The Year Ahead: Workplace Design in 2018

An iteration of Steelcase’s seven emerging forces in workplace design. Photo: Steelcase

2017 may have socked Americans in the gut with a roiling political and social climate, but a new year continues to signal an opportunity to refocus and renew. Disruption, both positive and negative in nature, continues to rein supreme in 2018.

Here, we present a collection of influences workplace design will contend with in 2018, collected from all corners of the industry. We spoke with Barry Richards, President of IIDA NY and Principal and Studio Leader at Rockwell Group, to hear his take on the issues at hand. We also highlight the seven emerging forces in workplace design that Steelcase anticipates in 2018, as these items were especially compelling.

The Shaw Showroom, designed by Rockwell Group. Photo: Emily Andrews

Disruption and unrest in 2017 have propelled people to ask for more balance, authenticity, a sense of community and the blending of seemingly opposite qualities – maximalism/minimalism, native/global, and cultural/science-driven.

“Community is perhaps the most important movement today. Creating an experience that is shared, that people feel close, with a sense of ritual and togetherness,” noted Mr. Richards. “Office culture is evolving beyond itself to create a community. It speaks directly to the mission that many companies already have in place.”

Not far from the heart of each of these influences is technology; technology’s impact is felt everywhere. New advancements in 3D printing, AI, bioengineering, and more informs and makes each influence more capable of being an agent of change.

Residential design influence

Holistic design geared for company culture. Clients are pouring resources into developing their own company cultures, and will continue to ask architects and designers to create something that embodies that company culture to a ‘T’. Clients want to give employees, customers and the public a window into their past, present and future. Designers must find the best balance between these elements as they craft a physical space, reaching optics and authenticity at the same time.

Designing for smart cities. Offices no longer stand alone. Architects and designers must consider a project’s relationship with the surrounding environment in order to provide superior service to their clients. Markets are converging not just in influence, but in actual space requirements; commercial, retail, residential, hospitality and healthcare spaces are occupying the same buildings, shared amenities and public spaces.

Connected networks and things like free Wi-Fi capabilities are almost at the point of being expected wherever humans are, regardless of place or time.

“The third space used to be Starbucks, but now it’s ‘everywhere’” said Mr. Richards.

The Katamama Hotel in Bali

A premium on self-expression. “Residential and hospitality create a back-and-forth in how to create spaces that are intimate at a high-end level,” said Mr. Richards. “Now, boutique hotels are creating a heightened experience with a bigger concept unifying everything. They create a series of connected experiences that are more memorable and more theatrical, with more ritual and choreography between the spaces. Peoples stay in these spaces, then bring those experiences home, saying, ‘why can’t I have this experience in my home?’”

“Hospitality brings that experience-driven approach, where designers are asking, ‘What are the need states? What do you want this space to feel like?’”

Pantone’s 2018 color of the year made a much bigger splash than that generated by 2017’s Greenery. Ultra Violet, a mystical, supernatural blue-based purple, speaks to a collective urge to use color and design for bold self-expression. Minimalism continues its relevance, but the unexpected, surprising and unconventional has the ability to quench our thirst for creativity.

Ultra Violet, Pantone’s 2018 color of the year, is a mystic, supernatural blue-based purple that speaks to a collective urge to use color and design for bold self-expression and futuristic innovation. Image: Pantone Color Institute

“We are living in a time that requires inventiveness and imagination,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “It is this kind of creative inspiration that is indigenous to PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet, a blue-based purple that takes our awareness and potential to a higher level. From exploring new technologies and the greater galaxy, to artistic expression and spiritual reflection, intuitive Ultra Violet lights the way to what is yet to come.” The Pantone website expands: “A dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade, PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future.”

“There’s a desire for the sense that you can personalize your whole space,” said Mr. Richards. “Companies want to build in that space for creative expression.”

The casualization of everything. Designers are honing a balance between modernity and warmth. This balance comes from residential and hospitality influences, as well as younger generations reaching the workplace.

The Rockwell Group’s immersive, experiential installation at DIFFA Dining by Design 2017. Photo: Rockwell Group

“Millennials are growing up, and their interiors are becoming a little more mature, more finished and upscale,” says Mr. Richards. “Spaces need to shift from day to night more effortlessly.”

A more balanced conversation in both wellbeing & sustainability. Companies are going big on offering their staffs everything from onsite healthy food and beverage options to, state-of-the-art fitness facilities, bike storage, quiet rooms, standing desks, health incentives and other wellbeing-based benefits.

“Companies are really starting to put more faith into the benefits of wellness amenities,” said Mr. Richards. “Wellness initiatives don’t just make people healthy – they contribute to a stronger bottom line by raising productivity and happiness and lowering things like absenteeism and presenteeism.”

Knoll Rockwell Unscripted. Photo: Knoll

More balance is also finding its way to sustainability in the workplace. The c-suite is beginning to approach sustainability not as a box that needs to be checked, but as an important piece of their mission.

Our focus on wellbeing and sustainability is part of the all-inclusive goal of designing for the circular economy – designing “products, services and businesses that are good for people, the planet and business.” As defined by IDEO, a circular economy moves away from “our traditional take-make-dispose economy, to one that has a closed loop, where materials, nutrients, and data are continuously repurposed.”

The Blanc Restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona

– Steelcase’s seven emerging forces in workplace design: Cherie Johnson, Steelcase global design director, and Julie Yonehara, Steelcase surface materials designer, work with teams based in Michigan, Munich and Hong Kong to understand why certain design elements are gaining traction. Below are the seven emerging forces they see affecting workplace design.

