What Workplace Research Says About Designing for Better Performance
There is no single workplace that makes everyone more productive.
That may be one of the most important lessons workplace research has taught us.
People need different environments depending on what they are trying to accomplish. A space designed for collaboration can be distracting when someone needs to focus. A private office can support concentration but limit spontaneous connection. An open lounge can encourage interaction but may not provide the privacy required for a sensitive conversation.
The answer is not choosing one.
It is creating choice.
Design Around the Work
As a MillerKnoll Certified Dealer in Florida, Workscapes has access to research and insights from across the MillerKnoll collective that help us think beyond furniture selection and focus on how people actually experience the workplace.
A high-performing environment typically needs to support several activities:
- Individual focused work
- Small group collaboration
- Larger team meetings
- Informal connection
- Private conversations
- Virtual meetings
- Moments to step away and reset
The right mix will look different for every organization.
That is why workplace planning should begin with discovery rather than a predetermined ratio of offices, workstations, and conference rooms.
The Entire Environment Matters
Furniture is an important part of that strategy, but it is not the only part.
Acoustics can determine whether a focus area actually supports concentration. Modular walls can provide privacy while allowing the floor plan to evolve. Flooring can help define zones, manage sound, and support movement throughout the environment.
Products from Herman Miller, Knoll and the broader MillerKnoll portfolio give our team an extensive toolkit, but the product is not where the conversation starts.
It starts with people.
How do they work today? Where is friction occurring? What needs to change? What does the organization want the workplace to help accomplish?
Research gives us a better foundation for asking those questions.
Design turns the answers into an environment people can actually use.
If you are reconsidering how your workplace supports your people and business goals, contact Workscapes. We can help turn workplace research into a strategy designed around how your organization actually works.