Susan S. Szenasy, Metropolis’s director of design innovation, moderated a panel at Haworth’s showroom in Philadelphia. Panelists included Debra Breslow, Principal and Creative Director, Meyer Design Inc; Karin Copeland, CEO, Create X Change; Beck Johnson, Senior Research Specialist, Global Workplace Research, Haworth; and Colleen Kirk Yurkanin, Senior Innovation Specialist, Vanguard. Courtesy Brian Bortnick
“We need to be able to create environments where everyone feels comfortable,” asserted Debra Breslow, principal at Meyer Design, during a recent panel hosted by Haworth in Philadelphia. During the session, panelists discussed the ways in which design thinking can be an effective tool to implement inclusive workplace culture. Design thinking, according to industrial designer and CreateXChange founder Karin Copeland, involves asking the client questions and understanding their background and needs. “If you’re designing furniture, how are people sitting and interacting? By watching and taking notes, you’re able to solve these problems,” she explained. In order to use design thinking to create welcoming spaces, it’s key to embrace different perspectives and innovation.
Breslow suggested encouraging a melting pot of cultures at the workplace through HR initiatives, such as ethnic lunch hotpots or quiet zones for meditation. Achieving a safe environment requires collaborating with various groups and implementing the technology and infrastructure to allow for cultural diffusion. “You have to be open minded and to make sure that within an organization you get the right amount of folks to give that diversity of thought,” Brewslow said.
Colleen Yurkanin, senior innovation specialist at Vanguard, believes in teaching design thinking with an empathetic mindset to non-designers. Having an open line of communication across disciplines will help designers understand their clients’ needs and navigate possible challenges between professionals from different backgrounds. As a design specialist, Yurkanin mediates between seemingly disparate disciplines, from data scientists to developers, and bridges the gap between clients and non-clients. According to Yurkanin, understanding and clearly communicating the stories of businesses will ultimately strengthen relationships between everyone involved in a project.