Contract Magazine - September 2019 - 69

processes, and we have the whole team constantly coming up with better ways to
do things," says Nina Etnier, cofounder of Float Studio. As the next generation of
designers enters the workplace, there is an expectation of moving away from a
top-down hierarchical organization to one where everyone is an expert.
With time pressures being constantly an issue, one firm has brought back some
old school skills like illustration. While their firm is adept a doing hyper-realistic
renderings, if time is a factor (and it always seems to be these days), that company
goes back to using illustrations that can tell a story, rather than focusing on super
realistic details.
Randy Fiser brought up that the research shows productivity is down in most
companies today, which shifted the discussion into the role of how health and
wellbeing are playing out in projects today. The designers felt that issue really
depend on the client. In one example, a client had some of the best colorists in the
film industry. The client knew they had to keep these employees happy, motivating
the firm to incorporate the employees into the design process. But many agreed
that the bottom line still is about cost, and it's the designer's responsibility to make
sure that clients understand the value of design. Everyone agreed that it was
important to get clients onboard early. One firm working on a huge workplace is
looking at neurodiversity needs and how that translates into the tactile. One
challenge was how to design for knowledge workers who might have a special need,
so that they feel comfortable without being identified as a "second." Some
designers expressed the notion that some of their clients are uncomfortable talking
about dealing with unhappy employees.
The role of large consultancies that don't understand the impact of design
become a disadvantage in larger projects because it's difficult to translate research
into physical space concepts-something that the interior designers at the table
are experts at doing.
It used to be that interior design firms often specialized at one thing, and
today we're seeing a crossover of different sectors. Workplaces are integrated
into hotels; residential is crossing over into the workplace, and retail is brought
into hospitals where patients are being treated like customers for a better patient
experience. The consensus of the table was that this was a great thing. Bringing
in different expertise and different experiences will all contribute to making a
project better. One designer who works on large institutional healthcare spaces,
correctional facilities, and even transit spaces pointed out that these large-scale
projects often don't change over time. Infusing innovative concepts from
hospitality or education can really make a difference in these spaces. Another
designer was excited about bringing in pop-up spaces-the kind you'd see during
New York or Tokyo Fashion Weeks, or even bringing social causes into the spaces
we design. A luxury brand partnering with a social cause is another example. Part
of this comes from the generation values and aspirations of Gen X, Y, and Z who
are the current and future consumers.

One concern that was brought up was the importance of corporate social
responsibility, not only for the client, but also for the firms themselves. While
everyone agreed that this is a priority for the clients who have resources, it is
important that designers design for everyone, and not just the one per cent. One
firm designed a fantastic charter school in the Twin Cities that is for students on
the autism spectrum. It is a sensitive design that you do not see very often in
for-profit or even non-profit projects. The project wasn't pro bono but allowed
them to do something that aligns with that firm's corporate point of view. Another
designer brought up the example of a firm who specializes in restoration of
heritage buildings and explained that they've made a conscious effort to reinvest
their profits into research-something they believe will pay off down the road. It
was pointed out that if a firm realizes that pro bono or cause-related work is an
integral part of a firm's commitment, it will help in employee retention and in
attracting better talent.
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Contract Magazine - September 2019

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