All posts by : Nicole Horton

In 1976, two industrious engineers established POWER Engineers. It is an engineering and environmental consulting firm who team together to design integrated, multidiscipline solutions for their clients. POWER is an employee-owned company with more than 50 offices and nearly 4,000 employees across North America. With their services in such high demand, POWER has worked hard to house their growing team. One such addition is the new five-story location in Meridian, Idaho. Over the past few years, POWER has successfully transitioned its staff out of separate locations and deposited them in a beautiful office built for flexibility.   

Cohesion & Flexibility

Leading the charge to create a space worthy of their brand was Business Unit Director, Daniel Krancer. With a background in architecture, Daniel volunteered to support the Operations Facilities team in developing a hybrid design for the new office. With few examples of how to successfully implement a hybrid work environment like POWER envisioned, Daniel visited offices that were experimenting with a hybrid workplace. It took him all over the US and provided him with many great ideas to fulfill POWER’s vision. That vision included the concept of cohesion in the POWER team and a flexible work environment that adapts to different needs and uses at any time. 

Designing Key Spaces

With that vision in mind, the design team tackled how to turn those ideas into physical spaces. Since POWER’s big differentiator is their people with a focus on collaboration and innovation, highlighting their culture became a large part of their design choices. They did this by first, lowering cubicle walls to encourage communication and transparency.

Second, they built the “Charging Station”, a large break room cafe on their main entry floor to create and showcase the energy and comradery of their teams. Third, they designed an open staircase that winds up all four production floors to keep the spaces connected. Additionally, media center walls were placed at the top of each staircase to show POWER’s innovative solutions and internal updates. The addition of a large glass-walled training room showcases POWER’s commitment to innovation and learning for clients and colleagues alike.

“There is a tremendous amount of inspiration that comes from being in a great training environment. When people walk by, they can see for themselves that our company is actively investing in training, growing, and learning.”

Daniel Krancer

Finally, a broadcasting room serves as a great example of POWER’s commitment to training their teams no matter where they are. In essence, they have created a virtual lecture hall where online participants have an equitable seat in the training. Meanwhile, the instructor can engage with each student as if they were in the room.  

Tech Spaces For Multiple Uses

The vision for team cohesion shines through tech-enabled spaces throughout the office. The POWER team wanted to identify purpose-built spaces, so they incorporated phone rooms, huddle, and focus rooms, and myriad conference rooms to fulfill their team’s various needs. The phone room provides employees with a few moments of privacy while the focus rooms are specifically designed for different teams to sit down, share content, and work through a project together. The huddle rooms (open and private) are designed for two to three people to share ideas, brainstorm, and generally be creative in an intimate, conducive environment. From there, the conference rooms are tailored according to the team meeting size and are useful for video conferencing and sharing content. POWER invested in their technology, so they have great cameras and screens to share content no matter the size of the space. Finally, there are design spaces that teams can reserve for a week or more to work together on a project. These rooms are full of whiteboards, screens, and anything else they need to collaborate effectively.   

Designing For Flexibility

With a focus on cohesion in collaboration, POWER purposely designed its workstations to be generic in the sense that few are owned by a single person. “We want people to say, ‘Hey, for the next two weeks I’m working with these eight people so I’m going to go sit by them.’ They can take over a desk, a front porch collaborative area, or a design space and work with those people.” Flexibility was fully realized in the plan for designing four categories of workstations depending on an employee’s flexibility preference. Footprint A is for employees who plan to be in the office full-time, personalize their space, and have storage. Type B is for those who will come in three days and don’t need storage but want more desk space. Footprint C is for employees coming in once a week and sharing the space with someone else. Type D employees only come in for very specific reasons and use a hotelling station for the day. Finally, reservable private offices round out the offering to support employees however they choose to work.  

Supporting Their Workforce

With so much flexibility in where and how they work, POWER employees can do their best work regardless of location. Thanks to the vision of cohesion and flexibility, the company has created an environment that supports its purpose of “Do Good. Have Fun. Build Success”. When it comes to creating a hybrid environment that empowers employees, POWER Engineers is leading the way in what it looks like to create thoughtfully designed, exceptional spaces.   

