Trends

November 14, 2016

Inspired by the Art of Handcrafting

Even when craftspeople are working to a pattern, handspun or woven textiles are one-of-a-kind items — small variations make each one unique. Saori weaving, created by Misao Jo in 1968, celebrates this idea of random beauty. Unlike other handweaving techniques, Saori is completely freestyle with no rules, restrictions, or samples to follow, and where a…

September 9, 2016

Top Trends for the Future of Workspaces

These are the big trends we’re seeing regarding the future of workspaces. 1. Co-Working A proliferation of co-working venues with sophisticated and comprehensive amenities previously only found in high-end corporate fitouts. Internationally renowned British designer, Tom Dixon, has recently designed Interchange, a purpose-built co-working space in Camden, London – three shiny glass and metal buildings…

August 29, 2016

The Future of Business: Redesigning for Resilience

Having just finished interviewing senior executives from a range of organisations for a Global Leadership study, and I am struck by the consistency in perspectives even though the organisations are quite different. Every CEO I have interviewed ranks their number one challenge today as dealing with the pace and scale of change now upon us.…

December 23, 2015

Ecological Valence Theory and the Use of Color in Design

Why do we prefer certain colours to others? Why do some colours make us feel happy and energised while other colours make us feel agitated or sad? The Ecological Valence Theory Object and colour association – a concept that Palmer and Schloss have called the “ecological valence theory” – contribute to our natural colour preferences…

October 7, 2014

What Workers Want From Their Office Space

Our recent Human Spaces study into the impact of the work environment on employee well-being asked more than 3,600 office workers what mattered most to them about their workspace. One of the questions we asked respondents was “What was the top natural element that European office workers would want on their modern office wish list?”…