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    • 04 September 2018

      Three Must-Ask Questions Before Designing a Workspace

      Workspace design must be rooted in a deep understanding of the organization to create a custom-tailored digital setup and a physical space that meets complex needs. Here are three must-ask questions to ask before designing.

    • What are the ambitions that set the goals for the company?

      Be ready to listen to all voices, and embark on a grand user involvement process. Interview management as well as employees. What vision are they all working for, or hope to work for, from high to low? What are the culture, the patterns, and the values that need to be embedded in the space? What makes the employees thrive? When do teams perform the best as a collective unit? What kind of organization do they hope to be in 10 years?

      Create safe spaces in the research phase, where people trust that they can be honest, and get to know the employees’ ambitions and dreams. For Danish Media House Jyllands-Posten, we are currently conducting a user involvement phase that sheds light on all the complex needs the interior of the future headquarters must meet. This is necessary.

      What kind of challenges does the company face with the new technologies emerging?

      The digital setup and integration of ever-evolving technology play a major part in supporting the design ambitions of a project., Future-proofing the company is an important pillar in achieving their goals.

      Microsoft has built a work life in their Danish head office where technology is completely entwined in their workflows. The Interior design supports 80% of the staff working as agile workers, demanding a highly flexible and mobile digital setup. They now have an office design, and a reliance on technology, that makes it possible to test their own tools and constantly evolve their own brand and product. Ask your client, what are the technologies disrupting their field? What do they hope to gain from technology? Know these answers to design the right solution.

      What can the physical space do for the company?

      Physical space is not just physical space. It enhances and embraces the company if done right. It can alter the atmosphere and challenge existing norms. The joy of working (also) comes from a comfortable space with meaning to the individual, particularly in a world where the workforce is still more perfidious. Make sure the new surroundings reflect the company’s values, that it mirrors their mission, and provides a sense of belonging to the people spending an immense amount of time in the space.

      In the new office space we designed for Pandora, we created a workspace that reflects the company’s brand; giving employees a familiar framework to work in that strengthens the community. Smart design creates a stronger organizational feeling and promotes growth within the business.

      Above all, be sure to design on an informed basis. All companies are different, with different people who want different things. Transcend the knowledge into a meaningful design that is future-proof, and be sure to inform people along the way. To design an interior workspace for the future with employees and creativity going to new heights, new furniture and fresh paint alone just will not do it.