Steve Jobs. Henry Ford. Albert Einstein. What do these men have in common? Aside from being innovators in their respective fields, they were all neurodiverse, and without them, our world would be a much different place. Because workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion have become top priorities for many companies, it’s worth keeping in mind that attracting and retaining diverse talent—while addressing their individual needs—takes more than a great benefits package and an inclusive company culture. In fact, you might have those two things in spades, but your office space may not be as generous or welcoming since designing a workplace for every employee’s unique background requires special consideration.
Creating inclusive spaces that enable every employee to perform to the best of his/her/their ability is something Judith Carlson, senior workplace strategist for New York City–based Ted Moudis Associates, has been well-versed in for the past several years – offering clients tailored solutions for more thoughtful designs that include accessibility for all employees as well as a flexibility to adapt to individual needs. Some fundamental aspects include lighting, noise levels and sound, biophilic design, and enhanced olfactory, auditory, and visual experiences. How these elements affect people—along with designing for sustainability, well-being, and each client’s specific goals is the basis for her team’s work. Of course the timing is fortuitous since plenty of companies are looking to entice employees back in-house post-pandemic, an objective Carlson notes has been on the rise.
“We are finding an increase,” she said. “We saw it even at the beginning of the pandemic when our clients who were mid-construction said, ‘Let’s take a break and think about when we do bring people back how we’ll make them feel safe in the space.’” It started with cleanliness, Carlson noted, and now it’s about bringing back the opportunities you don’t get when you’re working from a home office. “[It’s] creating spaces to support movement throughout the day, but also give people a respite, an area to go and focus, or an area to go and feel energized—a place where everyone feels safe and comforted while they’re still with colleagues and in the community.”
When Carlson first joined Ted Moudis Associates, one of the initial projects she worked on was designing for a neurodiverse workforce. “Our client was a large investment banking firm. Each of their individual teams had their own layouts, ideas, thoughts, and feelings, not just about what their space should look like, but what their space should feel like and what they wanted their clients to experience when coming into it.” For her most recent projects, Carlson said the firm is now helping clients go towards a more nimble environment. “With my first project, employees came in every day,” she explained. “Now we’re designing these spaces in a more agile environment where we’re not assigning workstations and offices.”
While more inclusive and agile design is relatively new, Carlson believes it will continue to evolve over the next several years. “I think it’s going to expand tremendously, and I think the workplace as an experience is what we’re going to be hearing about for the next three to five years,” she said. “It’s going to be, ‘What does the office bring to the table with regards to those utilizing it? What’s going to draw people in?’ It really is that community; it’s that collaboration. It’s providing people opportunities within an office that you simply cannot have from home.”
Most surprising to Carlson regarding her recent work is the fact that clients are open to new ideas. “A lot of times when new ideas are introduced they take longer to catch on, or you see early adopters. Now all of our clients are saying, ‘We want our employees back in. Let’s do this; let’s take risks,’” she said. “I don’t see it as a risk because I think it will reap its rewards tenfold—designing for everyone—but I think our clients are coming to the forefront and realizing that the war for talent is big and [there are things] they can do in order to create space and opportunity for their employees that maybe others aren’t.”
Stefanie Schwalb is a content, editorial, and marketing consultant. With experience in the hospitality, design, culture, business, and technology industries, her short- and long-form work has been featured nationally in a variety of publications.