Kay Sargent of HOK on the Imagine a Place podcast

Was Steve Jobs Wrong?

Steve Jobs was a firm believer in the power of place and the impact that an in-person collaborative environment can have on innovation and a creative corporate culture. The in-person method of work is being called into question by so many that have found their rhythm as a remote worker. Today, Kay Sargent, director of HOK’s global WorkPlace practice, helps us explore the new promise that our workplaces must fulfill and how human-centered thinking can help guide us through the tough and often controversial decisions that swirl around the workplace today.

Topics discussed in this episode:

  • The future workplace
  • Design leadership
  • Return to work
  • Workplace culture

More about Kay Sargent: 

With more than 35 years of experience, Kay Sargent is a recognized expert on workplace design and strategy issues. She is an award-winning designer who has worked with several Fortune 500 companies to optimize their global real estate portfolios and create innovative work environments based on their unique organizational DNA. As Co-Director of HOK’s WorkPlace team, a practice that supports organizations undertaking multiple projects in various locations, and a member of HOK’s Board of Directors, Kay is responsible for helping clients redefine how, when, and where their people work, and supports a holistic design approach that integrates an organization’s people, processes and technology. She was recently selected from her field of peers to provide Congressional Subject Matter Expert Testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives on “Federal Real Estate Post-COVID-19: A View from The Private Sector.”

Quotes from Kay Sargent: 

"By creating environments that support wellbeing, inclusivity and inspire those within them, we can drive powerful outcomes and create spaces that reflect our humanity."

"We need to design with the courage to define the next generation of great places to transform the way we work, live, learn and play. We are no longer just designing environments. We are designing the experience.”

Related Imagine a Place episodes:

Jon Otis: Design through the eyes of Jon Otis.

Rex Miller: Your success formula.

Phillip Ross: Coworking, technology, and the future of work.

Bill Bouchey (HOK): Neurodiversity and Surviving the WFH Hangover

Contributors

  • Doug Shapiro
  • Kay Sargent
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