You spend a significant portion of your waking hours at work. After all, you’re passionate about what you do and you have goals you want to achieve.

Shouldn’t your workplace enhance the experience of pursuing your dreams? 

We believe so.

Think of it this way: the quality of your days is directly impacted by your environment, from the people you’re surrounded by to your physical comfort and your emotional well-being.

That’s why many coworking spaces are leaning into the concept of “humanistic design” as a way to make your office into a place where you’re excited to go—one that invigorates you, engages you, and inspires you.

But what exactly is humanistic design, how does it impact your professional experience, and what are coworking spaces doing to leverage this concept?

Let us explain.

Putting People First: What is Humanistic Design? 

Humanistic design refers to a design philosophy that prioritizes human needs, values, and well-being. It seeks to create environments that are not only functional and efficient but also emotionally meaningful, accessible, and supportive of the human experience. 

This concept considers your physical, emotional, and social needs to foster positive interactions, enhance your overall well-being, and create a deeper connection between you and your surroundings. 

In other words, when your workspace embraces a humanistic design philosophy, it’s focused on a few main priorities: 

• User-centered approach: There’s a deep understanding of people and their needs, values, behaviors, and preferences. It also emphasizes inclusivity and accessibility to people regardless of age, ability, or status. 

• Emphasis on well-being: Priority is placed on physical comfort (i.e., ergonomic principles) and emotional well-being (i.e., how colors or materials, for example, impact mood and emotions). 

• Connection to nature: Natural elements like plants, water, or sunlight are intentionally incorporated into the design. These all foster a connection to nature and improve well-being.

• Fostering community and relationships: Social interaction and community building are facilitated through the physical layout and space of an area.

• Flexibility and adaptability: Flexibility and personalization are important design priorities, where spaces can be adapted to suit your individual needs and preferences. 

• Sustainability and ethics: Sustainable and ethical practices like fair labor and responsible sourcing are typically prioritized in humanistic design. 

• Aesthetics and inspiration: While functionality is vital, humanistic design places importance on beauty, creativity, and inspiration to enhance your overall experience. 

How Coworking Spaces Leverage Humanistic Design

Coworking spaces are often more innovative than their traditional counterparts. They’re forward-thinking and intentionally create space to enhance your work experience through amenities, spatial diversity, and other benefits.  

So, how do coworking spaces leverage humanistic design to create better work environments?

1. Flexibility

Flexibility is a key feature of coworking spaces. From varying workspaces to flexible contracts, coworking spaces are designed to be flexible. 

This helps professionals succeed because their environment is designed to change and grow as needed. Flexibility is even more important as hybrid offices become the future of work and more companies and professionals embrace non-standard workspaces or schedules. 

• Humanistic design features: Understanding human needs, emphasis on well-being, flexibility, and adaptability.

2. Spatial Diversity 

Spatial diversity supports professional success because it allows you to optimize productive times and workstyles. During mandated work-from-home (WFH) periods during the pandemic, many professionals grew accustomed to having control over their workday and optimizing when and how they worked best. No longer required to sit in one seat all day, professionals leveraged new spaces and environments to optimize productivity.

Unique to coworking spaces over traditional offices is their spatial diversity. This means incorporating a variety of workspace options for professionals to use. 

At The Colab Space, we offer every type of space you might need—you can have a casual meeting in a booth or opt for a private meeting in a boardroom. There are lounge areas both inside and on our outdoor patio. Flexibility means you get to design your workday the way you want!

So, you can grab a coffee in the common kitchen and drink it in the lounge before sitting down at your hot desk coworking space to get to work. Then, in the afternoon, take a private phone call in an insulated phone booth and grab some fresh air outside or catch up with colleagues in a bookable meeting room. Switching things up throughout the day can be an effective way to be more productive and energized at work.

• Humanistic design features: Flexibility and adaptability, emphasis on well-being, aesthetics and inspiration.

