Human-conscious design: creating spaces where everyone can thrive

Increasingly, communities, organisations and businesses are recognising that to truly thrive, everyone in society needs to be able to flourish. “It is estimated that one in seven people are neurodivergent – many without a formal diagnosis. Design has a crucial role to play here in creating spaces that foster inclusivity,” states Shaz Hawkins, Segment Marketing Manager at Tarkett. Demonstrating how manufacturers can meet customer needs while protecting the planet, Tarkett’s holistic approach combines in-depth research into human differences with cutting-edge technology and progressive design.

“Tarkett Human-Conscious Design represents our commitment to supporting current and future generations by manufacturing floor, wall and sports surfaces that benefit people and the environment,” says Hawkins. “Part of this commitment is about supporting our customers, every step of the way. The launch of our new Human Conscious Design Principles CPD and VR tool supports this commitment.”

Creating truly inclusive spaces

There are many benefits to designing for inclusivity. Not only does it improve the physical and mental wellbeing of occupants, but it also enables building owners to create spaces that better facilitate their needs, helping them to perform at their best.

“We are exposed to 11 million bits of sensory information every second but can only consciously compute 50 of these,” says Hawkins. “How we process these impressions is one of the key aspects that shape our individual makeup, meaning that we all have different strengths and needs that allow us to perform at our best.” A person’s environment has a huge impact on their ability to self-regulate – when designing a building, whether that be an office or a school, we therefore need to consider a broader set of learning requirements to provide options for all.

“Designing a space that caters to the needs of both neurotypical and neurodiverse individuals can be challenging, but it is achievable,” says Hawkins. “Inclusive design celebrates the vast diversity of human experiences by putting people at the heart of the process from the start, considering differences in sensory processing, executive functioning and emotional regulation. By striking the right balance and making the right choices, you can create an environment where everyone can perform at their best.”

These choices include careful space planning, such as creating dedicated zones that allow individuals the time and space to self-regulate, and the right selection of colours and materials which can have a large bearing on a space’s functionality (particularly in terms of comfort, acoustics and wayfinding).

A holistic approach

Tarkett’s holistic approach to responsible flooring production is demonstrated by the launch of the company’s groundbreaking ‘Human Conscious Design Platform’ (HCDP), building on its ‘Through Their Eyes’ VR experience which launched in 2018.

Using virtual reality, this technology raises awareness of inclusive design by allowing users to experience firsthand how the built environment may look, sound and feel to someone who is neurodivergent or living with a neurodegenerative condition. It vividly illustrates how hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to colours, material textures, surface finishes and light levels can profoundly influence an individual’s experience of a space, emphasising the importance of considering these factors during the design process.

“Our new VR platform explores the importance of inclusive design and how people with different perspectives – particularly those with ADHD, autism and dementia – experience the world. We’ve noticed a strong demand from our clients such as architects, designers and building owners for more resources to help their decision-making. Our Human Conscious Design Platform addresses this need,” says Hawkins.

To support those looking to enhance their understanding of human-conscious design, Tarkett has recently introduced its latest RIBA-accredited CPD, Human Conscious Design Principles. This seminar helps Tarkett’s customers understand neurodiversity and the many ways design can be used to help create spaces where everyone can thrive, without compromising on style.

The Tarkett Human-Conscious Design^® Approach

Deeper human understanding

To positively impact our everyday lives today as well as generations to come, Tarkett believes in starting with a profound understanding of people: those who create with its products, those who rely on them and those who care for them. Leveraging the power of this understanding, the company continues to engage with its customers to meet their needs and expectations as they change and develop over time. As Hawkins explains: “Creating spaces where everyone can thrive means exploring the collective and individual requirements of those using a space at the outset.”

Through initiatives such as its industry research into designing for dementia and neurodiverse conditions, Tarkett aims to better understand and shape the customer experience from the outset. Striving to create people-friendly spaces that are built to last, the brand commits to building knowledge around the people who walk on its floors by conducting regular research with design experts. This includes Tarkett and HOK’s research report on Sensory Processing, Neurodiversity and Workplace Design, for which they conducted field studies to better understand the different ways in which sensory elements and specific conditions impact individuals in the Workplace, and what they would like their employers to put in place to enable them to flourish.

Conscious choices for people and planet

“Working with our partners, we deliver safer and healthier spaces where people can reach their full potential,” continues Hawkins. “For over 140 years, we have proudly been undertaking this commitment: we launched our first recycling-focused circular economy initiative in 1957, have raised indoor air quality standards for more than a decade, and excel in researching and designing solutions for diverse environments.”

These diverse environments include Tarkett’s work improving the sustainability credentials of buildings such as offices, universities, and hospitals. When designing public sector products across its flooring portfolio, the design team crafts solutions that are better both for the user’s health and wellbeing and for the planet, ensuring lower carbon emissions, circular production and improved recyclability. For instance, its DESSO AirMaster^® carpet tiles have been proven to be eight times more effective in capturing and retaining fine dust than smooth flooring solutions (PM10) and four times more effective than standard carpet solutions (PM10). Furthermore, the latest DESSO EcoBase^® backing, made with bio-based pine rosin instead of petroleum-based resources, has resulted in a 5% material change, significantly reducing each tile’s Circular Carbon Footprint.

Support and connection

Finally, Tarkett fosters a supportive, collaborative relationship with its suppliers and design partners as well as its customer base, aiming towards high standards of quality, brand trust and dependability. “We work closely with our commercial and residential partners at every stage of planning, use, and recycling,” explains Hawkins. “We provide local services tailored to diverse clients and communities, committing to connecting every step of the way.”

For more information and to request your next CPD, visit tarkett.co.uk.