December 2022 - WSA Studio

The WSA Columbus studio is excited to welcome its newest team member, Leslie Hoerig. Leslie joins WSA as an Interior Design Manager. She has over a decade of experience designing workplaces including work on Nationwide Insurance’s Grandview Yard campus and Innovation Center. Leslie also has a background in multi-family, renovated spaces, and retail environments.

Leslie has a passion for designing in collaboration with clients, focusing on building dynamic solutions. In her work she balances her expertise with an open mind for collaboration and innovation.

“Organizations are collectives, they are like a living organism. Needs can change, so solutions need to be sustainable, adaptable, and forward thinking,” Hoerig said.

Infusing creativity into design challenges, and incorporating clean lines and contemporary style are hallmarks of Leslie’s work. As the future of the workspace changes, Leslie is dedicated to customizing spaces to create the most value for employers and employees.

“As adaptive reuse becomes more common, the value of being able to repurpose a space goes up,” Hoerig said. “There’s a challenge to recreating a space to be a dynamic environment that supports how people actually work. But the value to the daily occupants of having a comfortable and engaging space, and the value employers see from supporting positive experiences and building culture are worth the challenges we face as designers.”

In the wake of permanent disruption to the workplace, attracting and retaining talent has become the greatest challenge facing employers. WSA has been leading the conversation on what the future of the workplace looks like. By embracing adaptive reuse, harnessing technology, and putting emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and accessibility through design, the studio hopes to create spaces that foster collaboration and creativity, and enrich human experiences.

“The people and culture are what sets WSA apart. Across interior design, planning, and architecture we all have the collective mission to enhance what the workplace is and can be,” Hoerig said.

As a Design Manager and leader in the Columbus studio, Leslie will work with a team of architects and experience designers to create innovative spaces that adapt to the way people work today and tomorrow. She is currently part of the team working with WSA’s partners, Grange Insurance.

Analysis Paralysis: Breaking Free from Indecision
A conversation on the future of the workplace in a post-pandemic world.

Over-thinking a problem is a problem in itself – a big one. Over the past several years we have seen the permanent disruption of the workplace. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the working world to a halt. But we adapted. Employers adopted remote working policies. Employees took to working from their living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, or even the seat of their Peleton bike. The word “digital nomad” became so common it was probably a strong contender for word of the year. And we all know of folks who didn’t realize their Zoom video made it clear they were in their PJs. Now, as we begin to see light at the end of the tunnel, and a post-pandemic working world becomes visible on the horizon, we are paralyzed.

No one knows what the future of the workplace will be. As we weigh the pros and cons, and wrestle with every possible outcome, and follow the butterfly effect of each and every potential diversion, we’ve reached analysis paralysis. When we over analyze and overthink, we become vulnerable, become unable to make a decision, and revert to old ways. We don’t know the future of what the workplace can or will be because it’s uncertain, we don’t know what the future of the workplace will be because we are currently creating it.

An exercise in utility

In the summer of 2022, we hosted a knowledge event fittingly called Analysis Paralysis at the Teknion Chicago showroom. Architects, designers, and real estate brokers came together to ask questions about what the future of the workplace will look like – and more importantly – how we get there.

Through collaborative conversations, ideas and strategies for design, business, and talent were shared. We discovered that indecision around short-term challenges can create long-term impacts. In the ecosystem of architecture, design, real estate, and business, we must move forward. This summer’s event was the first step in starting the conversation and breaking free from indecision.

WORKPLACE CRAFTED

In the wake of Analysis Paralysis, we began a podcast series to keep the conversations going – literally. WORKPLACE CRAFTED explores the future of the workplace in a post-pandemic environment. Conversations with studio members, WSA leadership, and clients are shedding light on our process, strategies, and how we create environments that work today — and tomorrow.

What’s Next

Over the coming months, through our podcast, videos, and blog posts, our talented team of architects and experience designers will dive into how we uncover the future of the workplace. From workplace culture, to adaptive reuse, to equity and inclusion, and to the evolving role of the designer, we will keep the conversations going and continue to stay one step ahead. Join us.

Month: December 2022

Leslie Hoerig Joins WSA Columbus Studio

Analysis Paralysis: Breaking Free from Indecision

Future of the Workplace

On the Forefront