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Recently we helped a customer move to a beautiful new corporate headquarters location. As part of the deal we agreed to help them recycle their old office furniture—floors of it.

After brainstorming ideas, we decided to reach out to some local nonprofits in Boise to see if any of them could use some donated furniture. I emailed our list of customers, explaining the story of the local company with multiple floors of furniture to donate. I included my cell phone in the email and asked for any takers to contact me personally.

Almost immediately after sending the email I started receiving phone calls inquiring as to the furniture available. The phone calls went on all afternoon and at 5pm when it was time to leave the office, I had 27 voicemails still left to call back. How in the world was there so much interest? And why did I include my personal cell phone and ask people to contact me personally?

As I would find out in the coming day, the email I sent had gone sort of viral. Individuals who received my email forwarded it to every nonprofit they knew. Then some nonprofit aggregate websites sent out my email to hundreds of nonprofits in their lists. Over the next few weeks, I fielded several calls a day regarding donated furniture. In the end, we established a list of over 120 nonprofits who were hoping to receive some of the decommissioned furniture.

Lessons learned:

1. Old furniture doesn’t need to end up in the landfill.
2. Donating furniture feels great and can help a lot of organizations.
3. If you do donate furniture, there is a better way to have people contact you than calling your cell phone.

Scott Galloway   

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Two exciting announcements to share today: 

1. Merger of OEC and Machabee Office Environments  

2. Restructure of both companies under the new name — Create Spaces   

Merging of two great organizations 

Last October (2023) OEC acquired Machabee Office Environments—. The merger creates a larger company that spans both Nevada and Idaho, with offices located in Boise, Las Vegas, and Reno. With over a century of combined market leader experience, our unified mission is clear: to deliver exceptional spaces on time, on budget.  

From Snow-Capped Mountains to Shimmering Desert 

Our service area now reaches from the tip of Northern Idaho to the Mojave Desert in Southern Nevada— and everything in between. This extremely diverse area will be serviced by an installation team of nearly 40 skilled tradesmen. Our skilled labor force is one of our key strategic resources and enables us to take on some of the largest and most complex projects in Nevada and Idaho. 

Furniture + Technology + Prefab Construction 

Each business brings something unique to the table. Machabee has long specialized in furniture for Government and Education spaces. OEC specializes in furniture, audiovisual technology, and prefab construction for corporate and healthcare spaces. The unified suite of offerings will include furniture, technology, prefab construction, and skilled labor services in all markets.  

Create Spaces 

In the original planning of the merger, we were either going to keep the OEC or Machabee name. However, after discussion and consideration, our leadership team wanted to create an entirely new brand identity that could be more than either company has been in the past. The name Create Spaces was introduced by one of our employees at a daily team meeting. The name immediately took hold, and we ran with it. Our hope is the simple and modern name Create Spaces will resonate with customers who will trust us to help them elevate their work, education, and collaboration spaces. 

Updated Showrooms, the future of work 

Create Spaces operates showrooms in Boise, Las Vegas and Reno. These active worklabs focus on the latest in furniture, cutting-edge audio-visual technology, and innovative prefabricated walls. Create Spaces is an authorized Steelcase dealership and features partnerships with many other furniture and technology manufacturers. We’re excited about the upcoming updates and renovations planned for the Las Vegas and Reno locations. Stay tuned for our open house events later this spring where we will showcase the future of work.  

Scott Galloway 
President 
Create Spaces 

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Homes are now part of the ecosystem of work: 75% of people have a dedicated workspace at home. People have learned how important a high-functioning home office is to their work and wellbeing.

Whether you use it one day or all week, a home office has become an essential space for both professional and personal use. While more people say they prefer working from home than the office, that number has dropped by 9? Since 2021. A lot of things can influence a person’s preference. But it’s clear the pandemic home office setup – with spare bar stools doubling as office chairs – wasn’t a long-term solution. People also learned some of the ‘fast-furniture’ options that looked great online didn’t feel great after working in them all day. It’s important to get the same level of comfort and support at home as you do in the office.

1. Globally people work an average of 1.7 days a week from home.

It varies by age, occupation, size of company and where you live.

