2023 Trends

How can sensory experiences support a hybrid workplace? While working from home, employees developed new routines such as brewing a fresh pot of coffee, going for a mid-day walk or sitting in a comfortable chair to work. While we know that workplace design is the intersection of brand, culture and the built environment, sensory experiences offer an opportunity to layer in emotional connections throughout the space that can help employees develop routines in the workplace to compliment those formed at home. Sensory experiences support hybrid workplace culture by encouraging employees to connect, engage and evolve together, making room for human-centered design.

Making Connections

Designing spaces for connection has taken on a new meaning since the pandemic. Before 2020, connection in workplace design was often approached through the lens of collaboration. Typically, collaborative spaces were centrally located with flexible furniture solutions. While these space typologies are still relevant, they have taken on a different form in hybrid workplace planning scenarios.

Engaging Spaces

Creating spaces that allow for personalization, comfort, and socialization are essential to keeping employees fully engaged. Hybrid employees want to feel a sense of belonging when they are in the office. Workplaces often integrate hoteling workstations which provide an opportunity to integrate some of these sensory considerations: Personalization, Control and Comfort.

Experience Evolution

As employee needs evolve so too can the spaces that support them. Allowing room for wellness, flexibility and technology experimentation can support employee growth:

• Wellness: Places for wellness and respite connect employees with a sense of calm. These environments are typically designed with natural materials and include plants which are proven to release serotonin.
• Experimentation: Sensory experiences can also be influenced by a space that is easily reconfigurable. Flexible furniture and technology allow employees to experiment with inclusive configurations that can fit their teams needs as they evolve over time.

Sensory experiences are the emotional foundation of the workplace, and the shifting landscape of design offers an exciting opportunity for us to consider how we might integrate these experiences into hybrid workplace environments as we design for the office of tomorrow.

Kendra Linton of NELSON Worldwide explores how sensory experiences can support hybrid workplace culture and make room for human-centered design.

– We’re ringing in the new year with more 2023 trends & predictions! See them all here. –