Designing Spaces to Help People Feel Emotionally Safe in

the Workplace
June 19, 2020 | By Donya Farhangi

Editor's note: This post is part of our ongoing exploration of how design is responding to the
COVID-19 pandemic.

We are in the midst of an unprecedented social, health, and economic volatility. In the past
months, recent events have not only endangered our physical health, but they have also
posed a serious threat to our mental health. In these turbulent times, people are
experiencing a range of emotions, from feelings of fear and loneliness to anger and
helplessness. Concerns about our health and safety, as well as our friends’ and colleagues’
well-being, can be a great mental strain that can have serious implications for our mental
health.

How can we help people feel emotionally safe when they venture outside their own homes
and interact in public or private spaces with friends, acquaintances, and colleagues?

As designers and strategists, it’s our responsibility to transform existing spaces and
experiences to create inclusive, equitable places that instill emotional safety in occupants.
By creating environments that deliver a feeling of emotional safety, we can better promote
people’s mental health and well-being when they return to the workplace.

Physical vs. emotional safety

Physical safety is the absence of harm or injury to one’s body and through a physical object
or practices that include physical interactions and is one of the most basic human needs.
When people are not physically safe, they will seek out ways to be safe in their environment
before they can attempt to perform any higher level of survival tasks, like creating
meaningful connections or contributing to a shared goal.

Emotions trigger responses in the brain that affect how people feel and behave, and these
emotions have a powerful effect on creativity, productivity, and learning. Humans have an
imperative for safety wired into our mind and bodies. When people (of any age) realize and
trust that their feelings are valid and will be paid attention to with sensitivity, respect, and
care, they feel safe. And when we experience safety, our social engagement systems enable
us to communicate, collaborate, listen, empathize, and connect, as well as be creative and
innovative in our thoughts and actions.

It is generally easier to understand and plan for physical dangers than it is for emotional
ones. For example, in response to physical dangers posed by COVID-19, new standards
include physical distancing protocols, frequent sanitization of shared surfaces, and a higher
level of personal hygiene. However, addressing the emotional well-being implications that
COVID-19 poses is just as important.

Although there is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating environments that deliver a

feeling of emotional safety, the following considerations can help guide us as we design and
reimagine spaces and experiences.

1. Visual cues are a gateway to instill feelings of emotional safety.

Visual cues subconsciously instill a feeling of safety in occupants. These cues can be non-
verbal, decorative, directional, or informational. This includes thoughtfully designed layouts
or any other item purposefully designed to convey a message.

For example, we can find creative solutions to integrate physical distancing measures and
safety cues within a space. These measures, designed to improve the physical safety of
occupants, can also help make them feel emotionally safe. Solutions that convey a
thoughtful approach cause the least disruptions to daily routines, will help put people’s
minds at ease.

2. Activations don’t have to be health hazards.

Activating a space through activities and physical or digital interaction points can set the
tone of a space. Activations are points in space that offer occupants an opportunity to pause
and interact with a variety of pre-programmed content, such as small video and art
installations, informational digital displays, posters, various branding opportunities, and at a
larger scale, programmed events. Activations not only create choice and purpose for
occupants, but they can also potentially dictate behavioral cues for others. Activations in a
space don’t need to engage a large number of people; creating digital activations and
experiences within an existing space can engage individuals while minimizing the number of
touchpoints they encounter within a space.

Digital visual displays can be used to share reminders on etiquette, convey messages, and
showcase inspiring visual storytelling. Incorporating these moments within a space can
convey that a business, employer, or institution has the comfort, health, and safety of its
people in mind. This, in turn, enables individuals in a space to feel more emotionally safe.

3. Accommodate people’s emotional needs to create comfort.

Now more than ever, it is important to respond to emotional needs of the occupants in any
space. Creating opportunities in space for open and honest dialogue, where occupants can
feel included, appreciated, listened to, and accommodated, will allow them to have a
stronger connection to their environment, feel safer, and perform their tasks optimally
within any space.

Emotional Security in the Workplace, a new white paper from the Gensler Research
Institute, found that creating an environment where workers feel empowered to take risks,
ask questions, pose new ideas, and fail can be more important than the environment itself.
When individuals feel emotionally secure at work, they show increased trust in themselves
and others.

We can design new spaces, or re-purpose existing ones, to provide new accommodations
that help create environments that deliver a feeling of emotional safety. This can include
spaces intended to offer a mental break from external stressors, integrated sanitation
stations, or central information/resource centers.

Including a communications channel for occupants to voice their opinions about the space,
its accommodations, and other features will help people feel included in the decision-making
process. This will also help designers and proprietors better understand occupants’ needs
and improve the space as their needs evolve.

Ultimately, making emotional safety part of our approach to reimagining spaces and
experiences can help us create spaces that can serve as a refuge from the ongoing health,
social, and economic crises and contribute to our mental health and well-being.

For any media inquiries, please contact Kimberly Beals at Kimberly_Beals@Gensler.com.

Read more about how design responds to a changing world »

Donya Farhangi
Donya is a Consulting analyst with experience designing engineering
solutions for clients in the Tech and Aerospace industries, as well as
residential architecture. Her diverse background and experience
contributes to a deep understanding of design strategy augmented by
ALL POSTS research, communications, and visual storytelling. She is based in Los
Angeles. Contact her at Donya_Farhangi@gensler.com.