Contract Magazine - December 2017 - 57

Architects and designers have long used tools such
as client interviews, precedent studies, and cultural
explorations to envision, develop, and further their
designs. In recent years, this research has expanded
to include quantifiable data-collections of figures
and statistics that, when analyzed, offer insights
into how people use spaces. Whether gathered
through embedded sensors, rigorous observation,
or qualitative surveys, this type of data is altering how
firms approach workplace projects. By incorporating
data-derived insights into their design process,
workplace designers are expanding client engagement
and establishing themselves as indispensable strategic
advisors for the businesses that they support.
Measuring success
How can we measure the design of a successful
interior? For workplaces, specifically, what metrics
are available? With nearly two decades of experience
as an interior designer, Tim Oldman, the founder and
CEO of London-based Leesman, came up with an
answer: Measure how well a workspace supports the
people who occupy it. "I saw an opportunity to assess
an organization's workplace to devise a standardized
test that could reveal what's working for it and
what's keeping it from being its best," says Oldman.

28% disagree

My workplace enables me to work productively

15% neutral

57% agree

Building on concepts embodied by the Myers- The Leesman Index is a
standardized online survey
Briggs Type Indicator and the waste-reducing Lean
to gather information on
Six Sigma process, Oldman launched the Leesman
workplace performance.
Index in 2010. The index uses an online standardized It asks employees of a given
survey to gather data about workplace performance. workplace to rate how strongly
they agree or disagree on
Administered to an organization's entire staff, the
a number of topics related
to their office interior. Across
15-minute survey includes a series of "How strongly
all companies surveyed by
do you agree?" prompts (such as "My workplace
Leesman (above), 57 percent
enables me to work productively" and "I am proud
of employees believe that
their workplace enables
to bring visitors to my workplace"). And other
them to work productively.
sections ask respondents to rank the importance
of-and their satisfaction with-different workplace
activities (such as individual focused work, planned more than 2,000 organizations in 67 countries-
meetings, and audio conferences), physical features allows companies to see where they stand within
(including desks, chairs, and conference rooms), and the larger field.
service features (like spaces for coffee and snacks,
Renovations do not guarantee employee satisfaction
security, and technology help).
When viewed as a whole, Leesman's wide-ranging
Leesman collates and analyzes the
analyses offer significant insights. For example,
responses, providing each company with a snapshot
only 57 percent of respondents believe that their
of how its workspaces facilitate, or hinder, employee
workplaces promote productivity. In other words,
functionality and effectiveness. This knowledge
43 percent of employees feel that their workplaces
can provide a fresh look at a client's business,
either do not support them (15 percent) or, worse,
reveal insights for a pending improvement, and
offer feedback on a previously implemented change. actively hinder their effectiveness (nearly 28 percent).
In addition to internal benchmarking, Leesman's
One would assume that employees are more
vast database-270,000 respondents from
satisfied in newly renovated workspaces. But
contract

Contract Magazine - December 2017

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