Designing for Success: How the Right Spaces Can Transform Your Business

𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆, 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆?
It’s not every day you meet a childhood hero—especially when that hero has founded a chicken restaurant, and you’re vegetarian! This week, I had that experience, and it got me thinking:

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼’𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲?
The answer goes beyond the food. Nando’s spaces were designed to make people stay. The warm, vibrant atmosphere made it more than just a meal—it became a place to connect, feel welcome, and linger.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆
Living in Portugal, I’ve come to appreciate how space shapes culture—especially when it comes to work. Here, long lunches are the norm, fostering deeper relationships and stronger teams.

This idea resurfaced at TEDxMarvila, where I met with James Gillard who met Teresa Vitoria, an interior designer in Lisbon who focuses on the emotional impact of spaces. Our conversation reinforced a powerful truth:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

𝗔 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀
I once worked with a company that had two divisions:

🏵️ Flower Production – Sales, marketing, finance, and operations shared a communal kitchen with free coffee & snacks. Conversations happened naturally. Ideas flowed.

🥕 Vegetable Production – Departments were separated by an open-air courtyard, requiring staff to brave the elements to meet.

The result? The flower division had stronger collaboration, smoother communication—and higher profitability.

Coincidence? Maybe. But research suggests that thoughtful design fuels success.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀
Studies show that biophilic design—incorporating natural elements into workspaces—has measurable benefits:
🌱 +6% increase in productivity
🎨 +15% boost in creativity
😌 Lower stress, better health, and higher engagement
(𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦: 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯-𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦)

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁?
Which brands will win the next generation’s loyalty by designing spaces that make people feel good, stay longer, and work better?

Does the future of work need:
🌿 More greenery?
🏢 Smarter layouts?
🎨 Better design for human connection?

At Kholo, we believe that better spaces create better outcomes—for businesses, employees, and communities.

Let’s build better. Design for connection. Invest in spaces that make a difference. 🚀

💡 How has space design impacted your experience—at work or as a customer? Let’s discuss this.

#WorkplaceDesign #CustomerExperience #FutureOfWork #BiophilicDesign #Kholo #HumanCentricSpaces

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