The Return to the Office Needs Human-Centered Design: Here’s Why and How

Rui Patricio () and Francine Nickel ()
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Rui Patricio: UNIDCOM/IADE, Unidade de Investigação em Design e Comunicação
Francine Nickel: Universidade Europeia, IADE, Faculdade de Design, Tecnologia e Comunicação

A chapter in Intangibles in the Knowledge Economy, 2025, pp 191-206 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract In the emerging remote and hybrid work model where employee experience (EX) is becoming fundamental for retaining talent, companies face enormous challenges convincing employees to work face-to-face at their premises. The paper argues that human-centered design (HCD) can improve EX by helping companies redesign office space interactions so that they can attract, engage, and retain employees. This paper explains how companies can use HCD approaches to improve EX in return to the office by systematizing and developing a cross-comparison of academic and industry models about the future of work. Its contributions focus on why and how this interplay makes sense. HCD enhances EX by strengthening the bonds in the work environment driven by socialization, creativity, and serendipity. This can be delivered by actionable guidelines, including creating open and flexible spaces to integrate and promote meaningful socialization events that could lead to a more creative environment.

Keywords: Employee experience; Human-centered design; Work models; Socialization; Office space; Future of work (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-86660-9_14

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