Celebrate Communities. “Designers are explorers searching for inspiration in buildings being renovated into more creative workplaces, Johnson tells us. They are conscientious in saving elements of interior architecture that reflect unique parts of a found building. By connecting new work culture in a meaningful way to the collective identity of the location, community and brand, designers are creating authenticity in the workplace in the world. Johnson says workers want to feel more immersed in the story and meaning of where they work in lieu of feeling insulated to place. Thoughtfully finding and exposing authentic layers of history and creating new insertions is the new creative canvas.

“Designers are considering how places are differentiated from our digital world and how a space in one city is unlike its counterpart in another. Urban centers around the globe date back to different time periods. Based on the era in which they were built, certain materials were available and popular at the time. Today, designers are able to connect with those remnants of the past and create more memorable, personalized spaces. This presents a creative tension celebrating the old and new within a space. The desire to embrace and understand history adds an interesting dialogue to the design process as people connect with the authenticity and uniqueness once hidden in century-old buildings.” – Steelcase

Global Inspirations. “Because technology allows us to be instantaneously connected to images and projects taking place all over the world, designers are finding inspirations around the globe. In 2017, hygge, the Danish word for cozy, became more prevalent in the workplace as people sought more informal and residential work environments. Now in 2018, Yonehara says wabi-sabi, a Japanese aesthetic based off nature and imperfection, is an influence resurfacing in the workplace. It’s the influencing ethos for ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangements meant to expand the observer’s appreciation of beauty, which Johnson says is also experiencing a resurgence.” – Steelcase

Scandinavian inspired design

Techno-craft. “Our global environment is helping us connect with cultures and also with craft. The manufacturing technologies and visual tools now available to designers allow them to tap into methods that used to be inaccessible to a broader audience. Shibori, a Japanese approach to dyeing textiles, and Sho Sugi Ban, a Japanese burnt wood art, are two examples Johnson shared of once unattainable crafts now being curated by designers to bring life into the office.

“Yonehara says this juxtaposition of craft and technology is providing people with both authenticity and performance. Light fixtures and ceramic accessories are being created by 3D printers, for example, making these elements more available and more durable for the office in some cases. Craft is being redefined by technology adding different aspects of performance.” – Steelcase

Capitol One building rendering. Courtesy of Rockwell Group

Biophilia 2.0. “When we’re surrounded by digital tools all day long, we yearn for a connection to nature, explains Johnson. Biophilia, the principle that human beings have an innate desire to connect and bond with nature, is experiencing a resurgence because of the balance we need from our digital world and the benefit nature’s restorative qualities provide our wellbeing. Biophilic elements are making more of an appearance in dedicated rejuvenation and focus areas because we need the therapeutic connection with nature more frequently throughout the day.

“Time is a luxury and Johnson is seeing more rejuvenation and respite areas planned on every floor of an office. Office workers need respite especially as they are asked to do more creative problem solving. How do we find peaceful places to think or work with our hands? As we look at the ecosystem of settings people have to choose from at work, Johnson is seeing more nature in the physical environment so people can step away from their desk for an escapist moment. Designers will continue to explore new ways to manifest the restorative properties of nature in the workplace.” – Steelcase

Diversity of Materials. “As the workplace hosts a broader range of cultures and generations, people are gravitating toward more natural and textured materials. Today’s first-time employees are comfortable with a variety of materials, colors and spaces. When people are offered a diversity of spaces, they will find the one that’s the best fit for them…it’s about more than just finding the right spot for different modes of work. Materials create a sense of emotional wellbeing. They help a broader audience find a place where they feel they fit.

Diversity of materials. “As the workplace hosts a broader range of cultures and generations, people are gravitating toward more natural and textured materials. Today’s first-time employees are comfortable with a variety of materials, colors and spaces. When people are offered a diversity of spaces, they will find the one that’s the best fit for them.” Photo: Steelcase

“In addition, Yonehara says she’s also seeing a heightened understanding of the need for respite within the workplace. Technology helps us be more productive, but that also means we need more opportunities to rejuvenate. She’s seeing a wider range of neutrals, translucent and toned down colors as well as textiles with a tactile and warm handfeel to offer calm and comfort in areas of the workplace.” – Steelcase

Designing with Data. “Data has entered the work environment, adding significant value to the conversation between designers and customers. Designers who talk about changing space and culture with customers now have the benefit of non-biased data to help eliminate the fear of the unknown. Does everyone need their own workstation or private office? Or would more private enclaves and collaboration spaces better serve the team? Sensors in the workplace can help organizations learn how often people are at their desks and what kinds of spaces will best support their people. Data can help designers and organizations get to an appropriate design solution, faster.” – Steelcase

Digital Tribalization. “Technology is shortening the distance between the designer and the customer. People are so digitally connected, they are constantly developing and honing their personal design point-of-view. Visceral reactions to imagery found in our social media feeds and online can lead to the assemblage of a context that only fits our view. We “like” and “pin” what we’re drawn to, but then technology uses filters to provide us with more of our preferences, unintentionally narrowing our perspective.

“This digital tribalization changes the conversation between designers and their customers. Johnson says virtual reality and augmented reality will come to bear to bridge the gap between a designer’s holistic vision of the workplace and individual’s unique preferences. Worldwide revenues for augmented and virtual reality are expected to reach $162 billion in 2020, according to International Data Corp.” – Steelcase

The Shaw Showroom, designed by Rockwell Group. Photo: Emily Andrews