By Steve Clapp
In the past few years following the height of the pandemic, workplace design has made an incredible transformation from makeshift and somewhat disorganized work-from-home spaces to efficient, flexible and customizable hybrid workspaces. This experience has taught us the value of offering employees options to make the most of their work time while prioritizing their mental and physical health.
We’re seeing clear trends in workplace design to offer more flexible options to customize their workspace, and properly balance employees’ work and personal time. However, we’re also continuing to see more companies institute return to office mandates, leading to higher turnover. A recent survey from ResumeBuilder found that 8 in 10 employers lost talent to return-to-office mandates while BambooHR’s 2024 Return to Work report shows that 70% of companies with flexible work schedules surveyed plan to increase the days employees must work in the office by 2025.
With this clear trend towards in-office work, creating a “human-first” workplace design is critical to employees’ quality of life at work. According to case studies from Diagnostic Labs, one study found that employees in a poorly designed workspace were 30% more likely to leave their jobs within a year compared to those in a well-designed workspace. Another study showed that implementing ergonomic workstations and improving ventilation and lighting led to a 20% decrease in staff turnover rates.
“Human-First” Design Trends of 2025
As we approach 2025, the future of the office is evolving beyond hybrid work and is set to be a uniquely adaptive, inclusive and personalized environment that supports diverse work needs. From advanced AI integration to neurodiversity support, workplaces are changing to be adaptable, inclusive and deeply attuned to individual needs.
Below include predictions for the workplace in 2025 and beyond, in which “human-first” design will become more integrated into how employees work together:
- AI-Driven Workstations: Using data collected from AI and IoT devices, companies will start offering more options for personalized workstations that adjust based on an individual’s specific posture, lighting and temperature preferences. Similar to smart features in vehicles, workstations have the potential to “remember” setting for the employees when they log in or sit down.
- Biophilic Technology Integration: While biophilic design already exists in many offices, workplaces are enhancing this concept with “biophilic technology” — integrating nature-inspired tech features into the office. Examples include virtual windows that adjust lighting based on real-time weather conditions, digital nature walls that mimic outdoor scenes, and AI-driven air filtration systems that monitor air quality and release botanical scents.
- Neurodiversity Centered Design: Neurodiversity-centered design is emerging as a significant trend, with features like designated quiet rooms, “soft” lighting options, customizable noise-dampening systems, and choice-based workspaces that enable employees to select environments best suited to their needs. By embracing a neurodiversity-centered design, workplaces become not only more inclusive but also more productive, fostering an environment where every employee feels supported and empowered to do their best work.
- Augmented Reality Collaboration: To better accommodate hybrid workers, offices will start including more AR technology to encourage collaboration. These rooms allow in-office and remote employees to interact with shared virtual whiteboards, 3D projections of prototypes, and immersive brainstorming tools that make remote participation feel more like being in the room.
In order to achieve a well-designed “human-first” workspace, office managers and business leaders must consider how their employees are supported physically, mentally, socially, psychologically and emotionally while at work. To help inform this perspective, human factors and ergonomics (HF/E), a field that uses a systems approach to help us understand how to design and optimize the spaces. This entails understanding how our bodies, minds, and behavior interact with the environment, including complex human-made systems, to improve performance, prevent errors, and enhance safety.
Human Factors and Ergonomics in Workplace Design
When designing a workspace, the office managers can inherently consider HF/E for their employees. While they might not always have formal training in HF/E, office managers should naturally consider employees’ comfort, well-being and efficiency, focusing on fostering collaboration, reducing fatigue and promoting productivity.
By choosing furniture and technology that supports proper posture, enhanced comfort and reduced physical strain like ergonomic chairs, monitors with adjustable arms and standing desks, employees can tailor them for their specific needs and have the flexibility to physically move around throughout the workday.
In addition to the furniture, office managers will choose lighting systems that prevent glare and reduce eye strain typically through ambient and natural lighting. Office managers also work to address acoustic comfort by adding sound-absorbing materials, like carpets, plants, and acoustic panels, to reduce ambient noise.
By incorporating these factors into their office design, office managers use these human-centered principles so that employees are more productive, motivated and healthier while at work. It is critical to establish an equal focus on maintaining access to flexible work and personalized spaces that can be tailored to each employee while also providing safe, usable and comfortable workspaces. By continuing to embrace diversity, personalized workspace and collaboration, employees can do their jobs well and will trust their company to protect their physical and mental health for years to come.
About the Author
Steve Clapp is a member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) and a former management consultant who specialized in designing and executing large organizational improvement initiatives. He earned an MBA from Florida Atlantic University and a PhD in industrial engineering with a focus on human factors psychology from the University of Central Florida. Dr. Clapp is in UCF’s Preeminent Postdoctoral Program, serving as an Applied Research Lead within The Readability Consortium, whose mission is to improve digital readability for all.