Morningstar headquarters image by Kahler Slater

A recent Fast Company article (for my part, a must-read for senior leaders) creates a compelling case on “Why Good Design Is Finally A Good Bottom Line Investment.” But how many businesses today, particularly service businesses, are leveraging design as a decisive advantage? Truth is, even with Apple’s rise and an increasing number of design disciples, not many.
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This post is co-authored with my friend and colleague Michael O’Neill, Ph.D., senior director of workplace research at Knoll, Inc., a leading designer of workplace furnishings. In his work at Knoll, Mike investigates the link between workspace design and human behavior, health and performance, and the quality of the user experience. His discoveries inform product development and inspire companies worldwide in shaping their work environments.

In a sluggish economy, workplace design investments are suffering substantial scrutiny. Corporate execs predictably (and, yes, rightly) want to know, “How will this move the business forward?” and “How will you prove it?”
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Elgin Community College features many small break out study spaces for students. Photo by Kate Joyce.

Recently, Universum, a global employer-branding group, released the findings from their annual Ideal Employer Student Survey. More than 65,000 students from some 320 universities participated in the survey, ultimately resulting in the U.S. Universum Top 100—the country’s most attractive employers according to collegiate Millennials.
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New Jersey Shore Before Superstorm Sandy, Image by Barbara Armstrong

Long before Snooki made Seaside Heights a mecca for bad behavior, I made the Jersey Shore my own as a wide-eyed young girl. Now, in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, what remains of my Jersey Shore are memories … and questions.
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