If you’re passionate about design, there’s no better place than Clerkenwell Design Week. Some of the industry’s brightest minds gather to showcase and explore the latest trends and product developments available, and this year didn’t disappoint.
Whilst there’s no clear outline for the future of our offices (it’s a space that must continually evolve alongside our working needs), Clerkenwell Design Week provides our team with invaluable insights into the future of commercial design. From sustainability to innovative products, we use this as inspiration for our office fit outs right here in Gloucestershire.
If you missed this year’s event, we’re sorry. But don’t worry! We’ve pulled together a recap of Clerkenwell Design Week 2024, highlighting the emerging trends and thought-provoking discussions we were privileged to be a part of. Let’s dive in..
Trend 1: Neuro-Inclusive Workplaces
If there was an overriding theme at this year’s festival, it was neuro-inclusive design. Neurodiversity, which refers to brains that think differently from the ‘typical’, cannot be ignored any longer in the modern workplace. As the younger generation enters the workforce, they demand better in terms of inclusivity from their employers, and a neuro-inclusive design is a great way to tap into a wider talent pool for many businesses.
Neurodiverse individuals often face challenges such as difficulties with focus, distractions, managing multiple stimuli and effective communication, however, a considered design can address these challenges.
Milliken’s talk, Designing for Neuro-Inclusive Workplaces, highlighted how businesses need to recognise diversity as more than just a tick-box activity; it offers genuine benefits, particularly when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent.
We found that many of the emerging trends at Clerkenwell Design Week stemmed from the concept of neuro-inclusivity, with the aim of creating more inclusive workplaces for all.
Trend 2: Sensory Design
To create a neuro-inclusive workplace, many are investing in sensory design.
“Textures, smells and sounds can strongly affect the user’s experience. Based on this, sensory architecture can transform the interaction between people and the built environment into something deeper.” – Arch Daily, 2023
Several talks at Clerkenwell Design Week explored this concept in detail. Here’s a quick summary:
- Hearing – Noise is a common workplace complaint. Distractions, or even lack of noise, can be cognitively draining for many. Acoustic control, however, such as focus spaces can help – and these don’t have to be acoustic booths!
- Sight – Creating wayfinding solutions is great, but we need to consider colour blindness or vision impairments that make interpretation difficult. Other visual aspects of your office design to consider include patterns and light reflectancy.
- Touch – From the feeling underfoot to creating comfortable spaces, for something so important, texture is often ignored in our workplace. For example, a harder surface may be slippy and difficult to walk on, whereas carpets offer more comfort and safety.
- Smell – The Milliken talk hinted towards sensory scaping, however, you should also consider other scented elements of the office such as the VOC emissions in the materials you pick and the impact it can have on your staff.
Feeling overwhelmed? As commercial designers, we believe the key is choice. Give your team the power to choose when and where they work the best – a strategy we implemented in this dynamic office space for Montpellier Legal.
Trend 3: AI
Love it or hate it, AI has entered the design scene. There were plenty of predictions highlighting how artificial intelligence can be used to enhance the design process, becoming an invaluable tool for automating routine tasks, from space optimisation to personalisation, even sparking new creative opportunities. We’re excited to see how this one unfolds..
Trend 4: Colour In the Workplace
Was it just us, or was colour a hot topic on everyone’s lips? Several talks we attended explored the psychology of colour and how it can be approached within our workplaces.
Studio Rhonda captured this beautifully in their presentation, The Power of Colour in Interior Design, where they described colour as a non-verbal form of communication that can say so much in a fraction of a second; used correctly, it can impact moods, express feelings, invoke an emotional reaction or inspire people to act a certain way.
Rhonda also connected this to sensory design, explaining how colour is seen, felt and constructive in terms of creating flow and movement within a space.
We’ve loved seeing designers step away from the copy-and-paste industrial office scheme, exploring bold colours and the impact this has on employee wellbeing. We also noticed a lot of peach – no surprise given this was Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2024!
Trend 5: Sustainability
Sustainability continues to find itself in these design discussions as more and more businesses recognise the need for environmentally friendly office designs. This is driven by the impact organisations have on the planet, but also the expectations of younger generations and new talent pools who prioritise sustainability in their employment choices – if your office doesn’t reflect their values, you might find it challenging to attract and retain top talent.
At Clerkenwell Design Week, multiple experts re-emphasised the importance of eco office designs, with key strategies including the responsible selection of materials and ethical supply chains.
A particularly exciting trend is the rise of adaptable office furniture. Modular in design, these can be reconfigured and moved to suit changing needs, offering both flexibility and sustainability. Reducing waste and prolonging the life of your furniture has the impact of reducing waste sent to landfills, as well as providing long-term savings for businesses.
Our Final Thoughts
So, there’s your whistle-stop tour of our Clerkenwell Design Week highlights. We had a great time exploring different showrooms and exhibits, meeting old connections as well as making new ones. We returned inspired and full of ideas for our future office refurbishments.
If you have any questions or want to talk to a member of our design team, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
