Asia Pacific

The A-Z of future

workplace design
How to reimagine and
navigate the next normal
A new perspective
What does the workplace of the future hold?
Determining how it could - or should - look like is
high on the agenda of many business leaders.
COVID-19 has caused businesses to re-examine
people’s expectations of their workplace and its
essence.
The need for change is sweeping. Previous trends
have accelerated, and it’s become crucial to focus
on employee health and well-being, creating a
sense of belonging at work.
Organisations must ensure productivity and
business resilience even when their teams are
not in the office and the responsibility for this
lies with C-suite and Corporate Real Estate (CRE)
leaders and Human Resources, in conjunction
2 | The A-Z of future workplace design
with consultants and designers. New habits
and behaviours formed while large numbers of
employees worked from home – driven as much
by choice as by necessity – must be taken into
consideration.
As property consultants and corporate design
experts, we help our clients manage the present
and reimagine the future. We delve deep into
every type of workplace scenario and help
businesses look ahead for opportunities, even as
they face economic uncertainty and strive to shift
back into growth mode.
 Moving beyond the initial “shock and response”
phase, we’re now entering a new phase of action.
Take the chance and
As lease expiry dates loom, portfolio decisions lead the change.
need to be made With a need for action, and
Portfolio shaping through smart a unique opportunity for
design to be a talent magnet. Change, what would you like
As you consider re-sizing or reorganizing your to preserve or move away
portfolio, how can you improve your ability to from in your future portfolio?
retain and attract talent, and enhance employees’
sense of belonging through workplace design?

Address choice and

flexibility like never before.
How can you fully activate your space
CRE leaders must rethink legacy workplace models
to cater to all user working styles
while continuing to offer choice and
New workplace and embrace transformation now. Thinking ahead
flexibility? expectations. is a good place to start. Firms that step up their
game to get a fresh perspective on moving their
What role does your real estate
workplace into their future will be far more ready
portfolio play in achieving your
to confront challenges — and opportunities —
business goals, with a large
than those who do not.
part of your workforce already
familiarized with remote
working?

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Reimagine – The Next Normal

COVID-19 accelerated changes we already foresaw for this decade. Organisations must The Conservative Approach adopts guidelines
now review and reimagine how they want, and need, their workplaces to look like, as new while keeping its previous set-up in place.
expectations develop and a quick response to deal with these changes are required to The Moderate Approach acknowledges the
help a company propel into the future. irreversible changes that have altered the way
The first step to reimagining your workplace is to deconstruct the office landscape and we work. This charts a new path where new ways
define the Next Normal. The below table illustrates the path to reimagining your space. and places of work are adopted while keeping a
significant portion of their portfolio unchanged.
The Progressive Approach embraces the
Business changes and new work habits formed, shedding
Disruption Progressive
Flourish Approach the old normal. Taking a revolutionary rather
Business Reimagination Next than evolutionary approach, it may come with
Normal
Disruption Event business risks.
Path Moderate
definition Approach  
towards
Business
Next
Continuity Plans Conservative
Normal
Approach

Inflection Traditional New-Old

Point Path Normal

Time
Today 2021

The recovery path shows the way to the Next Normal, with three types of
organisations based on their approach.

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The A-Z of future
workplace design A B C D E
Automation Balance Choice De-Densification Expectations

In this guide, we explore 26 thought-

provoking topics arranged from
A-Z. These building blocks should F G H I J
spark meaningful conversations with Fitout Costs Guidelines Hub & Club Infection Journey
business leaders.

K L M N O
Kindness Landlords Meeting Net-Zero Carbon Organizing your
Experiences Footprint Portfolio

P Q R S T
Productivity Queues, in Remote Working Shared Sense Touchless
Quarantine of Purpose Technology

U V W X Y Z
Ubiquity Virtual Reality Wellbeing XL Size Furniture Yourself, in a Zoomification
and Configurations year

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 Automation
Faster, better, cheaper

Industries will increasingly automate processes and tasks. Traditional jobs will be transformed as technology reduces
or optimizes manual tasks. The value of white-collar roles will remain as Automation is an essential part of enhancing
productivity. The workplace will continue to be where human interaction and collaboration takes place and crystalizes.
At the same time, it is in the workplace where automation will be harnessed to support the workforce in
processes of various forms. Customer support, employee analytics and automated hiring processes are just some
examples. Effectively, this frees up time for skills that are unique to humans such as creativity and the ability
to thrive from disruption and change. In workspaces, the shift translates into more “war rooms”, interactive
meeting spaces or new employees’ “agoras”. (from Greek: central public space) to share ideas.)

