5 Reasons to Keep the Poufs
Why this humble detail is a hero in the human-centered workplace
Poufs (or ottomans) might seem like a small design detail, but they’re packed with purpose. As we rethink the workplace through the lens of Affordances, emotional, physical, and cognitive, poufs offer subtle but powerful benefits.
Sustainable Packaging: More Than a Question of “Paper or Plastic”
Whether we're walking through our local grocery store or opening a delivery box, we all encounter packaging every day. An unsung hero of global commerce, it protects our products, preserves freshness, and enables safe transport.
But packaging also plays a lead role in one of today’s most pressing environmental challenges: waste. As consumers and companies alike seek greener solutions, the race is on to reimagine packaging for a more sustainable future.
Use Affordances to Optimize Learning Spaces
It’s intuitive that learning happens anywhere, but some spaces foster learning better than others. What distinguishes an effective learning space, one where students and teachers want to be? Thoughtful, intentional design. Human performance is enhanced by spaces that provide physical, emotional, and cognitive affordances. From Haworth's research and expertise designing workplace and education spaces, we know that tailoring spaces to meet the specific needs of individuals in these three affordance categories helps optimize the way students learn and work. Let’s look at the role of each affordance in educational settings.
Designing for Inclusion
Intentionally or not, workspace design speaks a language that conveys information about culture, norms, and commitment to well-being. People who understand the language can use and make their way around the space without much difficulty or stress. They are readily able to locate other people and the resources they need to work effectively. We call this the “legibility” of the workspace.
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The Evolving Workplace
Over the past 5 years, we have seen a seismic shift in the office landscape. The rise of hybrid policies has brought about an increased need for unassigned and activity-based spaces. These changes are redefining workplace culture and design. To gain a deeper understanding of these evolving trends, Haworth researchers recently conducted a global survey of 408 facility experts.
These are 6 key insights we derived from our data: