In episode 404, host Mike Petrusky speaks with Rebecca Swanner, Associate Principal and Senior Workplace Design Leader at HED, about how AI, data, and changing work patterns are reshaping the future of the workplace. Rebecca explains why organizations need to start with clear outcomes before making workplace decisions and how AI is shifting human work toward more strategic and creative tasks. Together, they explore the rise of responsive environments powered by wearable tech and real-time data, the growing importance of protecting focus, and why success metrics must move beyond occupancy. Rebecca also shares practical guidance on piloting workplace changes and iterating based on real-world feedback as organizations prepare for a more integrated, asynchronous, and hybrid future of work.
- What outcomes guide workplace decisions
- How AI is reshaping work and raising expectations
- What defines a responsive workplace experience
- How workplace environments impact focus and performance
- How organizations test and scale new workplace models
Agenda
Takeaway 1: Define outcomes before making workplace decisions
Many organizations still begin workplace planning with space requirements, headcounts, or location decisions, but Rebecca argues that this approach often leads to misaligned outcomes and missed opportunities. When decisions are driven by logistics first, teams risk optimizing for efficiency without fully understanding what success should look like for the business.
“Have a very big picture, high level conversation about what are the outcomes… you have to know what you want the outcome to be,” Rebecca explains.
Starting with outcomes creates a stronger link between workplace strategy and business priorities, helping leaders define how space should influence behavior, collaboration, and performance. It also creates alignment across stakeholders early in the process, ensuring that every design and operational decision supports a clearly defined purpose rather than reacting to immediate constraints.
Takeaway 2: AI is raising the cognitive bar for human work
As AI absorbs repetitive, low cognitive load tasks, the nature of human work is fundamentally changing. Activities like email management, basic coordination, and routine processing are increasingly automated, allowing employees to shift their time and energy toward more complex and meaningful work, Rebecca explains.
The shift places new expectations on employees to operate at a higher cognitive level for longer periods of time. As a result, organizations need to rethink how they support deep work, creativity, and strategic thinking. Designing environments, workflows, and policies that protect focus becomes essential to helping employees meet these elevated demands and perform at their best.
Takeaway 3: Responsive workplaces will adapt in real time to human needs
Rebecca describes a future where workplace environments dynamically respond to individual preferences, tasks, and real-time biometric data. By connecting wearable technology with workplace systems, organizations can create spaces that actively adjust to support how people work throughout the day.
“If you give space that information… how can space suggest and guide and adapt… so that you have the right environment for the right thing you’re doing,” she says.
These responsive environments could automatically adjust lighting, temperature, acoustics, and even recommend breaks based on a person’s current state and workload. While much of the underlying technology already exists, the real opportunity is in integrating these systems into a cohesive experience. As adoption grows, organizations can move closer to workplaces that actively enhance comfort, focus, and overall performance.
Takeaway 4: Focus is an environmental challenge, not just a personal skill
While focus is often framed as an individual responsibility, Rebecca emphasizes that it is heavily influenced by environmental conditions. Even small disruptions like background noise, movement, or poor air quality can significantly reduce a person’s ability to concentrate.
“Focus… is typically seen as a matter of personal discipline… but what research shows is it’s actually incredibly environmentally sensitive.”
As employees spend more time on cognitively demanding tasks, these environmental factors become increasingly important. Workplace leaders have an opportunity to design spaces that reduce distractions, control sensory inputs, and support sustained attention. Treating focus as a design challenge, rather than a personal limitation, can lead to measurable improvements in performance and employee experience.
Takeaway 5: Measure workplace success through outcomes that matter
Attendance data can tell you who showed up. It can’t tell you whether the workplace is working.
Rebecca urges organizations to rethink how they define and measure success in the workplace. Traditional metrics like attendance or occupancy provide limited insight into whether the workplace is supporting business goals or employee performance.
“Focus on outcomes over occupancy,” she advises.
By shifting toward outcome-based metrics like innovation, productivity, engagement, and retention, organizations can better evaluate the true impact of their workplace strategies. This approach creates a stronger connection between workplace investments and business results, helping leaders make more informed decisions about space, technology, and experience over time.
Workplace management insights
- Workplace strategies should begin with clearly defined outcomes and success metrics
- AI is accelerating the shift toward higher-value, cognitively demanding work
- Responsive environments can optimize performance by adapting in real time
- Environmental factors play a critical role in supporting focus and productivity
- Piloting and iteration help reduce risk and improve long-term workplace outcomes
- Measuring meaningful outcomes creates stronger alignment with business goals
Explore the full library of Workplace Innovator podcast episodes for an in‑depth look at workplace insights and watch the full video here.