Designing a Home Office That Works

To help you stay productive throughout the day, Steelcase suggests focusing on your comfort and health first.

2. Identify the ideal space.

Working from home is likely the place you’re doing a lot of focus work, so the place you choose matters. Start with a spot that is quiet, without visual distractions. Try to find a place with natural light. Connecting with nature does wonders for your mental health.

3. Choose the right chair.

People sit more at home than in the office. Look for a chair that lets you dial in a precise fit by adjusting the tension or amount of resistance you feel in your back as you recline to your personal preference. The chair should still allow you to stay connected to your work with your arms parallel to your desk and your eyes level with your screen as you recline. The right chair can keep you comfortable and supported, allowing you to focus longer.

4. Consider the essentials.

It sounds obvious, but many people wind up with desks at home that are too small or too big for their space. You need room on your desk for at lead your laptop, keyboard, mouse and phone. Height-adjustable desks allow for healthy movement throughout the day – a smart solution for lasting comfort.

5. Don’t forget performance tools.

You may not have thought about it, but tools like monitor arms can help you achieve greater comfort by putting your screen in the right position to help achieve greater comfort by putting your screen in the right position to help reduce eye and muscle strain. Laptop risers keep your device on a stable surface and at the right height whether you’re seated or standing.

6. Find the best light.

Look for highly-adaptable task lighting designed for video meetings that provide just the right amount of light on your face. A table lamp can also provide soft illumination for virtual meetings.

7. Curate a good background.

Create a distraction-free backdrop for virtual meetings with a well-curated background. If your work zone is part of a living space, consider a screen or room divider to create both physical and mental separation between work and home.

A Greener Home Office

Much like ‘fast-fashion,’ the phenomenon of ‘fast-furniture’ is designed for shorter life cycles and is being thrown into landfills at an alarming rate. Consider your furniture choices at home, in addition to recycling and watching your energy use.

8. Look for furniture made to last.

Higher quality furnishings have a more useful life and are less likely to end up on a landfill.

9. Choose pieces intentionally designed to limit waste.

These pieces not only use less materials and less resources to ship, but can have the added benefit of being lighter and easier to move within your home.

10. Look for certifications.

Find certifications that tell you the material makeup of the furniture to be sure they don’t negatively impact human health.

11. Think about who else may be using this space during the course of a day.

If you have pets or kids at home, consider how else the space can serve your home once the workday is done.

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A single room can do a lot for an organization. Whether that is reinforcing company culture or creating a sense of trust with clients. Today we highlight two spaces from different companies and how these intentionally designed rooms help each company meet its goals.

Reinforcing Culture Within A Physical Space

Accenture is an international company with thousands of employees across numerous offices. Establishing a unified culture across so many different offices can be a major feat. The photo here is a great example of how to do reinforce a culture within a physical space.

Pictured above is an open workspace doing a few important things for its employees.

1. It provides a place for multiple individuals and teams to work in a collaborative environment. Seeing coworkers easily and sitting in close proximity to them can help create camaraderie and provide a sense of belonging.
2. This workspace is equipped with t audio visual technology. Introducing technology to a space allows teams to easily collaborate and work through projects together furthering their company’s goals.
3. Vinyl decals reinforce the company’s values. Along the back wall is imagery putting the company focus front and center for employees to see and remember daily. No organization can create a strong culture without multiple avenues of reinforcement.

How To Create A Modern, High Class Space

Idaho Central Credit Union (ICCU) recently started a Wealth Management Division on the first floor of its Member Service Center West location in Meridian. Unlike most of their installations, this office has a unique look and feel. The space pictured below is a great example of how to intentionally design a modern, and timeless work environment in which to welcome wealthy individuals.

Three important design details make this space work.

1. Dark, rich finishes. ICCU harkens back to the dark finishes of wealth management companies by selecting dark wood for this private office. At the same time, they have chosen a color that is timeless and a desk that is highly functional.
2. Cool tones. While blues and greens are very on brand for ICCU, bringing cool tones into a space help create a sense of calm in an environment. It is a welcoming color that contrasts well with the darker finishes.
3. Lighting with glass walls. By installing floor-to-ceiling glass walls, each office has privacy without losing light. Unlike traditional stick-frame walls, the glass creates transparency both physically and psychologically. It also lets the light in while looking sleek and modern.

