Sensory Informed Design (SID) to increase wellbeing and productivity of an exhausted post-pandemic workforce should be our next priority. Trauma informed design (TID) is already a growing and brilliant field utilized in workspace design.
The workplace shapes us, knowingly or unknowingly. It evokes emotions (anxiety vs boredom) sensory experiences (triggering vs regulating) social opportunities (inclusivity vs exclusivity) and contributes to our celebrating where we come from, and strategizing where we are headed in our careers.
Sensory audits of both the work environment as well as the workforce are imperative to scientifically design or adjust the workspace to become an agent for health, wellness, and productivity.
Small adjustments often result in big wins: Swinging your desk, utilizing see-through blinds, placing photos of loved ones on your desk, using noise cancelling head phones, informed positioning on the floor plate, greenery, natural light, ball chairs, standing corners, decluttering, elevated ceilings, etc. But we need to be aware of our own unique sensory thresholds and needs to implement work space changes scientifically and successfully.
My dad always proclaimed that since we spend an entire day at work, at least 5 out of 7 available days per week, it being a happy and wholesome place is a non-negotiable prerequisite. And he never even witnessed covid19, or the prolonged blackouts our beautiful country is confronted with daily.
#productivity#health#design#work#wellness#sensoryprofiling#environmentaudits#employeeexperience#traumainformeddesign
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