3. Wellness Spaces

Many coworking spaces don’t just prioritize a productive work environment, but your holistic well-being, too. At The Colab Space, we have a wellness room dedicated to supporting your physical and mental health. You might use it to slow down with a yoga or meditation session or join one of our guided events. Our wellness room is a space to rest, focus on your emotional state, and reflect on your goals. 

This, plus amenities like common lounges and our famous The Colab Space spa water or coffee and tea allow you to slow down, destress, and find balance in your workday.

• Humanistic design feature: Emphasis on well-being. 

4. Open Layouts

When you walk into The Colab Space, you’ll immediately notice the bright, open, and welcoming environment. Unlike traditional cubicles or office-centric offices, many coworking spaces like ours are designed to remove barriers and create open spaces. 

This doesn’t just make it a more comfortable and attractive work environment, but by breaking down physical barriers in a workspace, we can foster a stronger sense of community and collaboration between members. 

• Humanistic design features: Aesthetics and inspiration, fostering community and connection. 

5. Community Opportunities

The heart of coworking spaces is the professional community you’re immersed in. At The Colab Space, we offer more than a workspace, but a true community of like-minded people. We host weekly happy hours, lunch & learns, professional mixers, and other activities with the goal of presenting every opportunity to connect with fellow members, learn from each other, get out of the office mindset for a while, and learn each other’s names. 

Plus, the intentional design of our space creates opportunities for natural connection and “water cooler” talk that some solopreneurs or remote workers miss out on when working independently. 

There’s a lot of value in social interaction at work, including boosting morale, empowering new ideas, and supporting better communication. 

• Humanistic design features: Fostering community and connection, emphasis on well-being. 

6. Customizable Options

Because flexibility is core to the mission of coworking spaces, most offer customizable options to suit your workspace needs. At The Colab Space, we offer boutique-style private offices that can be personalized to cater to your personal and professional needs. 

This helps you not only achieve the optimal productive workspaces but choose customizations that help you achieve a better work-life balance. We believe that designing your workspace is actually one of the most important wellness tips to incorporate into your work life. 

• Humanistic design features: User-centered approach, aesthetics and inspiration, flexibility and adaptability. 

7. Aesthetic Environment

We’re proud of the environment we’ve created at The Colab Space for many reasons, but one is that it just looks good! Bright colors, plants, open spaces, creative decor, modern design, and comfortable furnishings all make it an enjoyable place to come to work. We regularly hear from members and visitors that they love the vibrancy and creativity of the space, and it makes them feel a sense of joy, motivation, and overall contentment.

Your environment makes a difference in your overall productivity and well-being, so coworking spaces are typically designed with aesthetics and comfort in mind. 

At Colab Space, we have plants everywhere (which have proven benefits for your well-being), plus floor-to-ceiling windows to bring in the most sunlight possible. This emphasis on biophilic design not only looks nice, but helps you feel and operate your best. 

• Humanistic design features: Aesthetics and inspiration, connection to nature.

8. Technology and Tools

Coworking spaces are, first and foremost, a place to work. So high-speed WiFi, quality technology, and must-need tools are all essential to support professionals and their productivity. 

On-site staff at The Colab Space are also always available to troubleshoot and support any technology needs that come up. 

• Humanistic design feature: User-centered approach. 

9. Community Values

At The Colab Space, we’re a community with ethical values that are infused into our daily business practices in order to create genuine human connections that last. 

Our core values are affordability, collaboration, openness, efficiency, harmony, and sustainability. This reflects the values of our members, too, so we can collaboratively build a positive community and workspaces. 

• Humanistic design feature: Sustainability and ethics.

Coworking spaces differ from traditional offices in many ways. And these unique features of coworking spaces are influenced by humanistic design principles. It brings a holistic and people-centered approach to coworking spaces. 

And in doing so, coworking spaces can enhance productivity, foster community, boost creativity, and promote work-life balance and well-being. 

Because when your workspace is designed for you—a human with needs, desires, and values—it’s sure to make a big difference. 

If you’re looking for a coworking space that has a humanistic design at its core, book a tour of The Colab Space today.