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Balance
Beyond flexible hours Fixed time and space to do our jobs is a
thing of the past for most organisations.
The new definition of Balance is
sustained symbiosis while work and
personal time are integrated amidst
ever more flexible work arrangements.
This situation is no longer an aspiration,
but the reality for many entrepreneurs
and an increasing number of corporate
employees.
With companies giving employees
more control around how they
want to do their work and when,
achieving balance at work will
require more than just flexible hours
- it’s an inclusive, trust-based, and
outcome-driven mindset that makes
employees more fulfilled, loyal and
more productive.
The concept of balance is fluid and
personal, varying significantly from
baby boomers to Gen Z, families with
kids or dependents, early risers or
night owls. Business leaders will need
to define frameworks to reconcile the
individual understanding of balance
with the organisation’s common goals.

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JLL Seoul office
by JLL Design
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Where, how and when to work
After offices are gradually reopened first for
essential workers and finally for all in some
countries, responsible freedom of choice is
now a key expectation for most employees. In
an outcome-based team or organisation, being
able to choose where, how and when to work
– if goals are achieved – has become the norm.
Organisations need to proactively plan to match
increasing expectations from employees, in order
to allow them to thrive and boost productivity.
These arrangements will involve new contracts,
new workplace boundaries and a redefinition of
responsibilities and incentives.

In a nutshell, working hours are no longer dictated – they are flexible. The places where
we work are no longer fixed or centralised, they can be chosen. The amount of work
we do, number of hours and how we allocate them can be up to us. The technology
and devices we use are not necessarily mandated by companies, we can bring and use
our own. The career path we take is no longer set in stone; it can be customised. Job
descriptions are no longer fixed, they evolve in goals and nature, alongside changes in
an organisation or an industry.

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JLL Singapore office
by JLL Design
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 Reducing density to A new ecosystem connecting workplaces will emerge. These spaces will be less dense and
re-purposed from traditional offices, providing more personal and safer spaces for all.
increase safety A de-densified office will take various forms and dimensions with workstations
spread out to increase social distance. Anticipatory technology will help prevent
crowds or long waiting lines. Better air filtration and air distribution systems will
help people in the office feel safe.
We explore more scenarios and different space configurations in relation to headcount in
our client exclusive content*.
(*Get in touch with Gonzalo Portellano for more information)

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Expectations It will not be “Business as usual” when
it comes to returning to the office. Most
people have experienced the challenges of
living under lockdowns, confined at home
Changes that are here to stay and without much lifestyle choice outside
of it when businesses had curfews or were
temporarily closed. They will return to the
office with a new set of expectations. Being
back at the office is a celebration with
face to face interactions and ‘water-
cooler conversations’ resuming.
For many, it won’t be a
“five-days a week”

experience anymore
since working from home is already
a deeply engrained habit.
Biophilic design, integrated technology and wellness will
be adopted by many organisations. The experiential office
gives employees, customers and visitors a glimpse of the
company culture, brand and ethos through its design.
Corporate design will take inspiration from hospitality and
blend them seamlessly into concierge and greeting zones
while human-centric, almost invisible technologies and
tools for environmental control, will enhance
health and safety at work.

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As businesses are requiring less space due to
distributed and remote working, some organisations
e w a nd
are seeking ways to cut costs across their portfolio to
e w , r e n atte rs
mitigate the financial impact of the pandemic. This Revi w h atm
presents an opportunity to repurpose some areas to
v e s t in
meet new expectations, enhance functionalities that rei n
were lacking or inadequate, de-densify to meet health
and safety standards, increase seating choices, and
refresh office design for meeting and greeting areas.
Knowing and understanding trends and
opportunities can make all the difference when it
comes to costs. Our Fit-Out Cost Guide for APAC
gives you an idea of what you can expect to pay
for a typical office fit-out in the Asia Pacific region.
Complementing this guide is our internal JLL
tool, which we have developed to help our clients
determine initial cost levels for different fit out
quality ranges, as well as provide a preliminary 3D
model to illustrate the look and feel in real time.
FoW

.....
.. ..........

