Designing
the
Metaverse
-
the
value
of
starting
before
you’re
ready
With
any
new
venture,
finding
the
“right”
time
to
start
is
often
a
fruitless
endeavor.
So
when
faced
with
the
prospect
of
designing
an
entirely
new
universe,
you
should
forgive
yourself
if
you’re
not
quite
sure
where
(or
maybe
even
why)
to
start.
As
any
successful
entrepreneur
will
tell
you,
in
a
circumstance
like
this,
it’s
always
best
to
start
before
you’re
ready...
And
with
“the
metaverse”
on
everyone’s
lips
as
we
head
into
the
second
half
of
2022,
the
race
is
already
on.
The
technology
is
coming.
Fast.
...
May 03, 2022 by Todd Heiser, Managing Director and Principal, Gensler and Lily Diego, Design Director, Gensler
As
workers
return
to
offices,
shoppers
and
designers
revisit
their
favorite
showrooms,
and
industry
events
once
again
draw
attendees
from
across
the
country
and
beyond,
THE MART,
an
icon
in
Chicago’s
history
since
the
1930s
and
home
to
NeoCon,
is
creating
a
new
experience
for
all
who
enter.
The
vision
embraces
the
desire
for
increased
hospitality-driven
environments
within
the
building,
providing
balance
and
well-being
to
tenants
and
visitors
in
our
new
understanding
of
work
and
life.
Re-emerging
from
the
pandemic
with
new
perspective
and
a
reinvigorated
focus
on
what
will
best
serve
the
many
visitors
that
filter
through
the
4
million
square
...
Dec 16, 2021 by Katie Titi, interior design consultant and coach, Katie Titi LLC
You
may
have
heard
the
term:
The
Great
Resignation.Anthony
Klotz
firsted
coined
this
term
and
predicted
the
phenomenon
in
2019,
and
it’s
happening
now.
In
April,
May,
and
June
of
this
year
alone,
11.5
million
workers
quit
their
jobs.
Surveys
suggest
that
a
significant
portion
of
the
population
is
actively
looking
for
or
creating
new
opportunities,
and
these
numbers
only
increase
when
it
concerns
Gen
Z
workers[1].What
can
designers
do
to
help
support
during
these
uncertain
and
transformative
times?Designers
have
always
been
on
the
forefront
of
creative
and
progressive
change.
We
may
acknowledge
that
we’re
the
artists
of
3D
space,
...
After
experiencing
the
collective
trauma
of
COVID-19,
today’s
workforce
is
now
in
the
thick
of
what
is
being
called
“The
Great
Resignation”.
Studies
show
that
a
huge
part
of
making
individuals
feel
comfortable,
safe,
and
productive
has
to
do
with
their
environment.
On
top
of
that,
most
employees
are
feeling
better
supported
in
their
physical
space
at
home,
than
in
the
office.
Given
that,
how
can
employers
provide
physical
spaces
that
accept
their
teammates
where
they
are
while
providing
them
with
a
place
to
thrive
rather
than
just
survive?How
can
employers
and
designers
bring
a
more
empathetic
perspective
to
workplace
...
Oct 21, 2021 by Greg Lewis and Kelly Colon of Cresa, the world’s largest occupier only commercial real estate company
At
the
onset
of
the
pandemic,
employers
from
every
industry
were
forced
to
figure
out
a
new
way
to
function
successfully.
With
lockdowns
in
place
and
the
traditional
office
structure
thrown
into
flux,
companies
had
to
weather
the
upheaval
in
the
world
while
simultaneously
pivoting
to
a
new
way
of
life
that
mandated
new
ways
of
working.
Many
people
panicked
about
how
well
this
would
work,
however
employees
thrived
under
pressure.
This
produced
an
unprecedented
revelation:
No
longer
forced
between
choosing
to
do
their
best
work,
their
health
&
wellbeing
or
their
families,
employees
now
had
the
flexibility
they
craved
...
Sep 08, 2021 by Addie Smith, Senior Lighting Designer, and Andi Walter, Project Designer, AE Design
When
it
comes
to
design,
there
are
countless
choices
that
interior
designers,
architects,
and
owners
must
make.
