PortSwigger was founded in 2004 by Dafydd Stuttard, a leading expert in web security. Daf spotted a gap in the market for a tool kit for web application security testing. What started as a hobby, is now a product used by web security professionals across the world. Daf still leads the software development team at PortSwigger and is steering his company through rapid growth. With a move into a purpose-built building at Booth Park in Knutsford on the horizon, Daf approached us to help him reimagine how his team can use space as the company expands.
Getting to Know You
The first part of our process is about discovery. Finding out about the business, getting to know the people, understand what makes them tick. We ran a series of collaborative workshops and observational sessions to build a deep understanding of how the teams like to work and what vital ingredients would be needed in the new workplace strategy.
Discovering Workstyles
One of the most striking insights came from observing the teams work. Due to their current office being in a large old building, teams work in smaller units in separate rooms with perimeter desking so everyone has their back to each other.
At first we assumed the space constraints were forcing them to work in peculiar ways but it tuned out this arrangement was perfectly natural for them and allowed individual focus around the room edge and team collaboration in the centre. The downside is the disconnection between teams in different rooms
Our first design challenge was to figure a way of keeping the essence of this arrangement in a large open plan office without walls and create more of a flow of movement between team units.
A Pattern Language
Once we had established the requirements of the business and each team unit we set about designing a flexible system that had the potential to grow, change and evolve as the business expands.
Inspired by cellular patterns in nature we explored various modular designs that could accommodate a maximum of 8-10 people but also provide access to breakout/meeting and private space. These semi-enclosed team nodes allowed a degree of privacy while being connected to other teams and 'third' spaces where random encounters can happen.
After many iterations we arrived at a pattern and a system that allowed has the right balance of openness, connectivity and potential for organic change.
"One of the reasons we chose Sheila Bird Studio was because of how they looked to get deep under the skin of Portswigger and understand how we work. Their process is highly collaborative, engaging and shaped around our needs as a business. I am confident we have a flexible and innovative design solution that will help us in our next phase of growth"
Dafydd Stuttard
Managing Director, Portswigger
Human Nature
Another of the emergent themes of the workshop was the desire to connect with nature. Luckily the new building is surrounded by trees and greenery but it was important that our designs created a dialogue with this at every opportunity. Flexible desks and breakout spaces face out to the trees through floor-to-ceiling glazing and doors open out at ground floor with some of the greenery coming inside to blur boundaries.