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JLL Hong Kong office
by JLL Design

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 delin e s
i
Gu amework for your fr
Post-COVID-19, workplaces must comply with
revised regulations and country authorities’

Ah o l i st i c m e et i ng standards. These won’t define the future of work,

, b e y o nd but they will become part of the organisation’s

o
portfoli operating procedures and facilities management.

ta n d a r ds Design guidelines as we know them will evolve to

s become a more holistic set of design principles,

going beyond the look and feel; or a prescriptive
design kit-of-parts. Wellness principles,
sustainability, health and safety protocols,
headcount densities and a wider range of options
for meeting, greeting, collaborating or focus
spaces are now part of the objectives of a design
playbook.
A playbook is not a static document and reflects
any new arising challenges. Our upcoming
2021 Design Playbook takes inspiration from
the solutions we implemented for our clients,
and incorporates the research derived from a
vast number of employees’ input from multiple
surveys done across many locations and
industries.

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 Headquarters, reinvented
As employees acquire new skills, competencies and
fluency in adopting new ways of how and where to
work, the scope of work and roles will evolve in non-
linear ways. Headquarters will remain the epicenter
of action to manage and inspire employees. After the
re-entry, newly repurposed headquarters will have
elements similar to club membership benefits.
Think new amenities and activities that can’t
be experienced elsewhere, which create
opportunities for social interactions and the “in-
between moments”, such as a casual chat when
crossing paths with a colleague at the lounge
space or inviting a client over to try a state-of-the
art meeting space with immersive Mixed Reality
technology. From celebrations to townhalls, the
headquarters is the venue where employees truly
feel they belong, and which brings a company’s
culture and purpose to life to attract and retain
talent.
Concurrently, in large cities, some organisations are
considering a significant decentralization of their
portfolios, with satellite workspaces or a network of
fully tech-enabled hubs near transportation nodes
that can be easily accessed with less commuting.
Other organisations will provide co-working spaces’
memberships to some of their employees, who can
choose to work from wherever is more convenient.
This can alleviate real estate costs and add another
layer to the mix of “places of work”.
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The Hub
Collaboration areas
Ad-hoc meeting spaces
Focus zone
Touch & go space
Townhall space
Work cafe
Enclosed meeting rooms
Concentration/silent zone
stations
Live zone stations

The Club
Attention to design detail
Sense of belonging
Front of the house visual impact
Functional & diverse furniture
Ambience sound & music
Visual communication
Diverse and healthy F&B
offering

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 Infection
Minimising health risks
at work.
We’re learning to live with the risk of new infections in

I
our daily interactions, while using public transportation
or going out in the street. We consciously make risk
exposure choices and inside the office this is the
responsibility of organisations. Contact tracing at work
while protecting employees’ privacy rights requires
sophisticated technology.
Technological tools and off-the-shelf infection
prevention solutions are no longer an afterthought.
They can be seamlessly incorporated into the
workplace. Designers can enable these changes
from partnering with facility management or
technology consultants to integrate sensors to
track people flows or incorporate touchless voice-
activated devices, QR codes, biometric access
systems and other systems to harmoniously
complement the office design.

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 Journey
Mapping the employee
experience
Mapping the employee journey-mapping will be
salient and urgent post pandemic. Organisations
must understand which experiences matter most to
employees, and what they can do at each stage within
the workplace to have a positive impact on metrics
such as engagement, attrition, and productivity in
targeted and dynamic ways. By putting the human
experience at the core of this journey-mapping,
businesses can tailor their approaches to reach
objectives such as activating the purpose of the
organisation, enhancing cohesion and well-being or
simply trust-building.
Employee experience influences customer
experience. There isn’t any way around it.
Organisations now have a strong motivation to
push the boundaries, going from traditional ROI to
ROI plus and additional new measures of return on
investments in improving those experiences (ROX).

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Kindness
Be good, be well
The unprecedented scale of this crisis
taught us the importance of human
connection and kindness. Values such as
empathy, charity and generosity shine
through and play a key role at work.
Organisations that responded to the
needs of their people with support
and care during this time will reap the
greatest goodwill. At work, people
are more inclined to put kindness
and empathy from employers above
other material benefits. Equipping
employees with tools and workplace
set-ups that improve their well-being
generates lasting positive impact for
firms, in addition to giving employees
opportunities to develop awareness
for other causes outside work which
are worth pursuing.
At an organisational level, firms can
take a localised approach by making
sure they make an impact in their local
communities.

