New Look: WeFix

WORDS Lindi Brownell Meiring IMAGES Ian Engelbrecht

“The brief was simple, from iFix to WeFix and beyond.” This was the directive given to Whaam Concepts’ Director Patrick Wells when his firm was asked to redesign the look and feel of South Africa’s 30 WeFix stores.

“Our responsibility was to create the physical space that would represent the renewed brand identity and reimagine the face-to-face environments for the brand.”

The first store to take on the new look, located in Cape Town’s CBD, is now finished.

Whaam Concepts’ philosophy, that “when people engage in unique and unconventional environments, great things can happen” informed the design focus in three ways: in terms of transparency, relationships and the introduction of natural, raw elements.

The main objective for CEO Alex Fourie was to create an environment that would help strengthen the relationships between the brand and its customers and to create an inviting space for people to interact within. “Transparency, warmth and communication are the key pillars behind the design thinking,” says Alex.

Full-length glass dividers, which separate the technicians from the front of the store, create an openness within the space, which features a combination of natural raw materials and high-end, finished surfaces. The introduction of living plants into the space brings a sense of warmth to the traditionally stark tech industry.

“Reinventing the physical space that represents the brand’s identity and merging what we as a brand are passionate about was the most fulfilling part of the project,” says Patrick.

The Cape Town WeFix store is located at 11 Buitensingel Street, Cape Town. The new look will be rolled out to all WeFix stores nationwide in the near future.