Doing what we love - Loving what we do

2022 | 9 min reading time

If you need a real challenge, you should build drawers. This requires not only precision and craftsmanship, but also a well thought-out plan: Especially if you have to store a lot of things - Bulky or small items, love letters versus tangled cables - And everything needs its own space. But some things simply don't want to fit into a drawer. ZENTRALNORDEN, for example.

So what exactly is this colorful bunch of different characters, skills, approaches and utopias? For a long time, this question treated us like a bad earworm. Agency sounds too much like a black turtleneck. Family sounds more like a coffee party. Collective is just another word for anarchy. And still, there's a bit of everything in us.

From moorings to employees

For us, ZENTRALNORDEN (ZN) is the safe harbor - The Berlin Spree on our doorstep, but the North Sea at our heart. A place of exchange that has grown from a few moorings to a real transshipment point. In order to remain true to ourselves despite all the changes, we regularly question ourselves. More and more people are joining us and veterans are making way; some have new recruits or try out new challenges. We are open to this and support it. However, to ensure that the community does not disperse, we need to regularly compare notes: Is everyone, in their individuality, still on the same course?

Always Change a Running System

ZENTRALNORDEN exists because of this conviction. From the very beginning, the team has enjoyed freedoms that are (still) utopian for other companies. The business runs not in order, but thanks to flexible working hours and individual agreements from time to time.

Keyword: Mutual trust. As the playing field is constantly expanding with new customers and tasks, we are constantly adapting our rules of the game. We tried out a lot of things: From anarchy to grassroots democracy, to holacracy and finally arriving at our own concept of New Work. ZN stands for serious self-realization - In a consensus between the organization and the individual.

New Work State of Mind

However, getting rid of yesterday's structures is no scoop of cookie dough. Working freely requires hard work. Between pride and humility lie ten years of wrestling with ourselves as an organization. ZENTRALNORDEN lives and loves the process. Basically like a family, only with the official stamp of a GmbH. This area of tension is not mutually exclusive. Although the word of GmbH describes a pile of old car tires better than ZN - We simply reinterpret the whole thing and see ourselves as a community with a special attitude.

Because the word hierarchy does something creepy to the hair on the back of our necks. We focus much more on personal responsibility and self-effective action. We don't complain to mom, who is supposed to do better afterwards, but criticize, at best with an explicit counter-proposal. Solution-oriented communication is the new Esperanto. The question "What bothers you in our organization?" can just as well mean: "What do you need to be able to work well? We go on team-building trips that you, as an outsider, would like to have been part of.".

So New Work means many things. Ultimately, this approach is reflected in the company structure, the design of workspaces and the legal framework. It is about both a new management style and sustainable working ecosystems. New Work extends quite specifically from the employment contract to the shared vision: The motto is BAM! Bock auf Morgen! (Ready for Tomorrow!)

The complete Range

Behind all this self-reflection is the goal of getting the best out of our abilities. Our tools cover almost all creative needs. We see our projects as processes and prefer to start with joint Agile Strategy and Concept Workshops. When everyone understands what the challenge is, we help you to master it.

The entire communication strategy is developed based on this. How is your brand communicated? Strategic Design equips companies with a distinctive corporate design and tailored communication tools. With this foundation, we translate brands into digital and real spaces. From websites and service platforms to animations and mobile apps: Holistic user experience design encompasses all user interfaces. An interior design that fits into this strategy and is translated into the space rounds off the whole and makes it possible to experience brands sensually in the space. This experience enriches the internal working environment and also strengthens the external perception of the brand. In the best cases, we are able to smoothly coordinate all four adjusting screws.

Those who are passionate about good ideas also need their own escape to let off creative steam. The urge is strong enough to create space for independent projects alongside day-to-day business: Our ZN Originals. The focus is on socially relevant topics - We are just as enthusiastic about ecological cattle breeding as we are about clean escalation at the Wasteless Open Air or easily accessible instruments for making protests loud. In this playground, we give free rein to our strengths and show that serious things can be fun. Shaping the future is a matter close to our hearts - Moving forward with BAM!

From the Inside Out

This is exactly what sets us apart. Because beneath all the tried and tested flexibility lies a core of shared values. Cordiality is anchored in our DNA and is non-negotiable. Right next to fundamental values such as love, sincerity and harmony. After years of searching for meaning and ourselves, trial and error with great moments but also headaches, we have reached a point where we can say with confidence: We know who we really are. And only if you know yourself well can you really understand the other person.

Know yourself! Said the oracle from Delphi. We say: Know yourself, but let us hold the mirror for you. Together with you, ZENTRALNORDEN peels out the core - Whether soft fruit or hard nut. We welcome start-ups just as much as established companies. We are convinced that authentic character is only created through values and visions. If these are really tangible, you can communicate your attitude convincingly. Both internally and externally. Together, we drop the covers without being slippery. This is how trust is built and great things are achieved. We take you by the hand and, if necessary, give you a piggyback ride.

This is where we differ from traditional service providers. Until now, value-oriented work has mainly been the preserve of non-profit organizations. But a new wind is blowing. Values in advertising? Admittedly: That's a novelty. Perhaps we are the first agency that doesn't actually want to be one. ZENTRALNORDEN is guided by the moral self-image of an NPO, but has mastered the dynamics of the free economy. That is a paradox. That's us. We combine the best of both worlds and find an attitude between these opposites.

It benefits all sides! We radiate cordiality among ourselves as well as in our collaboration with clients. One thing is clear: What we promise on the inside, we must also keep on the outside. This simple creed is a mantra for project success. If the inside and outside don't match, the employees will feel it - And so will the consumers. We help you to reconcile the two. Sustainable success for companies is no longer just dependent on the product, but on their role in the world. It's not so much the things, but the attitudes with which we identify.

»When the winds of change blow, some seek shelter in the harbor while others set sail.«

- Author unknown

Where will the Journey take us?

"When the winds of change blow, some seek shelter in the harbor while others set sail."

Ultimately, it's all a question of courage. Which companies have the courage to transform?

We roll up our sleeves and look forward to allies who understand the signs of the times just as well, long-term partners at eye level. We work with small and large crews, private companies and public organizations. Our mission is not just to give you a new coat of paint. By combining design and strategy, we want to actively shape positive change with you. Into new waters. Our goal is clear: Bock auf Morgen - for everyone!

This article is from our BAM magazine. Find out more about it here.

BAM Magazine

Tags: Bock auf Morgen, Haltung, Herausforderung, New Work, Strukturen

Dave Großmann

Artist & Editor

Dave Großmann is a freelance artist and editor working at the intersection of design, art and architecture. He was the editor of the internationally award-winning KWER magazine, which is how he came to know and love ZENTRALNORDEN. Since then he has been an onlooker, commenting on events like David Attenborough with a bottle of "Gorbatschow" in his hand.

dave-grossmann.com