Workplace experience design

How do we create a great, consistent experience for your organisation that is unparalleled anywhere? Through a holistic process that examines and integrates every aspect of the organisation and how it expresses itself through the experience of work and workplace.

What we do

What is an experience?

An ‘experience’ is an event or occurrence which leaves an impression on someone.

This impression is generated by an individual’s five senses and in addition to delivering functional value, also triggers emotional responses.

An ‘experience’ is sensory (associated with colour, texture, noise, smell, behaviour), functional, cognitive, and social. It is important to note that an ‘experience’ is also personal. Every individual will have a potentially different response to the same ‘experience’ based on their values, culture and history.

Much like customers seeking meaningful connections and hassle-free experiences with the brands they love, employees today are looking for friction-free, interaction-rich experiences with the organisations they work for. They want synergy with the organisation, and care that their workday is a true and honest reflection of the image and values being sold to customers.

Those day-to-day moments that matter to employees are key to allowing them to have their best day at work wherever they are, including at home. As a result, how we experience work has become a powerful tool in the increasingly competitive battle to recruit and retain staff.

With increased mobility and the development of agile work environments, workplaces need to redefine their mission from being a space where people carry out their work and access necessary facilities, to a place of social interactions, brand promotion and value exchange.

Why AWA

At AWA, we deliver workplace experiences that are holistic, human-centred, empowering, inspiring and ever evolving.

Our team of experts have years of experience developing tailored experiences to meet complex business needs. We understand the broad, varied and competing needs of the diverse groups that use your workplace.

Improving your employees’ workplace experience requires more than moving the furniture around. Successfully redesigning your workplace unlocks enormous benefits to your business but getting it wrong can prove costly. You need to know your money won’t go to waste.

Change management

Learn more about how our holistic and inclusive approach to change management ensures the success of workplace experience design programmes. We focus on upskilling the organisation at every level to create a culture of collaboration and productivity.

Learn more

Testimonials

“We have worked with AWA for more than five years and value the collaborative partnership we have with them. They have supported the ongoing evolution of our workplace, providing deep insights and extensive expertise. With their help, we’ve been able to create a transformational space which supports our hybrid working approach and transforms our culture and ways of working to become more agile and innovative. This helps us recruit and retain the best talent, which supports our core purpose of funding research to save lives. None of this would have been possible without the help of AWA.”

Kerry Smith Chief People Officer, British Heart Foundation

“Mintel has worked successfully with AWA for over a decade on several major projects. We chose them for their expertise and experience at the cutting edge of understanding workplaces. They lead the industry with well-crafted research to understand the dynamic workplace landscape and help solve the real-world issues of operating successfully in a changing world. Along with data and insights they bring practical processes that involve everyone from grass root team members to the most senior executives, developing effective change to meet all parties’ goals. They have become trusted advisers around not only workplace matters but in behavioural change.”

Peter Haigh Chairman, Mintel

“AWA has been a great resource of global data and research for us regarding agile, hybrid and the world of working. They are responsive, willing to question assumptions, and work as a partner to help us make good decisions.”

Neil Austin VP Real Estate Portfolio Management and Transaction Services, Omnicom Group

“Leading a major change management project in complex international organisation is challenging undertaking. I knew it would involve multiple stakeholders, take wide-ranging collaboration and that we would need some expert, confident experience to help steer and deliver it. AWA has provided that, not by steaming in and dictating how things should be based on their ideals, but by listening to us, learning, understanding and advising. I have enjoyed working closely with them on this project. I have felt supported, they have always been available to discuss challenges and options and have always responded promptly, constructively and positively with solutions and alternative ideas for consideration.”

Tom Crame Head of Global Workplace, Amnesty International

“We were really keen to understand how the learnings and behaviours of Covid enforced home working would affect the post-pandemic return of staff and in particular to our Sheffield campus as we have plans to restack and refurbish the office space. AWA’s detailed and in-depth engagement process allowed us to reach out to all levels of occupants and really understand staff perception on what will be needed to create a new working environment that would align with business requirements and where changes in behaviour, management style and space might be appropriate. Their insights also allowed us to create a blueprint of alternative space types that we’ve used to inform the repurposing of space across our nationwide estate.”

Steve Chapman Interim Head of Estates ICF Security, Estates and Information Directorate, Home Office