CHALLENGE

H&R Block tasked Miller Zell with the creation of a highly branded, consistent environment for its centers that could be executed in many different building footprints and site conditions. MZ was also charged with engineering design solutions that could be executed with minimal construction or contracting work and that could be replicated thousands of times. Design would also have to account for extreme seasonality and a need to promote a growing number of non-tax-season offerings.

SOLUTION


In addition to creating powerful and highly recognizable visuals, Miller Zell conducted customer research that revealed that when potential clients saw people working inside the center they often assumed having to wait in line. They then went to a competitor instead. As part of redesign MZ moved the client interaction areas to the rear of the center and added a visual break that also added to brand identity.

In order to overcome client feelings of anxiety and dominance/inferiority created by the former "tax preparer across the table" arrangement, the team created working areas designed around the "squircle" with a monitor at the opposing end. This eased anxiety by placing preparer and client on "the same side of the tax equation".

A previous problem with feelings of lack of privacy ("does that client make more than I do?") was overcome with the addition of partitions between squircles – research showed that the partitions created enough of a barrier and avoided the need to build permanent walls.

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