For decades, office design and workplace seating strategies have been driven by extremes—assigned desks for everyone, or total free-for-all hot-desking. But Leesman’s research, The Value of Variety, suggests the truth sits somewhere in between. Their data shows that workplaces offering a range of settings—private, semi-private, informal, and collaborative—score significantly higher on employee experience. The key isn’t a single model; it’s a choice.
When people can choose where and how to work, satisfaction and productivity rise. Assigned workplace seating offers comfort and ownership, but it can limit interaction and flexibility. Fully unassigned environments promise freedom, yet often lead to frustration when every seat feels temporary. The sweet spot is in curated diversity—an ecosystem of spaces that lets people pick what they need in the moment: a quiet corner to focus, a cozy lounge for creative work, or a lively zone to collaborate. In fact, over 30% of employees say that a variety of workspace types is important to them in their workplace.*
Designing for Variety
For landlords, operators, and asset managers, this shift toward “variety-as-a-service” opens a powerful opportunity. You don’t need to rebuild your floor plate—you need to reimagine it. Retrofitting can start small:
- Insert pockets of privacy through nooks, phone booths, or high-back seating clusters.
- Carve semi-open zones for small-group huddles using flexible partitions or acoustic screens.
- Layer lounge areas that encourage casual collaboration without formal booking systems.
- Reclaim transitional spaces—hallways, landings, or corners—as active touchpoints for work or rest.
Each of these interventions signals that the building adapts to its users, not the other way around. For experience managers, variety also means operational flexibility: rotating furniture layouts to reflect seasonal rhythms, introducing flexible zoning for quiet or social hours, and using wayfinding signage to help tenants navigate choice intuitively.
The Bigger Picture
Variety isn’t just an interior design trend—it’s strategic infrastructure. A diverse workspace amplifies engagement, attracts tenants, and extends asset longevity. It’s proof that a building understands the people inside it.
At HqO, we can help property teams measure and optimize that experience, turning variety from a design concept into a living, data-driven system.
Ready to see how variety can power your property’s performance?
👉 Request a demo of the HqO Platform
*Leesman Office Survey: N=1,395,143 (Q4 2015 – Q3 2025)
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