Company Culture
Office Trends

How Kismet Cowork’s design aesthetic helps its community get creative

A look inside the company’s Philadelphia coworking locations — plus, how to get your first month, free.

By mimicking a cell tower, Stingrays scoop up criminal-finding phone data. Problem is, they scoop up your data too. (Photo by Flickr user Marjan Lazarevski, used under a Creative Commons license)

If you work remotely or are just starting a business, there are two things you’ve probably considered.

One, can you really call a cheap Ikea desk your office? And two, when you need to be around other people, is it worth fighting through the latte line for a seat at the coffee shop?

In talking to the team at Kismet Cowork last week, we really liked what they had to say about the type of worker they’re running into more and more.

“There’s a lot of people who don’t necessarily understand that there’s a space for them that provides a mix of business and social networking,” said Christopher Plant, the space’s owner and founder. “It’s the folks who work from home or out of coffeeshops that don’t even realize that they could really benefit from those connections.”

That’s why many business professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs in Philly take advantage of coworking spaces like Kismet.

Kismet opened its first space in Chestnut Hill back in early 2017, and landed in Spring Arts (aka Callowhill) in April of this year. In February, the team is opening a Manayunk location.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5tSokNVWHA]

As you’ll see from the photos below, the intentional design aesthetic is a central feature.

“Nothing about our space feels like it fell off the back of a commercial furnishings truck,” Plant said. “We wanted it to feel like everything was considered. We wanted to model ourselves off of a great architect’s office, or a design firm.”

Calling on local craftsman to design fixtures and furniture, each Kismet space has its own, uniquely Philly, neighborhood vibe.

“When you go into a space that is beautiful, one that is as deeply considered as ours, it becomes much easier to be proactive,” Plant said.

These spaces don’t just offer a creative place to put your nose to the grindstone. They also host social media discussion series, professional development workshops, artist talks and openings, book releases and author interviews, and whiteboard and coding sessions, as well as networking and meetups. Bonus perk: weekly happy hours.

Whether you’re working solo or as a team, Kismet Cowork could have the inspiring backdrop you’ve been searching for. Click here to schedule a tour of one of Kismet’s locations.

And in honor of Technical.ly’s December Office Trends editorial calendar, the first five people to become a Kismet member through this story will receive their first month free. Use the discount code “Tech19” to get started:

Book your Kismet Cowork tour todayhttps://js.hscta.net/cta/current.js hbspt.cta.load(2084427, ‘30844f91-b447-419f-b9ac-14869899cb59’, {});

Find Kismet Cowork at these locations:

  • Kismet Cowork — Chestnut Hill: 12 W. Willow Grove Ave.
  • Kismet Cowork — Spring Arts: 448 N. 10th St.
  • Kismet Cowork — Manayunk: 4230 Main St. (opening February 2019)

This sponsored content article is a part of Technical.ly's Office Trends month.

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