Photos courtesy of Spacestor
by the Spacestor Experiential Research Team
The pandemic is responsible for a number of workplace changes; the rise of remote work, the recession, and a greater focus on social and environmental issues to name just a few. Among these changes, is a renewed focus on empathy, kindness, and supporting employees in the workplace and beyond — widely regarded to be the key to enticing colleagues back to the physical office.
Returning employees and corporations are preparing for a brand-new, more diverse than ever workforce, with Gen Z entering the workplace for the first time, some of whom have never worked in a “traditional” 9-5 office and have a very different view on what should be prioritized
Enter the world of sympathetic design which, when backed up by policy, can add a genuine level of care in the office and encourage a healthy workspace. In this article we’ll talk about sympathetic and empathetic design, and why designing with empathy is crucial to productivity.
Designing a Sympathetic and Empathetic Space
There are a variety of sympathetic design strategies that can be employed to make the working environment more caring, kind, and supportive: from biophilia and resimercial design to building a kinder, community-first culture.
At its core, an empathetic design acknowledges and addresses health and safety concerns, which have become even more prevalent post-pandemic. It goes without saying that offering a choice of socially distanced, reconfigurable, and adaptable spaces can help address health concerns, as well as give colleagues options from which to choose somewhere they feel comfortable and protected. A universal design will also take into account accessibility for a diverse workforce with different physical needs.
Physical health, however, is just one aspect of a sympathetic design; environments that positively impact mental health, wellbeing, and make employees feel happy experience a 12% boost in productivity as well as greater talent attraction and retention.
When it comes to sympathetic design as a tool to achieve a happy, healthy workplace, solutions must address the main complaints workers have about remote working and offer a genuine alternative.
Lack of belonging, social isolation, and loneliness are the top issues employees reported facing during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, so an environment that provides a sense of community, opportunities for socializing, encourages relationship building and collaboration is sympathetic and empathetic design in action.
Office “neighborhoods” — communities of people who have similar jobs or tasks being assigned areas to work in, rather than individual desks — have been implemented for years to give a sense of ownership to employees, which would theoretically result in a cleaner, higher-functioning workplace.
Post-pandemic, there’s a wider discussion as to whether office neighborhoods are still fit-for-purpose, with various members of staff in the office at any one time. In order to revive our re-discovered need for community, the workplace needs to encourage cross-divisional socialization and co-working to ensure that employees whose team and close contacts may be working remotely are not segregated
Businesses can also embed an empathetic workspace design with community at the forefront by implementing changes as a result of employee feedback, a useful engagement exercise. Through office layout experimentation and trial of environment solutions, which seeks to adapt spaces based on evaluation from those working within it, employers can show genuine care and create a universal design that works for all people. It’s important to note that sympathetic design values everyone as a stakeholder in the organization, from the executive level down to employees, and even customers.
Bringing Home into the Workplace
Sympathetic design principles parallel the social climate; understanding that over the last two years, being at home became safe, comfortable, and vital to survival. By bringing the home into the office, businesses can replicate that same sense of belonging, relaxation, and security.
Design solutions that incorporate residential furniture such as armchairs, lamps, cushions, coffee tables, and mood lighting help to provide a relaxing, gentle atmosphere — a far cry from uniformity and bright, harsh office lighting.
The use of color in workspace design can also contribute to the mood of a workplace, such as the softer, more natural tones adopted by Brookfield Properties when we worked with them to transform their New York headquarters by mirroring the home environment.
Installing furniture designed to promote peace and calm in the workplace, such as the Arcadia, which brings in softer, curved forms and earthy tones, enables the effortless creation of a cozier and more restful vibe, perfect for empathetic design.
How Biophilia and Nature Can Help
Biophilic design — that which brings the outdoors and nature inside — has been scientifically proven to boost the physical and mental health of employees. A study by Human Spaces of 7,600 workers in 16 countries found those that worked in spaces with natural or green features reported a 15% higher level of wellbeing, were 6% more productive, and 15% more creative overall.
Designing with biophilia can easily be achieved by use of color, plants, greenery, water features, art that depicts nature, and most importantly, natural lighting. By having plenty of windows and natural lighting, employees can mitigate social jet lag — a term that details the issues that arise from irregular sleeping patterns, such as psychological stress, fatigue, and poor physical health.
Gen Z, newcomers to the workforce, also give greater importance to sustainability and workplaces that advocate reuse, recycling, and an eco-friendly culture. Biophilic design principles help to achieve this while promoting a healthy, sympathetic design.
