With more than half of the nation’s workforce on a remote schedule, at least part-time, employees have become comfortable working within their home environment. Designers know that it is going to take a lot more than a list of amenities or catered lunches to get employees back into the office.
Today, it is essential for companies to operate with a people-first design mindset—one that puts its employees’ needs at the forefront to create an inclusive and highly-tailored experience. When an individual on a hybrid schedule does come into the office, they want to be reinvigorated and excited about the work they are doing. Yet even with a new corporate headquarters or a remodeled office, staff members desire more than just a stylish interior. They want to be continually engaged.
“I think that people are looking for authenticity, and there’s less of a sole focus on the look. The feel of an office fortifies the culture and creates joy,” said Michael Stueve, principal, UX strategy, at architecture and design firm Ankrom Moisan. He recently shared his insights on the trends we will see next in the workplace—all centered on putting people first.
Curated Surprises
It’s key for organizations to show that they are dedicated to enhancing every element in the workplace, and this includes providing a sense of newness to enliven a corporate environment. “People need freshness as they reenter the workplace,” noted Stueve. He said that by providing unique offerings, companies communicate to their employees that they are dedicated to investing in their most valuable asset, people.
Stueve said he works with his clients to offer special moments that he calls curated surprises. “A curated surprise is specifically designed for the employees, but they don’t know what is going to happen. And we can do it in a small amount of space. We are adopting this pop-up mentality,” he explained. Even in a ten-by-ten area, a business can set up a juice bar, a mini nail salon, or host a mindfulness retreat at the office. Whatever a company choses, it should align with their core values. “It has to be true to their culture and to the people,” he added.
He also noted that an added benefit includes strengthening community bonds, which is a win-win for all, and a much-needed boost to the economy. “By working with local vendors or small businesses that want to come in and show their wares or give out samples of some of their food, there is a huge opportunity to engage with your neighbors.”
The Office as University
For years hospitality design has been used to create offices that are more like our favorite hotels, with every conceivable amenity available, from bars to restaurant-style cafeterias. Now the workplace is beginning to take its cues from the education arena, with state-of-the-art libraries, classrooms, and training centers with the latest equipment. “The change in technology and innovation is escalating so quickly. The jobs that most people have today will not be the same in five years,” Stueve said. “I think that if we want to predict what the future workplace will be like, we should go to the student union building to see what is going on there.”
He explained that companies will shift to upskilling and training employees rather than simply eliminating positions, giving people other useful roles within the organization. We can also expect to find more chief learning officers and similar jobs dedicated to furthering educational goals and expanding the resources available to every member of the staff. “There will be more learning, training, and mentoring opportunities because they are critical as organizations pivot.”
Younger employees expect the best facilities to support lifelong learning and the continually honing of skills, much like the college settings that feel familiar to them. They not only want to master basic functions, they also want to excel at something meaningful. “As more Gen Zers enter the workforce, there is a requirement for purpose-driven work. And so as designers we are not just identifying values or culture,” Stueve noted. “We are exploring the culture, which is often defined by what a company is committing their resources to.”
The Art of Storytelling
Designers and architects talk about creating activity-based zones or neighborhoods in the office, with options for hoteling or quiet, heads-down work. Stueve also described what he calls a storytelling zone, a focal point that staff gravitates to. For one office, he explained that a wood detail wall with a less obvious representation of the logo became the storytelling zone. “People stood in front of the wall, and it was this natural place to stop and catch a breath. It wasn’t an actual stage but a platform where the story of the organization is told,” he said.
He added that lighting and color are visual cues dubbed “office folklore,” which staff can use as a guide to navigate the space, whether it is soft lighting in a lounge zone or a certain palette. Stueve noted that traditional artwork is still popular, but that textural pieces like embossed wallcovering or corrugated panels are inviting. “We want to have things that you can touch, not necessarily traditional art. Even if it is a stone sculpture that everybody rubs when they walk in the door, we want to provide that tactile experience,” he said.
Stueve added that the right lighting highlights rather than detracts from what is displayed. “The silent companion to tactility is sophisticated lighting design. So when you have a really great texture on the wall, a sophisticated recessed lighting scheme brings out the shadow and the depth. It becomes an installation that stands on its own.”