What can intentionally designed spaces do for your organization?

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Audiovisual (AV) technology is stepping into a significant role in helping create workplaces that prioritize employee wellbeing. These technologies are enhancing comfort, communication, and the overall workplace experience.

Lighting & Visuals:

AV systems can replicate natural lighting patterns, positively impacting employees’ circadian rhythms and mood. Dynamic lighting systems that mimic the changing daylight can promote alertness and better sleep patterns.

Acoustic Comfort for Wellbeing:

Sound masking technology is an excellent way to emit a subtle, soothing background sound to mask distractions and create a more private and focused work environment. Additional acoustic panels and materials can reduce noise reflections while creating a more peaceful environment. For added benefits, companies can choose to play relaxing music in addition to sound masking.

Ergonomic Collaboration Spaces:

Interactive displays and digital whiteboards make collaboration easier during meetings, providing ergonomic options for brainstorming and idea sharing. This technology supports flexible furniture arrangements so you can do what works for you.

Flexible Meeting Solutions:

Video conferencing solutions make remote employees feel they have a place in every meeting. With intuitive cameras, sound control, and lighting, conference room technology is helping remote employees achieve telepresence, a.k.a. the feeling they are in the same room while physically elsewhere. In turn, in-person meeting attendees can easily collaborate with those outside the office and schedule spaces to be ready for their meetings. These meetings build camaraderie between teams regardless of their physical location.

Personalized Experiences:

Employees can use digital signage to display tailored or personal content based on their preferences, which gives them a feeling of ownership over their workspace.

By integrating these AV technologies, companies can create work environments that are visually and acoustically pleasing and contribute to employees’ physical and mental wellbeing. This results in increased job satisfaction, productivity, and overall quality of work life.

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In 2019, Dan McKnight was half-retired from the construction industry and needed something to do. His wife Andrea was also looking to get out of the mortgage industry, so when the idea of creating a business in insurance liability limits tracing fell into their lap, they jumped on it. “We evaluated the market and said, ‘We can do that, but we can do it better.'” says Dan. It took about four months for Dan to get the newly minted company off the ground from his dining room when the checks started coming in, and Andrea quit her job to help run the business. Today, Dan is the President of Red Folder Research, running the production side of the company, while Andrea has taken the role of Vice President, running the operations.

What Red Folder Does

Red folder offers niche investigative services for personal injury attorneys who represent clients who have been injured. They help attorneys assess and determine the financial limits of case including the maximum amount the at-fault party’s insurance may be willing to pay. All insurance policies have a maximum amount they are obligated pay. Insurance companies want to pay as little as possible and attorneys want to recover the maximum their clients need to be made whole. Red Folder’s services can facilitate the resolution and compromise process and cut the length of time from injury-to-settlement by 90% or more.

“We can do that, but we can do it better.”

Dan McKnight

Red Folder revolutionized the industry by sticking to its core values of Speed, Accuracy, Service, and Development. They have a 99.8% accuracy rate compared to 80% in the rest of the industry, which has brought attorneys from around the U.S. flocking to their door. Since its founding in 2019, Red Folder has completed over 50,000 cases and recently doubled its daily caseload from the previous year. Red Folder also does very little advertising and has made no sales calls since their first day in business when Dan found an attorney willing to give him a shot. Within eleven minutes, Dan found and sent the information the attorney needed. That attorney became such an ambassador for their service Red Folder has never had to make another sales call.

Red Folder’s Massive Growth

With such a massive increase in demand for their services, Dan and Andrea had to grow their team quickly. Within the first two years, they were up to twelve employees and using garage sale office furniture. Today, they have designed and built two adjacent office buildings and have fifty-three employees, having hired twenty-six of them since May. Their original plan was to lease out one of the new buildings to another business until they realized they needed to fully occupy both new buildings.

The Vision For The Space

When Dan and Andrea started planning for their new construction office buildings, they wanted a clean, modern, and timeless environment where their employees liked to come to work. To achieve this look and feel, they chose to use floor-to-ceiling glass walls for all their private offices and bullpen-style workstations in central areas to increase the energy and collaboration of those spaces. While their branding is red, all their finishes include warm woods, leather, cool-toned fabrics, and green plant life.

With so much change in such a short time, Dan and Andrea have had to work closely with OEC Designer Jen Galloway to adapt the spaces to meet their needs. “I think in any relationship, you must go through some rough patches to figure out what you need and make that relationship harmonious. We have done that with all our vendors, but the entire time, OEC has desired to make us happy.” Andrea shares. Dan adds, “I think Jen knows me well enough now that when I say I need something, I know she is going to nail it.”

Favorite Office Spaces

Dan and Andrea’s favorite parts of the new offices are: 1.) Their large conference room that can hold all their employees for their quarterly “State of the Company” meeting, and 2.) The “Bullpen” which is a space with six workstations that helps keep the teamwork and energy high.

Sticking To Their Core Values

With so much happening so quickly, Dan and Andrea are planning for the future through the lens of their core values of Speed, Accuracy, Service, and Development. They are dedicated to consistently delivering an amazing service, but when it comes to their employees, Development is the focus. “We think everything should be getting better, not bigger, but better. Processes, techniques, equipment, personal lives, relationships, vacations, possessions. Everything in our lives should be getting better, and if it’s not, then we need to figure out what’s keeping that from happening,” says Dan.

“We think everything should be getting better, not bigger, better.”

Dan McKnight

Helping Their Employees Achieve Better

As they strive to improve everything for their team, Andrea shares, “Dan and I are striving for a more balanced life. A good life. We also want to provide a place where our employees love to come every day and work hard so they can earn an income to create the life they enjoy.” Dan adds, “Not everyone would trust a brand-new company, especially one operating from a dining room, so our goal is to invest in our people and demonstrate our commitment to them.

Andrea continues, “We’ve gone through some hard times in the last six months dealing with capacity issues, and people have sacrificed so much for this company that it makes me emotional. We couldn’t do it without that sacrifice. I want them to feel rewarded and like they are part of something that has grown into something great.”

With their new spaces meeting the needs of their staff and more business rolling in by the day, Dan and Andrea have their hands full. Regardless of what the future holds, you can count on the fact that they will continue to strive toward better, no matter what.

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Lessons from Silverwood Theme Park

Destination Location in the Woods of Northern Idaho? 

Last year almost a million people traveled to a remote area in the woods of northern Idaho. I have personally traveled there along with my wife and four kids. What’s up there? A fun and very successful amusement theme park by the name of Silverwood. How did an amusement park get built in such a remote place and how did it become a destination location?  

In 1981 a man by the name of Gary Norton purchased a small aerodrome (fancy name for small airport). In addition to servicing private clients with airplane needs, Gary established one of the hangars as an antique plane museum. A few years later Gary happened to be passing through Reno, Nevada where he attended an auction. At the auction he saw a 1900’s era locomotive and at that moment had a vision of planes and trains being the anchor of some sort of theme park. A bidding war ensued between him, and Disneyland and he came out victorious. 

A Town To Go With The Train 

With the train now on his land, Gary enlisted family members and built a train track going around his property. He began thinking about what else might cause people to come to his property to ride his train and see his antique planes. And so, he decided a 1900’s little town would need to be built. Gary hired local craftsmen who built a small town on a Main Street. And then in 1988 Silverwood was opened. 100,000 people came that first year to ride the steam train and to see the trick plane show. 

Every year after that, Gary added new attractions to keep people coming back. Live musical shows, a roller coaster, an ice rink, a water park, another roller coaster. Whatever would delight the guests and keep them coming back year after year after year. Today, Silverwood has become a thriving and successful destination location amusement park that has entertained and brought a smile to millions of guests. 

The Office As A Destination Location

Last week I read an article Gensler had written regarding businesses that are trying to get their employees to come back to work at the office. One line caught my attention, “If people are to come to the office, they’re coming because it’s a destination, not an obligation.” So I’ve been thinking the past few days about how to make the office a destination location. Naturally, I started thinking about destination locations and why people go to them. Silverwood came to mind because it’s such a great place in such a remote location; I was curious how it all got started. 

