Topic Trends
Betting on Benefits
Health benefits are a TOP 3 driver of employee attraction and retention.
Fear of illness has put us into protection mode. We’re now realizing the importance of having good health benefits for ourselves and our families – especially in the case of an emergency. Quality of benefits has become one of the top drivers in searching for or staying with an employer.
Sources: SHRM, Forbes, WTW Survey
Optimism
Highly optimistic people are 103% more inspired to give their best effort at work.
In our ever-changing and increasingly complicated world, we’ve experienced the full gamut of emotions— often simultaneously. As we adapt to this emotional plurality and shift toward being able to manage multiple emotional states, regenerated hope will emerge. While the new inputs we receive may differ, our outputs will result in reforming traditional institutions, a renewed appreciation for community, and a resurgence of optimism.
Supercharged Innovation
Including To-Go Services, Telehealth, Vaccines, Robots, Online Learning & QR Codes for Services.
COVID-19 has profoundly changed the way we work, live, and play. As with other major historical events, this crisis has forced us to adapt and think more strategically. The pandemic and its associated downtime supercharged us with new ideas for doing things differently, which are paving the way to a new golden age of innovation.
Sources: Fast Company, World Economic Forum, Politico
Reincarnated Spaces
58% Savings on reincarnated high schools and higher education spaces over newer builds.
With more competition and evolving shopper behaviors, some once-thriving retailers have struggled to find their footings in recent years—and the pandemic hasn’t helped. The shuttering of large department stores and retail centers has left behind some prime real estate, ripe for creative new uses—from rental housing and medical centers to warehouses, museums, office spaces, laboratories, and even college campuses.
Sources: Surface, Leverage.com
Climate Tech
Since 2013, investments in Climate Tech have grown more than 3,750%
Proposed US legislation could make green energy solutions more appealing to investors, with tax credits and other incentives. Start-ups and established companies across the country are likely to see renewed interest and an influx of funding for climate tech research and pilot programs.
Machines and train cars that capture excess carbon dioxide from the air; concrete building blocks that generate 70%-100% less CO2 in manufacturing; clean energy from hydrogen and quantum enhanced nuclear fusion—all are just a few of the futuristic climate-friendly solutions that may receive a boost.
Sources: Washington Post, StartUs, Medium
Quiet, Please
58% of high-performing employees want more quiet spaces in the workplace
In today’s world filled with chaos and noise, we’re all seeking some quiet time—whether for concentration or relaxation. At work, people look for comfortable spaces that minimize distractions—like new acoustic nooks and pods—to help us focus and get things done. And when it’s time for a break, we’re doing so, with resolve.
Unplugging for vacations, logging out for daily break rituals, and switching off after business hours, rather than staying connected, can reduce stress and improve overall well-being—allowing us to feel better, think better, and be more creative when get back to work.
Sources: Harvard Business Review, Forbes, CNBC Survey
Global Slowdown
The IMF has downgraded its expectation for GDP growth from 3.2% in 2022 to 2.9% in 2023
The world is facing a business slowdown, as higher prices weaken consumer demand and the war in Ukraine takes its toll on supply chains. With monetary tightening and interest rate increases by global central banks taking effect, some experts believe inflation will peak in 2022
and begin a decrease in early 2023.
Sources: World Economic Forum, CNBC, CNBC
Third Places
36% of employees work in third places at least once a week
The Work from Anywhere ecosystem demonstrates solutions for our evolving hybrid work landscape. The office remains a hub for connection, culture, and collaboration; and home is a convenient, private spot for individual focus work. Third places, like hotel lobbies, cafés, and coworking spaces are finding a post-pandemic resurgence among hybrid workers who are looking for alternatives to working from home.
Sources: JLL, Design Milk, JLL
Design Trends
Opulence
The desire to indulge is transforming our everyday casual spaces into deeply saturated, luxurious experiences. Royal gem tones, glimmering lights, plush velvety furnishings, and mineral elements such as copper and gold are reflections of our collective need to elegantly escape to comfort and pampering.
Grounded
With more time spent outdoors and the need to feel a solid foundation under our feet, a resurgence in natural surfaces fuels the desire to be grounded. Earthy elements help bring stability and security to spaces. Wood veneer, blackened cork, mottled steel, and rugged textures fill dramatic brunette palettes that create environments for privacy and reflection.
Feeling Swell
Like a big warm hug, these new environments evoke a feeling of approachable comfort. Oversized plush furniture in soft dusted pinks and corals helps bring both body and mind to a state of pure relaxation. Warm and neutral colors and textures inspired by nature —like mushrooms, leaves, and fluted bamboo—add to the calming effect of these spaces.
Autumnal Spice
Recent events have activated a deep “regroup and reinvent” attitude that reflects fall’s change of seasons. Shades of harvest gold, burnt orange, and luscious red pair with the greens of living plants to breathe life and texture into spaces.
Virtual Visuals
Purposeful design in spaces for virtual meetings creates visual interest through decorative elements, like patterned screens, artful lighting and decor, tapestries, and wall coverings. The right pieces can also make spaces more functional by providing privacy, acoustic properties, and brand experiences that represent company culture and values.
Digital Dream
As we move daily between in-person and virtual interactions, the two worlds are blurring together. Digital Lavender will likely follow 2022’s Very Peri as color of the year for 2023, signifying—and satisfying—our cravings for serenity and digital escapism. The ethereal pastel tones are being built into spaces and elements of our recuperative rituals at home, work, and play.
Good Natured
As climate change-related crises rise, nature is more than just a muse for design—it’s a home we can’t lose. Eco-conscious colors, materials, and sustainable products are at the heart of this trend, fostering our personal well-being while helping to save our precious planet.
Retro Comfort
Gen Zers in particular are keen on past trends and have revived a passion for retro influences. Faded aesthetics, designs of yesteryear, expressive veneers, monochromatic spaces, and soft geometric patterns in neutral color palettes create environments that harken back to our heritage of design, but with a modern twist.
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