The workplace is no longer just a place we go. It is a system that actively shapes how we think, feel, and perform. In the latest episode of the InnPact Podcast by InnerSpace, host Jennifer Shannon sits down with Mette Johansson Keating, Founder of Metaspace, to explore how intentional, human-centered workplace design can transform culture, performance, and well-being.
With over two decades of experience designing purposeful workplaces across North America and Europe, Mette brings a powerful blend of Danish design philosophy, neuroscience, leadership strategy, and a deep understanding of the human experience at work.
The conversation makes one thing clear. When we design for humans, everything else improves.
Space Is Never Neutral
One of the central ideas discussed in the episode is that physical space is never passive. The environments we inhabit influence our behavior, energy levels, collaboration, and even our sense of belonging.
Mette shares how her early career in conference design revealed something fascinating. Changing layouts, lighting, and materials led to noticeably different outcomes in how people showed up, connected, and engaged. That curiosity eventually led her back to school and into a career focused on understanding why space has such a powerful effect on human behavior.
Today, that insight guides her work with organizations that want to create environments where people do not just show up. They thrive.
Drawing from her Danish roots, Mette introduces the concept of hygge, a feeling of warmth, safety, contentment, and ease. While often associated with cozy homes or candlelit evenings, hygge has profound implications for the workplace.
“You can’t have stress and hygge at the same time,” Mette explains.
In practice, this does not mean adding fireplaces or hot cocoa to the office. Instead, it is about balance. Thoughtful use of lighting, natural materials, calming colors, plants, and simplicity helps create spaces where people feel relaxed and psychologically safe. These conditions are essential for creativity and collaboration.
A recurring theme throughout the conversation is the end of generic workplace design. The needs of an organization with a majority of engineers are vastly different from those of a sales-driven company, and their spaces should reflect that.
Mette emphasizes that leaders must step back and ask a fundamental question. Why do we even have an office today?
Offices should be designed with intention, supporting collaboration, focus, learning, and connection in ways that align with the organization’s purpose, workforce composition, and culture. Mandating people back to the office without addressing these questions is unlikely to succeed.
True human-centric design goes far beyond aesthetics. It requires understanding what Mette refers to as what lies beneath the iceberg. These are the behaviors, emotions, motivations, and needs that shape how people work.
This is where data, curiosity, and courage come together.
Organizations that take the time to understand how their spaces are actually being used can make far more strategic decisions. Which areas support focus? Which create friction? Which spaces go underutilized? Answering these questions requires leaders to challenge assumptions and ask deeper questions.
As Mette puts it, data is not about surveillance. It is about listening to what the space is already telling you.
One powerful example discussed in the episode is Metaspace’s work with Rakuten Kobo. After the pandemic, the company made the bold decision to reduce its office footprint by half while continuing to grow.
Rather than forcing daily attendance, they designed a flexible, high-quality space optimized for team collaboration and connection. The result was a workplace people genuinely want to be in, one that supports culture, reduces costs, and aligns with how work actually happens today.
The lesson is clear. Success does not come from copying what others are doing. It comes from designing with clarity and intent.
Moving Beyond Trends Toward Purpose
As the conversation wraps, Mette offers a clear call to action for leaders. Stop chasing trends.
Trends fade. Purpose lasts.
Instead, leaders should focus on understanding who their people are, clarifying what the space is meant to support, measuring what is working and what is not, and designing environments that can evolve as needs change.
The return on investment is significant, not only financially, but also in engagement, productivity, retention, and trust.
This episode of the InnPact Podcast reinforces a simple but powerful truth. When you design workplaces for the humans who use them, everything else gets better.
From well-being and collaboration to culture and performance, intentional human-centric design is no longer optional. It is a strategic imperative.
Listen to the full episode of the InnPact Podcast by InnerSpace to explore how workplace design, behavioral data, and courageous leadership can shape the future of work.