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 Landlords
Beyond rent prices: a new
value proposition

With tenants demanding more flexibility and increasing vacancy rates, landlords need to rethink their value proposition and approach to attract and retain
tenants. Some continue to accelerate the diversification of amenities across currently underutilized assets to meet new tenant demands through additions
in key areas such as Wellness (gyms, meditation or yoga areas), F&B (choice of healthy food options in the building), or Social (clubs, lounge and executive
meeting zones) within their premises. Others are moving decidedly into the co-working arena, opening and operating new spaces within their premises,
sometimes in the vacant spaces left by other co-working brands.
Overall, the leasing negotiation is evolving above and beyond the traditional lease offer. Designers play a key role in addressing these new
requirements, bringing their knowledge in designing workspaces to communal building areas. Our design teams are assisting landlords to rethink
and repurpose these spaces to meet the demand, enhancing the asset value with well thought-out design solutions to help reduce operating costs
and improve tenant perception of the asset, increasing both operating income and capital value.

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Meeting
Getting together with colleagues or clients
face-to-face has renewed importance in the
reimagined workplace.
Experiences With many still working from home or
connecting from different locations, improved
Meetings done better audio, visual and light conditions can make
those outside the room feel they are truly part
of the meeting. Mixed Reality (MR) simulates
an experience that blends the physical
environment with the introduction of virtual
elements. It brings you into the meeting room
wherever you are.
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When it comes to space configuration, design
can amplify the connection participants have
with one another. Our proposed new meeting
space reinvents the use of the floor plan to cater
for the different ways people choose to interact –
standing, seating, moving around – by freeing up
the space in the centre of the room. This allows
participants to be expressive or introspective
while adhering to safe distancing more effectively
than in a traditional meeting room. Our Project
and Development Services teams make all this
possible from design and construction to move-in.
Home

Moving towards sustainable workplaces
and buildings
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Cutting carbon emissions and increasing
energy efficiency is essential to reducing our
carbon footprint to deliver cleaner, more
sustainable workplaces and buildings. And
this trend is only expected to accelerate
as more and more organisations align to
the Paris Climate Agreement and make
aggressive public commitments to achieve
net zero carbon footprints in the coming
years.
Our broader design approach helps clients
integrate sustainability into the corporate
design process, by considering multiple
aspects from material sourcing (proximity
to factories, recycling and upcycling
strategies), to life cycle operations costs,
to embodied and operational carbon
emissions. We can deliver strategies that
yield substantial savings in utility bills
to our clients, while helping them drive
towards low or net zero carbon goals
through sustainable engineering design
and working with our Integrated Facility
Management or Energy and Sustainability
colleagues. Corporate Design is the
catalyzer of these joint efforts.
Home
 JLL Seoul office
by JLL Design
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 Organisations can follow many paths,
from distributing their current footprint
across multiple city zones, right-sizing, de-
densifying spaces, repurposing parts or all
of it, outsourcing spaces, or a combination
of all the above. Footprint reduction, when
necessary, needs a parallel set of actions to
prevent sending an unfavourable message
to employees. Portfolio downsizing
should come with compensatory actions.
They could take the form of fresh fit
outs or enhancing parts of the premises.
Alternatively, companies could consider
paid memberships, or subsidized ones,
for affected employees to join co-working
spaces, and even enhancing employees’
working from home situation effectively and
productively.
In the grander scheme of things, real
estate cost reductions are just a short-
term remedy. Companies should think
of portfolio organisation holistically,
as the “places to work” beyond

Organising your traditional workplace boundaries and

gather additional expertise beyond CRE
(HR, Marketing, Change and Human

Portfolio Experience consultants) to deploy

successful communication strategies that
will increase employees’ support to your
Right size, place and location future portfolio arrangements.

