Employee focus a problem? Workplace design offers solutions

Creating workspaces to please all the people all the time is an impossible task, but design experts can go a long way toward solving the common problems that take a toll on worker productivity and well-being. Common problems are complicated, however, when workers face attention challenges as well as rapid technological change.

Designing for neurodiversity

Architecture and design firm Corgan, in partnership with the University of Arkansas, recently published research examining how workplace environments affect attention, particularly for individuals with inattentive type attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Inattentive ADHD targets a person’s focus and organization without causing symptoms of hyperactivity, according to an explanation from the Cleveland Clinic. Those with inattentive ADHD have difficulty concentrating, focusing on a task, and staying organized.

The Corgan report, “Focus by Design: What the ADHD Brain Teaches Us About Better Workspaces for All,” sought to understand the impact design has on neurodivergent employees.

Corgan says inattentive ADHD is characterized by difficulty sustaining focus, staying organized, and managing time—problems that make it challenging to filter distractions or maintain motivation. In the workplace those issues can be amplified, leading to millions of lost workdays and billions of dollars’ worth of economic impact every year.