Designing for Tomorrow’s Workforce

It's a challenge to find the perfect balance between remote work and in-office collaboration in the world of hybrid work. By thinking strategically with innovative design, we can create spaces that inspire and empower teams no matter where they work.

Using our data-driven research, we recently redesigned our Marketing team’s space in our Holland, MI headquarters. We wanted to reengage our Haworth members and create a hybrid workspace that fosters innovation and culture.

Reimagining the Workspace Landscape

When our designers started the project, they asked some questions. How do you create a space that makes people want to leave home and commute? How do you revive a department’s culture?

Like many of our clients, we had to reimagine our space and understand how it could better serve our members. We learned that our workspace had to evolve and equip our members with the necessary tools to support hybrid work.

Ultimately, we found that the driving forces in this return-to-work landscape are team engagement, social connection, and immersive technology.

The Power of Team Engagement

Building team engagement became a cornerstone of our redesign strategy. To regain the spirit of collaboration and innovation within our Marketing team, we needed a space that fosters connection and encourages teamwork.

We wanted to create an Organic Workspace neighborhood for each individual team, and our 5 themes for the Future of the Office were our compass. These themes—Immersive Technology, More Collaboration, Focus to Restore, Space Shift, and More Human—guided our design decisions and reshaped our Marketing department’s culture and dynamics.

Redefining Workstations

Before our renovation, our Marketing team had rows of workstations, few open areas, and little flexibility in shared spaces. The adjacent conference rooms and touchdown spaces didn’t accommodate collaboration or individual focus work well.

During the redesign, we arranged every workstation to shield people from high-traffic corridors and build cohesion within teams. We gave members better user control and flexibility, including different workstation orientations and postures. We also strategically placed touchdown stations for hybrid members at the center of the floorplan, giving them a dedicated space within the heart of the Marketing Department.

Our follow-up surveys showed that overall member satisfaction with the variety of space types within the new layout rose 22%, and 19% of our Marketing members were more satisfied with the utility of those spaces.

The Collaborative Hub

We added Pergola workspaces to create high-functioning, open collaborative areas. Beyond the aesthetic appeal, Pergolas were designed to be functional. The exterior plane provides opportunities to integrate technology or writable surfaces.

Our Pergola and Cabana Lounge, a comfortable sectional sofa, quickly became our department’s central hub. Visible from every workstation, it’s an ideal space for quick touchpoints, social interactions, and even all-hands meetings.

Designing for Designers

Our design team had the unique opportunity to create their own dedicated project space. The Interior Design Studio consists of a square Pergola that helps the team externalize ideas on the glass surface, share content on the large monitor, and pin materials to tackable panels.

A nearby Cultivate table houses the materials library next to their Compose Echo workstations. They carefully chose the layout to facilitate collaboration among their team—a format for seamless transitions between group critiques, material selections, and focus work.

A Place to Refresh

As part of the Work from Anywhere ecosystem, our second floor refresh area is an important location within the office. We redesigned the space to make it functional—not only during lunch hour, but for connection and collaboration throughout the day—by adding access to power and technology.

Spaces like these that encourage spontaneous in-person moments of connection help make coming into the office a more rewarding experience. They help build cohesion and culture within the workplace.

Hybrid-Ready Conference Rooms

We designed new conference rooms with different collaborative styles and group sizes. Integrating technology was a focal point; we wanted to facilitate hybrid work with Microsoft Teams. Members have the freedom to choose their space based on their needs for each meeting.  

It wasn’t just about building immersive technology—it was also about comfort, differentiation, and a touch of creativity. Soft seating, decorative pillows, art, and greenery set them apart from conventional conference rooms. They soon became a destination for members from different departments: Those small touches help draw people to these spaces.

Individual Focus Spaces

A critical part of the renovation was building individual focus spaces. When returning to the office, members need places for solo calls, focus tasks, or even a moment of respite during a busy day. We added touchdown and retreat spaces along the corridor of the new conference room zone. Throughout the design process, we wanted to recreate the feeling of being tucked away in a favorite corner of your home.

Each touchdown has a height-adjustable table, ergonomic office chair, proper lighting, and an aesthetically pleasing backdrop. These elements enhance productivity and improve acoustics within the office environment. With reduced background noise and distractions, these spaces help members concentrate and communicate effectively.

The two retreat spaces have soft seating, adjustable lighting, and laptop tables. They’re perfect spots for working in a lounge posture or taking a sensory break. These comfortable and sensory-friendly options support neurodiversity and inclusivity in the workplace by giving a quiet and calm environment to members who are sensitive to sensory stimuli.

Meet the Haworth Design Team

Behind every successful workspace transformation lies a dedicated and innovative team. Our Haworth design team includes Adam Clark (Design Studio Leader), Kyle Baker (Senior Workplace Design Consultant), and Caroline Montgomery (Workplace Design Specialist), who brought their unique skills and experience to this project.

This project was an opportunity to rethink how we connect with one another and to create spaces that deliver the best experience to do so. The options that everyone has for connecting, focusing, and recharging have made it a great space to engage within – so much that we are constantly welcoming people from all over the building into the space. We are continuing to take the learning from this project and evolve other spaces within the building.

Adam Clark - North America Interior Design Studio Leader

Their approach was highly collaborative, working hand-in-hand with our research team and leaders to create the new Marketing space. They immersed themselves in research and used their firsthand experience. They harnessed the full potential of Haworth's Integrated Palette, a collection of products that work together and flex with changing needs, to craft a dynamic neighborhood environment.

With a commitment to human performance, our designers introduced elements of hospitality, team engagement, social connection, and immersive technology. The result: a revitalized Marketing space that not only enhances departmental culture but also inspires visiting customers worldwide.

We created a hybrid workspace that encourages collaboration, fosters innovation, and supports flexibility. Our dedicated design team played a pivotal role in this transformation, leveraging research, their own experiences, and Haworth's design expertise to craft a dynamic environment that inspires and empowers our members.

As we continue to adapt to the evolving landscape of work, our newly redesigned space shows the possibilities of design-forward, strategic thinking to create a workspace that enhances the employee experience.