Why You Need to Spend More on Design
Architecture, interior design and furniture design each impact how we feel. If you’re someone who is not particularly aware of this connection, take a moment over the coming days to note your feelings upon entering different buildings, different spaces. Notice the volume. Contemplate the impact of day light and other light sources. Consider the way the rooms are designed, the flow. What about the furnishings? Is it comfortable? Does it look interesting? Is there artwork? If so, how does it affect you? Does the space inspire you? Does it make you feel content? Does it make you anxious? Does it make you feel gloomy?
In the context of the modern office, design is having an important moment. Both occupiers and landlords are searching for ways to curate environments that drive engagement by making employees feel better. The tricky thing about design is you have to start by identifying the feelings you seek to create. It has to be intentional. This exercise is often uncomfortable for those charged with making such decisions. The default construct is about cost, not feelings. For many, it’s easier to choose a design that costs less because they remain largely unaware of how design compromises will end up costing more by muting the effect the space has on employees, clients and partners. Also, it feels risky for stakeholders to argue a more expensive design in the absence of proof of its positive impact. Choosing option A, which is cheaper than option B, yields the simplistic yet immediate result of cost savings, which is easier to understand than cost avoidance. Most organizations still reward near term cost savings.
The future of the office is as a place for employees, clients and partners to feel. Smart landlords will find ways to lean into design, to maximize the design impact their specific asset can have to ensure their building makes people feel good. Obvious steps they may take include designing pre-built spaces which incorporate strong design elements and showcase placement of high quality furnishings. This is not unlike the staging wave that hit the residential real estate markets over the past decade+. Why would a seller stage the home? Because there is always a positive ROI in terms of sale velocity and price. It’s worth it. It turns out the feelings a buyer gets upon entering a carefully curated room, filled with beautiful furniture and thoughtfully placed artwork is different than those one gets when entering the average home, which depicts a less thoughtful approach to design and offers a less aspirational image of everyday life. I’m sure you’ve noticed the strategic photography used to market homes that may otherwise be less than compelling. Artistic shots of objects, for example– objects that have nothing to do with the room, which is cramped and lacks good light. This is not by accident. It’s a marketing “sleight of hand”. The seller’s agent is smart enough to realize the emotions created by the space itself are not consistent with the price being sought. They need a more compelling visual. Many office landlords face a similar challenge. I’d strongly suggest adoption of the residential and hospitality playbooks which seek to impact feelings and experience.
We’ve written and spoken at length about how we believe the office is in an existential battle with technology (like the bookstore before it). How can the office reassert its importance? By great design. Great design makes us feel good, it draws us in. It connects us to place and to people in ways that cannot be achieved in the virtual.