Choosing
whether
to
include
a
lighting
specialist
on
the
project
team
can
make
or
break
a
project's
outcome.
Lighting
designers
offer
more
than
layouts,
calculations,
and
cutsheets
–
they
are
collaborative
team
members
first
and
foremost,
bringing
an
eye
for
detail
and
a
wealth
of
technical
knowledge.
We’re
here
to
explain
why
a
lighting
designer
is
necessary,
as
everyone
can
agree
that
professional
lighting
expertise
is
essential
for
a
cohesive
design.
Lighting
designers
care
about
people--from
their
functional
needs
to
their
spatial
...
Aug 26, 2021 by Diane Hang Nguyen, Director, Rockwell Group, and Project Manager, DineOut NYC
When
the
COVID-19
pandemic
became
a
reality
in
2020,
Rockwell
Group
began
to
think
about
ways
for
New
York
City
restaurants
to
adjust
their
service
and
design.
The
toll
on
the
industry,
both
economically
and
from
a
health
perspective,
was
immense.
Given
our
longstanding
ties
to
the
restaurant
and
hospitality
community,
we
felt
a
responsibility
and
a
desire
to
think
about
creative
solutions.
How
could
we
help
get
restaurants
back
on
their
feet
and
restore
jobs,
while
also
allowing
New
Yorkers
to
come
together
safely
to
share
a
meal—a
ritual
intrinsic
to
the
beating
heart
of
the
city?
The
answer
...
Jul 26, 2021 by Beat Huesler, Oppenheim Architecture Director of European Operations
As
architects
and
designers,
I
believe
that
we
have
mastered
the
power
to
make
use
of
our
creative
skills
in
extraordinary
ways.
From
hours
of
designing
to
years
of
learning,
we
possess
the
ability
to
create
magical
moments
across
interior
and
exterior
spaces.
It
wasn’t
until
a
few
months
ago,
under
the
guise
of
a
“zoomed”
world
during
a
global
pandemic,
that
I
truly
began
to
think
one
step
further
—
to
the
capabilities
of
virtual
space.Employing
an
architectural
firm
to
design
a
virtual
space
is
quite
unheard
of
in
the
gallery
world
(or
really,
most
worlds
for
that
matter.)
...
Jun 28, 2021 by Giulio Bonazzi, Chairman & CEO, Aquafil Group
Choosing
sustainable
practices
and
materials
to
create
beautiful
spaces
is
one
of
the
most
pivotal
and
impactful
design
challenges
of
our
time.
According
to
architect
Lance
Hosey,
FAIA,
LEED
Fellow, studies
show
that
designers
and
architects
can
influence
up
to
90
percent
of
a
project’s
eventual
impact
based
on
early
design
decisions.
Can
we
challenge
ourselves
to
create
structures
that
balance
beauty,
functionality,
wellness
and
care
for
our
environment?
We
believe
we
can.
For
too
long,
many
have
held
on
to
outdated
notions
that
sustainable
materials
are
too
expensive
or
that
it
is
too
time-consuming
to
do
the
research.
Other
considerations
...
May 26, 2021 by Marcelo Pontes, Head of Architecture, CACTUS
From
time
to
time,
my
mother
asks
me,
“what
do
you
do
for
work?”
I've
been
practicing
both
architecture
and
design
for
a
long
time,
and
it's
still
curious
to
me
how
she
continuously
asks
me
this
question.
I
think
this
has
a
lot
to
do
with
the
hybrid
approach
I’ve
taken
on
projects
in
this
‘digital
revolution''
that
we
are
all
experiencing
and
navigating
today.CACTUS,
Oath
PediatricsI
prefer
to
see
the
so-called
“digital
world”
as
a
twin
to
the
analog
world.
Like
the
unique
structure
of
DNA,
two
lines
intertwined,
similar
yet
different,
the
two
live
side
by
...
Do you have any industry insights or an original thought piece you would like to share with the greater NeoCon audience? Email us to submit it for potential inclusion.
