Copyright Forbes
Swapna Sathyan is Principal, Director of Consulting at Blue Cottage of CannonDesign. For generations, the design guidelines for buildings and spaces have been shaped by narrow assumptions about who experiences are for, and a traditionalist view of how people should live, work and engage with their surroundings. “Standard” dimensions, family roles and even ideas of comfort and productivity were often derived from generalized norms rather than the true diversity of human experience in current-day society. We all know there is no average person. Today’s communities and organizations reflect a rich tapestry of identities, cultures, family structures, lived experiences and more. Yet, when it comes to the built environment, many buildings and spaces do not respond to this heterogeneity. As a result, these spaces are inadvertently sending cues about who belongs and who doesn’t because of the design choices that were made. Culturally responsive design seeks to change this traditionalist paradigm. It begins by contemplating the full breadth of users who will engage with the environment, what they value, and how design can help them feel welcome and be their authentic selves. It’s not about designing for a single culture but about designing for the pluralism that defines our workplaces, neighborhoods and cities. When we helped LinkedIn design its Canadian headquarters in Toronto, for example, we fully embraced culturally responsive design by celebrating the city’s diversity. The workplace features more than 100 custom wall graphics inspired by Toronto’s neighborhoods and materials sourced from local artisans. Inclusive spaces, including a music room, prayer room, wellness areas and large dining zones for communal meals, invite connection and belonging, and make cultural expression a core part of the daily work experience. LinkedIn aimed to create a world-class workplace, and by embedding cultural responsiveness from the start, they achieved a space that’s not only beautiful and functional but genuinely inclusive for everyone. How can other organizations take clear steps to create culturally responsive workplaces? Consider the following: Start by understanding the people you’re designing for. The foundation of culturally responsive design is understanding. Immersing yourself in people’s rituals, values, histories and experiences helps to uncover norms and values that shape their sense of belonging. Observing how people interact and the unspoken cues they signal are as important as hearing their stories and listening with empathy. Whenever I can, I spend time in the communities we’re designing for. I walk around, speak with people, grab lunch where they do, visit local shops and show up at community events. It’s in those everyday moments that I start to see what makes people feel connected or left out. Most importantly, it’s important to approach this work with humility. As one of my colleagues often says, we never start with the assumption that we are the experts. We start with the assumption that we are here to learn. Genuine listening and curiosity are what turn understanding into design insights that allow you to translate culture into spaces that empower. Understand culture in different contexts. Once you understand what matters to people, design can respond in tangible ways through both big and subtle gestures that make them feel seen and connected. But first, it’s essential to understand what those gestures mean across different contexts. “Community,” for example, looks different everywhere. In a small Midwestern town, it might mean a Friday night football game where the whole town gathers. In New York, it could be neighbors chatting on a stoop or an impromptu concert in the park. In Chicago, it might be fans in the stands at a Cubs game or a shared table at a local café. Each setting expresses belonging, but through distinct social norms. The concept of hospitality carries similar complexity. In some cultures, hospitality is felt when experiences are lively and collective. In others, it’s more about being calm and orderly. Even the concept of personal space varies. In some cultures, physical closeness conveys trust and warmth. In others, it feels intrusive. An open lobby might feel liberating to one group but isolating to another. A small meeting room might foster intimacy for some, yet feel confining for others. Translate insights into design interventions. Once you’ve invested in understanding at these different levels, what you learn can then effectively influence everything from lighting, color and acoustics to how you define “welcoming” in a built space. Inclusive solutions might involve layering in local art, materials and stories that reflect both the people who work there and the surrounding community. It might involve co-creating with employees to define what “welcome” looks like, from the foods offered in the café to the languages, colors and imagery represented on the walls. Cultural responsiveness in design enables us to design spaces that foster community and allow for individual expression. Environments that give a nod to history and celebrate the promise of tomorrow. Spaces that address the needs of multi-generational users and form a bridge to the workforce of the future. Designing for many cultures can feel daunting when you’re trying to honor what makes each one unique. But the goal isn’t to find a universal solution. It’s to create spaces that welcome people as they are, adapt to different needs and reflect the richness of all cultures they bring together.
