This article is part of the series Beyond Hybrid:
99 Things You Need to Know Now

Uncovering Barriers Insights and ideas 92-96 for a new era of work Imagine an office space that puts you at ease and makes you feel valued, productive and engaged from entry to exit. Now consider someone very different from you — would they experience the space the same way? Would they feel accommodated or excluded, connected or discouraged? More than ever before, organizations are connecting their diversity, equity and inclusion goals with the design of the workplace. Creating inclusive spaces, where employees feel a greater sense of belonging requires celebrating and building upon what is working well, while also critically examining who feels left out.

When we set out to create inclusive spaces, products and experiences, we intentionally co-create with people who have experienced exclusion, by reaching out to what Steelcase Culture and Diversity consultant Mary Brown calls the “unusual suspects.” “Working alongside unusual suspects should make you question how space and culture are impacting someone’s life who differs from you,” says Brown. “It’s about seeking people, places and perspectives that challenge the status quo.”

Start With an Inclusive Design Mindset While most leaders and designers agree they want to create inclusive spaces, many do not have a shared understanding of what that means or how to begin.

Inclusive design requires us to go beyond codes and compliance to see the role identity and bias play in decision making. Engaging the perspectives of people from different
socioeconomic backgrounds, races, disabilities, ages, sizes and genders, or who identify as neurodivergent, adds value to any project. It’s less about reaching a perfect outcome and more about uncovering barriers with unheard voices to drive innovation.

As you walk into a space, you are welcomed by signage, thresholds, furniture settings, sounds, smells, artifacts, and artwork that set the tone and signals who belongs — and possibly who does not. The best way to attract a diverse, dynamic community of people is to ensure they feel seen, supported, and accommodated as they enter. Does artwork reflect the community? Are there touch downs and accommodations for people with functional limitations? Does signage use symbols to help everyone navigate? How are hypo- and hyper-sensitivities impacted as people enter? These questions drive new possibilities. It can be difficult to pinpoint what makes a space great, but people instinctively identify shortcomings and potential barriers. First impressions set the tone and
signals who belongs — and possibly
who does not. Signals of Inclusive Design

Range of furniture + technology solutions enables different groups of people to share the same space in different ways.
Seating diversity that supports visual consistency, while offering choice in firmness and arm rests — ensures everyone is comfortable. Diverse table shapes and heights — with space to approach — provides everyone with a seat at the table. Accessible writable surfaces that can move and adapt — encourages community building, collaboration and wayfinding. Don’t forget about power that’s easy to access, without crawling or bending under furniture. These choices provide dignity and allow everyone to contribute. Equipping people with sensory control enhances the spatial experience for everyone.
Control over your environment can be tough to find in the office, but it is possible. When designing for neurodiversity, we encourage user sensory control, which has proven to enhance the spatial experience for everyone. Have you identified areas for focus, or no technology? What about flexible sensory spaces that support rest and rejuvenation, or reservable hoteling stations where people can control visual privacy, lighting, noise, and ventilation? If the answer is no, your space could do more to be inclusive. A diversity of settings can honor how people work differently and how needs vary.
When people think of a traditional office space, they tend to imagine spaces with the same workstation repeated over and over. While this may create a sense of equality, it does not honor how people work differently and how our needs vary. Inclusive workplace neighborhoods feature a diversity of postures, boundaries and intentional adjacencies. Provide places for everyone to be productive, without sacrificing equity and forcing one-size-fits-all.

While inclusive design offers many opportunities, we acknowledge this work can be challenging — especially for strong advocates. “Folks with experience and familiarity with exclusion are often tasked with navigating and solving the challenges they did not create. Even when you have a heart for inclusion and innovation, it can be incredibly taxing to be the go-to person for a perspective,” says Brown.

As we navigate our ever-changing world, inclusive design serves as an intervention to challenge exclusion, and build informed and impactful spaces to work, learn, heal, and ultimately live better. The Takeaway

Kamara Sudberry leads the development and integration of inclusive design at Steelcase through the application of design principles and practices across the business. She leverages her background in the field of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and passion for collaboration to create inclusive spatial experiences that are empowering, safe and inclusive. Kamara Sudberry
Leader, Inclusive Design
Steelcase

96
Equipping people with sensory control enhances the spatial experience for everyone. 95
Range of furniture + technology solutions enables different groups of people to share the same space in different ways. 94 A diversity of settings can honor how people work differently and how needs vary. 93 First impressions set the tone and signals who belongs — and possibly who does not. 92 Start with an inclusive design mindset. The Takeaway 5 insights and ideas for a new era of work

Previous Article Next Article Can’t wait?
Download now. Read all 99 things you need
to know about this new era
of work in our latest issue
of Work Better magazine. GET YOUR COPY