As companies big and small lure people back to in-person work, one tech company is banking on art as the biggest draw. For Intuit, the fintech giant responsible for TurboTax, QuickBooks, Credit Karma, and Mailchimp, the company wanted to do more than provide a desk. When creating a new San Francisco office, Intuit tapped The Bureau, a design firm based in California, to create a place of belonging.

“In every project we do, we’re looking to activate a sense of resonance and grander connection for people,” said designer Sarah Giesenhagen, founder of The Bureau. Known for her art-centered yet pragmatic approach, Giesenhagen worked with a troupe of Bay Area artists and galleries to source nearly three dozen artworks for the 34,000-square-foot space, ranging from traditional 2D paintings and prints to integrated murals and digital installations. “Art can create a richer experience for everyone connected to it—it’s this feeling of supporting each other in the creative community,” she said.

Together, Giesenhagen and Intuit sketched out a curatorial plan for the single-floor workspace, which contains a mix of open and assigned workstations. Arranged in a rough circle, the office radiates around the central elevator core, with cafe-style, library, and lounge seating peppered throughout. “We studied different ways to map out paths that could be explored intuitively rather than overtly,” continued Giesenhagen. “The way we navigate space has a pace to it, and it was important that [through our design] the pace did not dip or rise too much.”

Much of the art animating the space references the local Bay Area context. Abstract, colorful murals by Gigi Allen are based on iconic San Francisco features like the Golden Gate Bridge and rolling fog. On the entry wall adjacent to the reception desk, a large light installation by Office of Things abstracts the Intuit logo into forms that mimic the local landscape. The artistic pièce de résistance is The Sound of Knolling, a 24-foot-long installation in the central conference room by local artist Hannah Ember Sitzer from Antlre. Taking the form of a gallery wall, the piece incorporates original artifacts like guitars, vinyl records, posters, and vintage clothing from the city’s legendary music scene. Sitzer, and nearly all the other artists featured in the office, are Intuit customers.

The emphasis on bright, boisterous creativity in the office extends beyond the picture frame. Material selections take a painterly approach, with a bold color palette designed to inspire, not tire. In the Social Hub, the central kitchen area, and tech bar, banquette seating extends from the kitchen where yellow Fireclay tiles pop against warm wood shelving and checkerboard flooring. “We used yellow as a neutral to warm up the space and set a confident backdrop,” said Giesenhagen. “Intuit wanted a bold and fresh character, but also a feeling of fluidity and calm. The color palette was our mechanism and solution.”

Although the office was designed for Intuit’s dedicated San Francisco workforce, the playful, art-centered space has become a draw for staff across the Bay Area. More than mere decoration, the art lends a human element to the office. As Giesenhagen put it, “We wanted Intuit’s employees to be reminded of what their work empowers others to do, who their clients are, and feel a sense of pride.”