Nearly all leaders are planning workplace updates in the next two years, and Steelcase research shows flexibility is the #1 reason why. Work keeps shifting, technology keeps accelerating and expectations keep rising. So when leaders say they need more flexibility, what they’re really saying is: We need our workplaces to keep up.
The challenge? Flexibility is not just about being able to move furniture; it’s about an experience shaped by place. When leaders rethink flexibility, the workplace becomes less about reacting to change and more about being ready for it.
In "Three Ways to Design a More Flexible Workplace," we take a closer look at what flexibility actually looks like when it’s designed with people, teams and organizations in mind. Using Community-Based Design, we explore how place can support flexibility at every level — giving employees more choice and control, helping teams shift smoothly between the different ways they need to work throughout the day, and allowing organizations to adapt when needed without having to start from scratch every time.
DESIGN
Three Ways to Design a More Flexible Workplace
“Just get past this challenge, then things will finally settle down.” If you’ve uttered this sentiment recently, you’re not alone. But then you also know today’s dynamic business environment isn’t about to settle anytime soon. Business as usual is anything but.
Rapid changes in how work is done are creating slippery business conditions and altering how people behave at work. Employees now spend an average of 96 hours per week on screens — that’s four full days. Artificial intelligence is accelerating the pace of work, causing small teams to spin up quickly to tackle new priorities. These forces are contributing to a decline in global wellbeing and engagement, and an attrition of company culture (Gallup 2025).
As people feel increasingly disconnected and organizations struggle to keep pace with constant change, the workplace can help. Discover three ways designing for community can bring flexibility to the forefront.
Privacy isn’t a perk — it’s essential to performance and wellbeing. Discover how a range of spaces — with and without walls — can give people the control they need to focus and do their best work.
At JOBLINGE Frankfurt, a redesigned learning space helps young people overcome barriers and move closer to meaningful work. In partnership with Steelcase Social Innovation, the new environment fosters confidence, belonging and real-world skill building.
We spend 90% of our day feeling something, which makes it unrealistic to expect emotions to stay out of work. On this Work Better podcast episode, award-winning psychologist and author Ethan Kross explains emotions are useful when kept in proportion, and the real opportunity is helping people shift – not suppress – them. Both personal strategies and the physical environment act as powerful emotional shifters, making space design an overlooked tool for supporting healthier emotional experiences.
Imagine a workspace where teams move effortlessly between collaboration and focus – where privacy is protected and flexibility is built into every corner. That’s what Pods by Orangebox deliver.
Campers & Dens create a customizable, modular neighborhood that teams can shape into meeting spaces, creative hubs or casual work zones.
Air³ delivers a sleek, acoustically smart retreat for private conversations or deep concentration.
And On the QT offers quick, compact privacy for calls and solo moments of focus wherever you need them.
From open‑plan distractions to calm, connected spaces, Orangebox transforms the way people work.
Our ability to pay attention dropped more than 30% in the last two decades — down to 47 seconds — which puts new pressure on workplace design to actively manage distractions.
People at high-trust companies report 40% less burnout and 50% less turnover. Minda Hart shares how to cultivate that trust on the Work Better podcast.
Case study: How Automobil-Club Verkehr created a thriving workplace that is good for both people and the planet.
Let’s help make work better.
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