A new approach to co-working
Hotels are evolving from places to rest into vibrant workspaces, where digital nomads and executives blend business with comfort. Leading this transformation is citizenM, whose new co-working memberships and day passes create dynamic hubs for the modern professional – whether they need a desk for a day or a creative space for the month.
Team
Emily Smith - art direction, photography, research and graphic design
the brief
In a landscape where co-working spaces have become as common as coffee shops, citizenM needed to carve out its own distinctive territory. The launch of their monthly membership and day pass scheme called for more than just functional messaging—it demanded an identity with personality and punch, a visual and verbal signature that would cut through the noise of an increasingly saturated market.
The challenge wasn't simply to announce another workspace option, but to capture the essence of what makes citizenM's approach to co-working as unique and refreshing as their hotels— where creativity meets functionality, style meets substance, and community feels like belonging rather than just sharing square footage.
the approach
In an era where digital nomads haunt hotel lobbies bathed in screen glow, citizenM boldly embraces the tactile charm of analog. Their co-working membership and day pass offerings transport you to the golden age of 90s office culture.
The aesthetic speaks in the language of chunky keyboards and dot-matrix printers, while citizenM's living rooms become shrines to tangibility — curated with dog-eared paperbacks, vinyl records, and the mechanical poetry of typewriter keys. It's not just workspace; it's a rebellion against the ephemeral, inviting wandering workers to join a community that remembers when ideas took up physical space in the world.
the result
I developed a suite of printed materials to be displayed throughout the hotel spaces, detailing the offerings, benefits, and available co-working areas across citizenM’s portfolio. The bespoke folder design included a die-cut black folder, informative insert pages, and a sticker sheet. Guests who chose to co-work at citizenM were given a branded floppy disk to signify their membership, enabling hotel ambassadors to easily identify them as having paid for the service.
campaign photography
We worked with photographers Derrick Freske and Jerry Maestas to create a collection of co-working images for the launch.