So how do we create destination locations for our businesses? Let’s think about our guests—or our employees. What will bring them back day after day and put a smile on their face? Here are three things I thought of: 

1. Culture

Culture for me is the aggregate of the values an organization embraces. In successful organizations these values are identified by the leadership team and then taught, rewarded, and reinforced at every available moment. In less successful (toxic is the going term) organizations the values are decided upon using “Lord of the Flies” methods (mob rule)—which can sometimes produce good values I suppose—but is more likely to produce values more conducive to murder and mayhem. Are your organization’s values driven by leadership or by Lord of the Flies? If you are wanting to revisit your values, check out the book Traction, which has a simple process to follow to develop your values and mission statement. 

2. Space

Your working space should be awesome. Or at least it should be better than employee’s homes. You don’t need to build an amusement park of course. But I do think we can learn some lessons from Silverwood. Let’s start with thinking about our guests and what they want, what will bring them back time and time again. Think about your employees, what do they want? According to studies from Steelcase, employees want a couple of things in their workplace today 1) more privacy 2) better collaboration spaces. 

Privacy

Your employees—particularly those in open office spaces—need enclaves where they can retreat to when they need some privacy. Phone booths, reservable private offices, small huddle rooms, and meditation rooms are all good ways to give employees places to go for quiet and privacy. Pro Tip: Space your enclaves and quiet spaces throughout your organization. If they are easy and close to get to, your employees will use them. 

Better Collaboration

Regardless of what business you are in, when your employees collaborate effectively, the production power of the team can become more than the raw sum of the individual capabilities. In a high-functioning office where meaningful collaboration happens 1+1 can equal 3 or even more. Here are a couple of keys to high performing collaboration spaces:

1) Easy to use AV (audio visual) technology. If it’s not easy to use, your employees simply won’t use it. Instead, they will likely go to their house where they know they can start a team or zoom meeting on their laptop without calling IT. If your AV tech is easy to use and makes your employees look good, your employees will use it.

2) Reservable—in a well-planned office space you should have reservable collaboration spaces. For the reservable spaces, get a room reservation system. They are inexpensive and allow employees autonomy and power in determining where and how they meet.

3. Silverwood Thinking

The best theme parks in the world are always coming up with new ways to delight their guests. Every year they add an attraction. Consider the same concept with your office space. Survey your people, go visit other businesses, constantly think what you can do to improve your space and keep your employees excited to come back year after year. 

Good luck in making your own office spaces into a destination location—not an obligation location. 

Scott Galloway   

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8 Insights and ideas for a new era of work.

Small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are crucial to the economy as they make up a significant portion of the job market and contribute to economic growth, driving innovation and competition. How they work matters.

Characteristics of SMBs

Interestingly, employees at SMBs are more likely to work in the office three or more days a week than those at larger companies (75% vs. 65%). They’re also more likely to have an assigned desk. Only 9% of people at SMBs work at an unassigned desk. Yet, like their peers at larger businesses, these employees say the biggest reason they come into the office is collaboration and focus work and they would come often for individual spaces that are more private, assigned and larger. These employees also cite spaces for wellbeing and flexible furniture as increasingly more important.

Like larger companies, SMBs need to create work neighborhoods that will support the different kinds of work their people do throughout the day. Their offices will need to provide a range of interconnected spaces that include: individual spaces assigned to one person or shared amongst the team; collaboration spaces for in person and virtual interactions; places with appropriate privacy for individual work or rejuvenation; areas to gather, socialize and learn from teammates.

Businesses of all sizes need neighborhoods to help people feel connected to each other, their work and their company culture. They follow the same design principles and space types needed by large companies, scaled appropriately for their size. This floor plan is an example of how to create a great neighborhood in a smaller footprint that addresses the various needs people have throughout the day.

