Perspectives podcast: design intelligence before you sign the lease

When ING Australia embarked on its Sydney workplace transformation, it made an unconventional decision to conduct a Leesman Survey before announcing any relocation plans. The independent survey designed to reveal the effectiveness of a workplace resulted in more than 500 detailed employee comments that would inform every design decision in ING's new office – from soundproof pods for focus work to clubhouses for collaborative energy.

"I can trace probably every design decision to something that someone has said in a survey, in an interview, in the lift, whatever it may be," said Valentina Vulturu, ING's real estate transformation lead. 

The approach exemplifies what JLL calls 'design intelligence' – using data, technology, and human insight to create measurable business outcomes. At JLL's Signature Event in Sydney, held in June, a consensus emerged that the organisations achieving the highest return on investment are doing so because they invest in strategic advisory before making any real estate commitments – not because they have the most collaborative breakout spaces or the latest smart building technology.

The advisory process is where successful workplace transformations begin, yet it remains consistently underestimated. "Just because you bought a house doesn't mean that you can get a good project running," Vulturu said.

For ING, the ability to put the design and construction of its new Shelley Street office to tender three months ahead of schedule stemmed from assembling dedicated resources and breaking down organisational silos between property and IT teams from day one.

JLL research shows 89% of APAC companies are not getting the expected results from their technology systems. That’s what happens when technology involvement comes late said Angela Barwick, executive director of Real Estate Technology Services at JLL. “Organisations face infrastructure compatibility issues, cybersecurity delays and costly design reworks that materially impact both programme timelines and budgets,” she said.

Post-pandemic, many organisations over-indexed on collaborative spaces. Today's challenge requires creating diverse environments that serve how work actually happens. As Michael Greene, JLL's head of Tenant Representation for Australia and New Zealand, observed, people are like plants. "Give a plant the right environment, create something that it will thrive in, and it will grow anywhere in the world given the right conditions.”

This human-centric approach becomes even more critical as AI advances. "Focus rooms are now being designed not just for phone conversations, but for employees interacting with AI as part of their workflow. The workplace of the future adapts to people, not the other way around," said Jennifer Moore, JLL's national practice director for Design.

While 92% of APAC companies are piloting AI, only 3% are achieving their goals, according to JLL – a gap that strategic workplace design can help bridge.

The definition of ROI is evolving beyond cost per square metre to encompass talent retention, operational resilience and business performance outcomes. "Emphasis is on the business uplift," Barwick said. "Technology is not for technology's sake. It's a business enabler."

For Vulturu, ING’s transformation journey reinforced a fundamental principle. "We viewed this project as a people project. Real estate is supposed to serve the business, and the business are the people."