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Professional
Services company,
Hong Kong HQ
by JLL Design

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 WWith countries under lockdown, goals and ways to achieve them is a
many teleworkers found refuge priority now: in a more asynchronous
in their home office, dedicating relationship with work, the early
more hours working than normal, risers and the night owls can make
and productivity was kept or their workday fit their schedules, and
even increased from 2019 levels. not the other way around. Extended,
Over time, these levels have been variable or completely unstructured
declining, especially for millennials. office hours distribution during
The challenge arising for many the week, activating workplaces
organisations is how to keep 24/7 and a mix of office and home
motivation, engagement and working should help employees keep
productivity levels high, while dealing productivity high.
with limited access to the office or In the office, we can through
uncertainty about the duration of this thoughtful design incorporating
pandemic. Whilst corporate survival both social and focus areas, create
can be a great motivator in the long spaces where employees find
run, the mental toll for employees comfort, confidence and support,
living in fear of losing their jobs to boost and sustain productivity
could be detrimental. Reassessing throughout the day and over time.
Companies adopting these designs
will be able to foster positive

Productivity
behaviours and a sense of security
in employees. This psychological
safety is particularly important

Enabling sustainable comfort, for risk-taking and creative

companies in a disruptive business
confidence and creativity environment.

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Global Hospitality company,
Hong Kong HQ
by JLL Design

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 Your safety cannot wait in line
Before COVID-19, the rise of sharing economy has
meant consumers are used to the convenience
of hailing for an immediate ride or having food
delivered directly to their homes. Still, queuing up
was part of the process when going to a show or to
your favorite sports game.
Today, queuing poses a health risk many are
unwilling to take. Returning to work, our days
will revolve around more anticipation and
planning. We have developed apps that can
help our clients prevent queues at work: from
booking a desk for your next day in the office
to ordering food from the canteen. Virtual
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assistants will help to organize your day, and
there are tools to help you better understand
space demands in real time, with sensors to
identify and track areas with more or less
‘traffic’.
The pantry, canteen and breakout areas will
continue to be the prime space for employee
interactions, but they will also have to comply with
the density, health and safety rules of each country
and organisation. Smart circulation, adding design
features to create buffer zones forcing no-return
flows, can help address capacity issues.
Home
Global Technology
company, South Korea
by JLL Design

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 Organisations are moving into Understanding the workforce from
2021 with many of their employees this angle will allow organisations to
still working from home (WFH). set more customized remote working
This doesn’t mean the number of policies that are a win-win for all.
employees WFH is fixed. It varies Whilst working from home has
according to social distancing become a habit for most, our
measures, the day of the week, JLL “Flex” approach is rooted in
business seasonality, nature of the our conviction, backed by many
work or company culture. Every surveys, that the office is resilient
organisation now has a unique and will continue to be our
opportunity to determine the right predominant place of work.
ratio, observing all these variables,
to take WFH to the level that suit The office is where employees
them operationally, culturally and renew their sense of belonging, feel
financially. their organisational purpose and
experience the unique interactions
Working from home activates a whole that can only happen when in
new employee segmentation based contact with other people.
on the value that remote working
could deliver to themselves and the
organisation:

Remote working The Super Tele-

Worker:
fully remote,
The Social
Gatherer:
partially remote,
The Workplace
Friend:
exceptionally
The Office
Lover:
not eligible and

For the right people in the net positive and

value-creating
net neutral
outcome.
remote, net
negative outcome,
not interested
in remote

right amount outcome. working remotely

only under special
working.

circumstances

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 Mission: possible
Organisations need to enhance a new Shared Sense
of Purpose to offset the dilution of engagement with
people working from home. Strong teams start with a
clear purpose. Whether it’s business survival, reinvention
in disruption times, or a company mission to make the
world a better place, a purpose-driven company is a powerful driving
force that makes employees feel that their work matters in a big picture context.
Companies at which employees have a common purpose have higher energy
and morale. They speak the same organisational language. Companies need
to craft effective messages to communicate this to employees and help them
embrace a purpose.
Now, the workplace needs to inspire purpose more than ever. It is, after
all, the depository of the values and mission of an organisation. We
can enhance the organisation’s brand elements and create a link to the
company’s history and its goals through smart manifestations of that
history in selected areas: from way finding to the names of meeting rooms
or creating a distinctive look. Designers, workplace consultants and change
managers will carefully take stock of what inspires their employees and
reflect that in the physical space.

