j-labs case study

Challenges j-labs has always been based in Kraków. Since 2015, its head of- fice has been located in Przemysłowa Street, the district of Za- błocie. Before, the company had been managed from the attic of a semi-detached house in Borek Fałęcki, on the outskirts of the city. – The conditions were truly ‘garage standard’, as befits a nov- ice IT company. No air-conditioning, no ergonomics, and the toilet was integrated with a small kitchen. We made jokes that we could put the kettle on, warm up lunch, work at a desk and use the toilet in one go – recalls Katarzyna Bucka. – So, the office in Przemys- łowa Street was a huge civilisational leap. But it didn’t have the ‘wow effect’! Basically just white walls, carpeting and desks. The kitchen was literally a few square metres large, and it was usually rather stuffy inside. And most importantly, we would sit in three rooms accessed from two different staircases connected by an in- dustrial ramp. This had a bad impact on our communication. The appearance of the building, on the other hand, did not reflect well on us in front of visitors, which certainly made work more difficult. The ‘wow effect’ was missing! Image considerations were not the only reason why they decid- ed to change office. Shortage of space was the biggest issue. By that time, the company had already grown much bigger and it was looking to hire even more people. The space was also insufficient for j-labs to hold events for outside visitors. At times, the office was literally bursting at the seams. The office change was also a great opportunity to tackle other problems which plagued the workers in the Przemysłowa Street building. At the top of their list was the definitely insufficient num- ber of meeting rooms where they could discuss projects in small- er groups, or talk on the phone without disturbing others. As the only two spaces intended for that purpose were always occupied, the open space would often look like the inside of a beehive. So, having a sufficient number of spaces for meetings of various types became a priority. At times, the office was bursting at the seams The company needed an open space to support communication, while allowing for quiet conceptual work. — more space for work and meeting rooms — better communication — enhancement of company image — preserving the air of a start-up 08