LinkedIn office is located. Beijing’s Third Ring has long been associated with the textile industry. Over time business needs evolved from design and manufacturing to a more customer-centric approach. As the new CBD, we leveraged the fabric of work in our design, to tell the story of how individual networks form strong communities. This in turn represents the power of communities and networks as one of LinkedIn’s core values.

While the city center of Beijing has remained somewhat unchanged in the past few centuries, it has modernized and witnessed significant population growth. During our creative process, we discovered the five rings of the city. As the city expanded, each ring had its own activities, themes, and unique characteristics. This insight led us to coin our overarching creative strategy to be the “Five Rings of Beijing”. First Ring is the Capital’s historical center; Second Ring consists of lakes and parks; Third Ring is the new CBD; Fourth Ring is for art and sports and Fifth Ring focuses on leisure. Our creative strategy was inspired by the Five Rings of Beijing. Where LinkedIn is a global platform that promotes connection, trust, and harmony among people with different backgrounds, the Five Rings creates a network across the Capital where people from all walks of life intersect and interact for work and play.

Based on each floor’s theme and story, we integrated local cultural elements and materials that would show the connection between the LinkedIn and Beijing connection.

The pattern of the custom designed LinkedIn InBug was inspired by the Chrysanthemum flower, one of the Capital’s flowers and the symbol of nobility. The flowers are surrounded by traditional Chinese cloud patterns that represent auspiciousness and good fortune. The InBug was made from a traditional enamelware called Chinese cloisonné, one of the most famous metal handcrafts of ancient China.

The ceilings are decorated with wooden Chinese characters "人" (meaning "people"). The two circles hung on the wall, are window-like in shape, found in the park pavilions made from local Beijing sayings such as “大拿” (meaning “the professionals in the industry”) and “铁瓷” (meaning “very good friends”).

Throughout the office space, we integrated design elements that would bring the Chinese culture and global community together.

According to LinkedIn Beijing’s Workplace Manager, Tina Wang: “We are thrilled to be working with The Orangeblowfish again. The Orangeblowfish is able to deliver and produce on-brand and creative solutions that bring the design to fruition. The end result is a much-improved work environment, where our employees feel comfortable in. We are proud to have our clients over for a visit and show them our new office space!”