Key features for a successful neighborhood

1. Dedicated workstations, phone booths and enclaves located at the back of the neighborhood provide places for maximum focus and privacy.
2. Collaboration spaces adjacent to workstations promote connection and can double as a training space.
3. Flexible team space can be easily rearranged to accommodate work needs.
4. Private offices in the center offer a range of settings.
5. A centrally located space for hybrid collaboration meetings allows people to easily connect virtually and in-person.
6. Public social spaces at the entrance create a warm welcome for employees and guests to connect.
7. Unassigned benching gives hybrid workers a place to call home.
8. Acoustic pods adjacent to unassigned benching workstations give people a place to take a video call or focus.

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1. Color is a key ingredient to creating an inviting office space.

Even a subtle change can make a big difference.

2. Color is powerful.

It evokes strong emotions, feelings, and memories. It can calm, excite and inspire – influencing our mood and affecting our emotional and physical wellbing.

Our world is infused with different hues, tones and intensity that influence us. That’s why color is vital to the human experience – and to place. People can walk into a space and immediately feel better – or worse.

Color also reflects culture and the shifts in society’s response to the world around use. The color palette humans are drawn to is ever evolving and we are responding to forces that we can’t articulate but can feel at a visceral level. In the places we work, color communicates in ways we might not be consciously aware of, but it influences how we feel. Ask yourself, do you feel good when you walk into your office? Does it signal feelings of warmth? Is it welcoming?

Color and the Workplace

Workplace color palettes in the past signaled, “We’re all business here.” They reflected an early infatuation with technology, but the aesthetic often felt cold and antiseptic. To combat this, many organizations responded by embracing bright primary colors and introducing slides and jungle gyms. While the intent was to infuse joy, the workplace was not always practical for getting work done. Nor a soothing environment for people in high-stress roles.

Today, hybrid work has blurred the lines between work and home. People want the comforts of home when they are in the office. Recognizing this desire, designers look at how to use color to create workplaces where people feel good and want to be.

The process of creating relevant color choices for today’s workplace starts with an exploration of macro forces and societal shifts. It is important when looking at color’s uses when creating places that support the ways people work.

Inspired by the comforts of home, this palette incorporates soft neutrals and natural materials. The chunky textiles remind us of a cozy blanket, or favorite nooks at home and can offer a sense of serenity.

3. Of all the forces influencing work, people’s need for emotional and physical wellbeing accelerated during the pandemic. It is influencing workplace design and the colors that people are drawn to.

This is especially important as we recover from a global pandemic and are still living in a time of uncertainty and volatility. Stress, anxiety and the physical toll they take has impacted all of us. People are talking openly about mental health and employees have heightened expectations of their employers and how they will support their overall wellbeing.

Immersed in technology, people yearn for more humanity. They are seeking comfort, familiarity and a sense of sanctuary and are drawn to places that create a soothing, domestic sensibility. With these insights, designers can begin to envision colors that appeal to what people need and apply them in ways that humanize space to better support their cognitive, physical and emotional wellbeing.

Like vastness of a midnight sky, this palette feels expansive yet comforting. With a hint of light purple and multiple textures, it creates an atmosphere of luxury like a favorite indulgence.

4. Natural elements help balance pervasive technology.

As technology and mobile devices permeate our lives, along with their techy aesthetic, the more we crave the balance that natural elements can bring.

5. Warmer neutral colors evoke feelings of comfort.

Neutral color is grounding, natural and timeless – and can e paired with vibrant and bold accents to create a unique and inspiring aesthetic. Bringing these colors into the workplace can help make it feel more secure, stable and supportive.

6. Home and office aesthetics intersect.

People want a new aesthetic at home, in the office and at the cafe down the street – everywhere they go. The boundaries that used to define our spaces are fading. People want to balance performance with a domestic sensibility. This helps them feel a sense of comfort at work as much as they do at home.

This palette began with imagining some of our favorite places in nature and weaving natural elements with man-made spaces. From the green hues in our favorite gardens to the desert landscape brought in by a rich terra red, this palette brings nature to product and wellbeing to humanity.

7. Biophilia matters even more.

Colors, shapes and patterns that incorporate design principles around leaves, flowers, animals, trees and other outdoor elements can subliminally help people feel more grounded and a greater sense of wellbeing. This impacts the colors we’re drawn to. It also the materials and finishes we prefer, such as those made of natural elements like wood, stone or even recycled materials.

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