SleepIQ^® LABS

High Tech Meets Restful Branding

The new SleepIQ Labs expresses the high-tech nature of company’s signature mattresses, enabling software engineers to test mattress technology and fulfill Sleep Number’s commitment to customers’ wellness and wellbeing. In approaching their new SleepIQ Labs, Sleep Number sought to reinterpret its corporate brand reflected in its newly relocated Minneapolis headquarters with a decidedly “Silicon Valley” vibe in the heart of northern California’s technology industry. The space combines design insight with engineering ingenuity, as the interdisciplinary design team from the Minneapolis and San Jose offices collaborated with Sleep Number’s branding team to envision a vibrant space that is all about a good night’s sleep.

The team began with visioning sessions, creating a series of Pinterest boards to share ideas and identify aesthetic directions that express the brand and business model. More specifically in Silicon Valley’s highly competitive job market, they sought ideas that reflected the excitement of technology and appealed to rising software engineers to support recruitment and retention.

Occupying an entire floor of a downtown San Jose high-rise a few blocks from its existing test labs, the new space is tied to Sleep Number’s brand with restful blue and green hues mixed with the richness and energizing orange tones of wood. The design elements combine comfort and technology, with a nod to the SleepIQ innovations and biometrics.

The flexible 14,000 SF open floor plan anticipates the client’s programming needs and accommodates different workstyles for approximately 52 staff members. A reception area with sleep gallery off the elevator lobby highlights the signature product. Further inside, various-sized conference rooms, open workstations, private offices, quiet phone rooms, collaboration area, and kitchen/café area give team members choices in how and where they work. Finally, prototyped motorized bunk beds interspersed throughout the open office areas efficiently stack mattresses to economize square footage and maximize vertical air space as engineers test sleep software.

Throughout, natural materials are infused with pops of color balancing tech and comfort against a neutral background. Flexible, creative workspaces focus on function, collaboration, and wellbeing to promote creativity and energy. And small details nod to the software at the business core, such as wood slats that mimic the algorithm bars on the SleepIQ app and graphic window film recalling digital programming.