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Global Hospitality company,
Hong Kong HQ
by JLL Design

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 Contactless interactions around you
Due to our heightened awareness of germs spreading, we have observed a shift to avoid touching surfaces or objects
that are not ours. Since touching a door handle or light switch could prove to be risky, it’s necessary to overhaul these
features. With the promise of the Internet of Things (IoT), not yet being materialised, and a full technology integration
still under way for many organizations, the progress made on the interactivity of personal devices with the work
environment is now a reality. We can now avoid touching any surface other than our personal smartphones to interact
with the surroundings whether it’s to book desks and meeting rooms or order lunch from the canteen With the right
building system in place, companies can create the touchless office as the centerpiece of their workplace design
strategy. Despite ongoing controversy around the use of facial recognition to access buildings in some countries,
the benefits can easily exceed the downsides with the right ethical data utilization measures taken and looking at it
through the lens of health and safety.
With a transparent data utilization policy and and positive reinforcements supporting its benefits, we may see
an increasing adoption of facial recognition technologies in the corporate context. Our JLL Technology teams
have been working closely with our partners to respond to these shifting demands with innovative solutions to
support our clients with their return to work requirements.

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 Always being available to your employer may
sound discouraging to some, but the positive
externalities of being “connected” can be
mutually beneficial. It opens possibilities to
explore workplace beyond physical locations in
ways previously unthinkable. Being ubiquitous
in the work context means employees can
deliver work from their devices wherever they
are. Night owls and early risers won’t need to
compromise their fixed schedules. It means a
definitive shift to an outcome-driven model in
organizations.
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We’re moving towards a more asynchronous
type of work and worker, in an era when work
can be personalized. Time and location matter
less in our current economic model. At the same
time, with an increasing number of outsourced,
or commoditized services used by organizations
(Uberization), there is an implicit risk that
employees will have fewer health benefits. It’s
a situation organizations need to tackle as a
commitment to the communities they engage with
and in which they operate. In the workplace, these
individual work styles can be expressed through
a wider range of furniture configurations, light
moods, ambience music or environments inspired
by home settings for a true 24/7 activation of the
space to attract a new generation of asynchronous
workers.
biquity
Available anytime,
anywhere
Home
 Virtual Reality
Virtually here for you
More affordable than before and designed for better user
experiences, devices and businesses built on virtual and
augmented reality technologies are showing the way for a new
generation of meetings and social interactions in real and virtual
work environments. These technologies offer the benefits of in-
person experiences (spontaneous interactions, physical cues and
connection) without health risks. And the potential that everyone
can be “virtually there” will humanize virtual relationships, while
delivering cost-savings on business travel.
With more people going back to the office, mixed reality
meetings – merging virtual and real worlds by placing
computer generated objects in a real setting for a more
realistic environment – will likely be introduced at work. The
applications are limitless, and they will help with normalizing
and humanizing the virtual interactions amongst employees
and customers.

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Supporting your employees’
physical and mental balance
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No longer the next big thing, workplace well-being
now takes priority. With a third of our lives spent
working, organizations realise they need to take
care of their people. Well-being goes beyond
physical health and safety, and outside the
traditional boundaries of the office. With millions
of citizens confined under strict lockdowns
for months and many still facing movement
restrictions and economic uncertainties, mental
health and emotional support are essential for
employees to thrive in challenging circumstances.
Back in the office, workplace design plays a
renewed role in the wellness conversation by
creating spaces that give a respite from day to
day pressures: think stress-free zones where
employees can make a different use of their time
for a while, to recharge and return to work after.
Supporting employees’ well-being at work can
be achieved through circadian lights to create
different moods for different spaces or biophilic
design to reconnect with nature. In addition,
firms could encourage employees to seek a
better balance and lead healthier lifestyles,
with diverse and healthy food options
available, or through holistic tools and efforts
around fitness, nutrition, mindfulness and
corporate social responsibilities programs.
Home
 XL size
furniture and
configurations
Addressing density changes
in the workplace

With offices only partially used, the current de-

densification “stickers and plexiglass” measures will
evolve to something more permanent and inviting.
Furniture manufacturers and designers are helping create
virus-free, safer offices with larger furniture that delivers
lower densities.
An XL furniture approach to office design will
incorporate more sophisticated ways of dividing and
compartmentalizing the office space to offer flexibility
and adaptability. Furniture will also feature more use
of materials inhospitable to germs, such as copper,
and repurpose the main function of dividers from
providing acoustic insulation to preventing the spread
of germs.

