Some of the world’s best design is drawn from the intentional application of art and science. The integration of design principles with sociology, anthropology, ergonomics, and biology, goes beyond aesthetics to consider how spaces influence human emotions, behaviors and interactions. By blending these human factors and social dynamics with creative vision, brand understanding, and market data, companies can design workplaces that give teams what they need to thrive.

Human-led design is not a new concept, but its relevance has grown significantly amid seismic changes in the way people work. JLL research showed that the average number of days in the office is increasing steadily, but hybrid working remains the employee preference worldwide with employees averaging 3.1 days per week in the office. While hybrid work has indeed become the norm, most companies are still working to get it right—including how much time people spend in the office and how that space can best support their efforts. It’s gotten harder to answer questions that used to be relatively simple, like how much space to allot for focused work, versus open, collaborative work.

After all, the simplistic view that focused work should be done at home and collaborative work in the office has been complicated by years of real-world experience. Many employees face challenges working from home, such as distractions from family and a lack of suitable workspaces, especially during times like summer when school’s out. The successful hybrid workplace should offer a mix of spaces that together support people wherever, whenever, and however they work. 

How to achieve this holy grail of hybrid workplace design? That’s where the science comes in.