Digital storytelling for MADNUM, the new hub in Madrid

Colonial is the leading property business in the euro area in developing, refurbishing and operating prime office space with buildings in Barcelona, Madrid and Paris and also an IBEX 35 company. By always catering to its customers’ needs, Colonial has additionally been able to experiment by coming up with sustainable and innovative property solutions generating long-term value through office management and enabling the firms which choose them to tap into and unlock their full potential.

Taking another step forward in its property vision of the future, Colonial has devised MADNUM as an innovative venue which delivers a new concept of working and living in a community. It’s a hub for large firms in one of the most up-and-coming areas of Madrid where there is also housing and shared spaces such as green areas, restaurants and all kinds of services. It’s an inspiring place in which to work and grow professionally and an environment which fosters talent while at the same time affording exceptional quality of life.

Such a compelling and innovative project which brings to the table a new concept of offices, work relationships, sharing and community life cannot be transferred to the digital domain in just any old way. Colonial once again chose Runroom to turn this ambitious property project, in fact its largest to date, into poetry and inspiration which would convey emotionality through memorable visual storytelling, guiding users along a journey which would enable them to understand what MADNUM is and all the ideas, thoughts and visions which lie behind it.

All this obviously had to be built on an efficient, high performance platform addressing the customer experience, appealing to their emotions and seeking impact through creativity, a web project to match the urban development project they were building.

Taking up the challenge, we got down to work by putting together a bespoke cross-functional production team with a creative approach to craft the storytelling which would underpin this shift of the MADNUM concept to the digital arena. We were also delighted to have the backing of Forma’s team of illustrators, who once again showcased their quality and knowhow and imbued the project with a unique identity.

One of the first hurdles we ran into was that the whole thing was still on the drawing board. Colonial knew what it wanted but left how to do it up to us. Plus, there was the added difficulty that other suppliers were involved and the customer was orchestrating everything, so we also had to fit in and make sure the planned time-to-market was met.

During the ideation and creation process, it was crucial that all the team’s members made decisions right from the outset which translated into efficiency and impact. Agile methodology is embedded in Runroom’s DNA and with MADNUM we brought it into play once again. This is how we did it:

• In sprint 0, we firstly set up semi-functional prototype experiments to visualise specific items to make decisions, then secondly, we worked out the design concept and the interaction and motion design concept.

• Instead of pushing the entire design through and then handing the baton over to the front-end developers, we designed and prototyped simultaneously in each of the product sprints. This meant we were able to make headway with greater confidence as we had constant validation and feedback for the working product from the customer.

• We operated in short cycles with iterative and incremental validation. This was essential as bringing creative concepts to the front-end is an added challenge, and in this case engaging the technical team in the ideation and creation process allowed them to input their vision.

The main outcome of this project is giving Colonial what it was looking for: successfully conveying the potential and prospects of something which is much more than a building, rather a new human-centric concept of city, employment, sharing, mobility and sustainability.

Every piece of copy, every picture, video, illustration and animation hosted at www.madnum.com enabled us to communicate and make an impact by publicising a project promoting social and technological change and playing an active role in a cultural shift which is gearing up for the future.

MADNUM’s presentation took place on 2 November 2022 at an event reported by various media outlets and attended by Mayor of Madrid José Luis Martínez-Almeida. This is what Cinco Días, El País and El Economista said about Colonial’s flagship in the Spanish capital.

At Runroom we speak digital and can translate the spirit of something abstract into the tangible with the finest team and technology. We know how to create visual storytelling in aspirational and creative projects seeking to stir something in users, and if that’s what you need for your project, we’d love to join you!

Email us to: [email protected] and let discover together the best way to tell your story.