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Yourself, in a year
Normalizing the exception
The greatest revelation from the flux the pandemic unleashed is
that how you work and where you work to achieve your highest
levels of productivity is innately personal. You now choose how you
configure your workday and week.
Organizations will measure output and see value, not hours.
The problem of presentism is acknowledged and is finally seen
as an obstacle for organizations to thrive. Our relationship with
work will be a more fluid one, and companies that succeed
in providing employees with a higher degree of responsible
choices are likely to be rewarded with lower attrition rates,
more productive, loyal happier employees.
All of us will have a very clear purpose as to why we go to the
office. It won’t just be the default option available. Whilst social
interactions will continue to be impacted by restrictions, those
taking place in the office will be embraced and celebrated as they
will be conducted in a safe environment, with the necessary safety
measures in place and with responsible protocols enforced of
when, how and who is in the office at a given day.

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 Zoomification
The workforce has taken a crash course in
videoconferencing technology, resulting in
mass uptake of digital tools, and we can expect
more technologies to make their way into the Video killed the radio star
workplace. Work habits will also change as
information is sped up through instant messaging
instead of emails, and collaborative tools such as
Microsoft Teams and Slack find more mainstream
acceptance.
A human dimension is also added to our
“zoomified” life. It has allowed many to share more
about themselves with colleagues, compensating
for the reduction in face-to-face interactions.
There is greater general acceptance that not every
employee working from home has a dedicated
space and this this co-existence of work and
household life is finally acknowledged, accepted
and viewed with empathy.
New etiquette rules are being informally
solidified. Time matters, and many calls should
be shorter. There is now more efficiency and
clarity around understanding who and why
someone must attend a call, and better tools
for recording, instant chatting, voice messages
and so on, ensuring that these communication
tools improve the efficiency of our virtual
interactions and don’t overwhelm its users.

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Design at JLL
Backed by global experts in real estate, we Sustainability
combine creativity and data in design that no We are committed to solving your challenges
one else can to help you realize your vision. We today, and prepare you for the future – all while
envision places where people collaborate, spaces integrating sustainability in every aspect of the
where ideas can come to life, and where ambitions design process.
are achieved. And we are not afraid to say, that
nobody understands a workplace and its potential
the way we do.
We design, manage, consult, operate and build
Human Centred Design
hundreds of projects globally every year. The
How people collaborate, engage and stay
experience, lessons learnt, and relevant project
productive has changed over the years. We
data is a competitive advantage we offer to all our
understand what’s best for your workforce to be
clients in every location.
productive from a design perspective is key for
From traditional design consulting work to success.
localization and post COVID-19 workplace
redesign, we are equipped with the people, the
expertise and the latest technologies to work
closely with you, offering a wide range of solutions Technology & Innovation
that meet your needs. Using technologies that bring ideas to life, we
We are a globally integrated business that take experience, perspective and creativity,
delivers corporate, retail and hospitality design couple it with data from around the world to
solutions across 50+ countries, with a skilled and work smarter - and faster – to help our clients
global diverse community of more than 1,250 prepare for the future.
professionals (in-house designers + partners).

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Our people

Adeline See Annick Sloothmaekers Anthony Walsh Gonzalo Portellano

Malaysia China Australia APAC

With the changes and

challenges we face going
forward, organisations have
a unique opportunity to
reimagine and embrace new
Catherine Kim Danilo Lucii Joon Son
ways of working.
Hong Kong Singapore Korea We are here to assist you in
making informed, forward-
thinking and often bold
design decisions, and help
you achieve new productivity
and engagement levels
across your business.
Liz Reid Thomas Danet
Regional Accounts Regional Accounts Gonzalo Portellano,
Hong Kong Joon Son
Bangkok
Head of Portfolio Design
Asia Pacific.

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Making the
most of the A-Z
building blocks

Whether you join the journey at “A” and follow

through all the way through to “Z” or simply pick
and choose selected topics to help spell out the
future of your workplace, we hope you have found
this guide useful.
Get in touch for premium content, further insights
or a meeting with one of our design directors. We
will help you navigate through the next normal
and help you reimagine your future workplace.

Jll.com/design

43 | The A-Z of future workplace design Home

Author
Gonzalo Portellano
Head of Portfolio Design, Asia Pacific
Gonzalo.Pa@ap.jll.com

jll.com

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