{"id":2259,"date":"2023-09-07T12:43:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-07T16:43:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eptura.wpengine.com\/?p=2259"},"modified":"2024-09-25T10:37:10","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T14:37:10","slug":"design-thinking-and-workspaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eptura.com\/discover-more\/blog\/design-thinking-and-workspaces\/","title":{"rendered":"The connection between design thinking and workspaces"},"content":{"rendered":"

In today\u2019s hybrid workplace where occupancy and utilization fluctuate regularly, space planning<\/a> and creating workspaces that matter to employees has never been more important. The days of a 1:1 desk-to-person ratio are now more the exception than the rule. Sharing space in an office is now as common as using a smartphone to request a ride home or rent a shared bicycle.<\/p>\n

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For many organizations, the workplace is now \u2018on demand\u2019 which has far-reaching implications for workspace and office designers. Employee behavior is dynamic. Many employees want to spend at least part of their time working in an office to\u00a0collaborate in person<\/a>\u00a0with their colleagues, reserve a quiet place to concentrate, and take advantage of on-site amenities.<\/p>\n

Why is this important for a workspace designer? Because everyone expects simple, easy-to-use digital workplace experiences<\/a>. And these experiences are becoming more integrated into collaborative meeting rooms, casual conversation areas, wellness rooms, reception areas, building access, desks, private phone booths, office floor neighborhood zones, and more.<\/p>\n

It’s not as simple as \u201cIf you build it, they will come.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you build it, how will they reserve it? How will they collaborate with remote teams and not have it feel far away? How much energy will they consume?<\/p>\n

Design thinking can help you better understand how employees need to use space and test ways to improve workspace engagement and activity with technology. Everyone is planning for dynamic conditions and for a potentially larger set of stakeholders.<\/p>\n

Whether right sizing or expanding space, workplace decisions often involve large committees including facility managers<\/a>, human resources, technology, and compliance teams. Designing for everyone\u2019s needs requires fresh thinking.<\/p>\n

Background and overview: What is design thinking? Where did it come from?<\/h2>\n

Born out of the industrial and product design<\/a> of the 1950s and 1960s, design thinking is an innovative approach to problem solving that has become increasingly popular in technology products and software. But it applies to any product or service, including workplace design.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a creative and systematic process that encourages experimentation and iteration \u2014 and focuses on the use of a product or service by people. By using design thinking to create workspaces and office experiences, organizations can benefit from increased productivity, creativity, and engagement among workers.<\/p>\n

David Kelley, founder of design firm IDEO, is a pioneer of design thinking. He outlined a \u201chuman-centered designer\u2019s toolkit\u201d in the book \u201cCreative Confidence\u201d which contains five elements for the process: Empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test.Design thinking is an iterative process that helps organizations to develop innovative solutions that are user-centered and solve real-world problems. It encourages the use of creative confidence to take risks without fear of failure and experiment with ideas to create meaningful solutions that ultimately have a positive impact on customers and businesses.<\/p>\n

A 2015 Harvard Business Review article<\/a> describes it as \u201c[a] set of principles collectively known as\u00a0design thinking <\/em>\u2014 empathy with users, a discipline of prototyping, and tolerance for failure chief among them \u2014 is the best tool we have for creating those kinds of interactions and developing a responsive, flexible organizational culture<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Defining the problem: Generating ideas and applying a design mindset
\nDefining the problem is essential. It helps to identify the goal and objectives of a project. You analyze the current design to identify potential improvements, explore different solutions to evaluate the impact, and create a prototype that can be tested with employees.<\/p>\n

The first step is to understand the needs of employees and customers. Designers should identify what they want out of the workplace \u2013 which could include increased utilization from a better experience.<\/a> For example, in today\u2019s workplace, more people are going into offices year over year which adds complexity for facility and asset teams managing asset and space every day because it\u2019s not the same number of people all five days of the business week.<\/p>\n

The number of\u00a0visitors per location<\/a>\u00a0is now higher than pre-pandemic levels across all industries and regions.\u00a0Eptura\u2019s Q2 Workplace Index<\/a>\u00a0finds across-the-board increases in global desk bookings:<\/p>\n