This Q&A with Susan Chang, Senior Vice President, JLL Workplace Design Advisory, was originally published on workdesign.com.
Susan Chang: The AVI-SPL project exemplifies technology that enhances human connection rather than creating barriers to it. The key lesson for designers is to start with behavioral outcomes, not technological capabilities. We designed spaces where collaboration tools emerged naturally from the architecture itself.
The takeaway is this: successful workplace technology should feel like magic, not machinery.
When someone walks into a meeting room and the space intuitively responds to their needs without complex interfaces or learning curves, we’ve achieved true integration.
Modern offices have fresh, tech-enabled meeting spaces that allow teams different ways of connecting and engaging with in person and virtual participants. JLL Brussels, Image Hannelore Veelaert.
The flexible space suits multiple purposes: sometimes a work café, sometimes a host for town hall meetings or client presentations. It features a palette of bright colors carried through the acoustic panels on the ceiling, walls and furniture to create a cozy, energizing community space. JLL Birmingham UK office, Image: Jonathan Banks.
Virtual meetings and use of digital content in presentations have changed the shape and furniture placement in meeting rooms, empowering different ways of connecting and engaging, in-person and virtually. JLL Brussels, Image Hannelore Veelaert.
Hidden away under stepped bench seating for presentations to larger teams, Reckitt embraces space efficiency with individual work booths. Reckitt London office, Image Jonathan Banks.
Integrating sophisticated tech into architectural elements and furniture can be tricky, but “shy tech” is considered the latest luxury. What are the key challenges you encounter, when balancing functionality, comfort, and aesthetics to create united “phygital” (physical + digital) spaces?
The biggest challenge is the fear that visible tech will quickly look dated or create user friction. Our approach is to embed intelligence in beautiful, timeless elements. Think: conference tables with hidden connectivity, walls that double as display surfaces or lighting that provides both ambiance and data feedback.
Collaboration between industrial designers, technologists and behavioral scientists from day one is the key to making this happen. We’re not just hiding wires – we’re reimagining how digital and physical experiences can feel unified. When technology feels like a natural extension of the architecture rather than an addition to it, we’ve achieved that luxury “shy tech” experience.
The Fit-Out Cost Guide research suggests that occupiers are investing more in workplace updates. How is this shaping design priorities (and budgets) in 2025 and early 2026?
The research confirms what we’re seeing globally – organizations are moving from cost-cutting to strategic investment in workplace experience. This shift is driving three major priorities: employee retention through quality workplace experiences, productivity optimization through smart space utilization and brand differentiation through innovative design.
Budgets are increasingly allocated toward experiential elements – advanced air quality systems, biophilic design and technology that learns and adapts to user preferences. We’re also seeing investment in advanced data analytics capabilities that help organizations understand how spaces actually perform, not just how they look.
Beyond aesthetics, how do you measure whether the workplace is truly enhancing user experience? Are there metrics or indicators that signal success?
True success is measured in behavioral change and achieved business outcomes. Data-driven, AI-augmented design decisions lead to more effective workplace evolutions than intuition and best practice expertise alone.
For example, on behalf of clients, we can track utilization patterns through anonymized sensor data, measure collaboration frequency and quality, and monitor employee satisfaction through pulse surveys.
But the most telling indicator is what I call “gravitational pull”: do people choose to come to the office when they don’t have to?
We also measure adaptability – how quickly spaces can be reconfigured for new needs and technology adoption rates.
The proof is in the data. When people are using the tools we’ve provided and the spaces are being activated as intended, we know we’ve created something meaningful and effective.