Design for Belonging: Good design is good for business

What does belonging look like in healthcare — and can design help create it? In this thought-provoking conversation, Maria VanDeman sits down with Jessica Radecki, Healthcare Director at NBBJ, and Lauren Cole, System Director of Design Strategy with Providence Healthcare, to explore how the built environment can foster connection, comfort, and dignity.

Together, they unpack the groundbreaking Design for Belonging research — an effort to quantify something often seen as intangible. From redefining how hospitals measure inclusion and empathy, to building a “kit of parts” that empowers every health system to design for all budgets, this episode reveals how data, design, and humanity intersect.

Whether you’re in healthcare, design, or simply passionate about people-centered spaces, this conversation will challenge the way you think about belonging — and inspire you to design with courage, compassion, and purpose.

Link to article: How Can Healthcare Support Inclusion Through Design? - HCD Magazine

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Imagine a Place gathers industry-leading voices that can inspire the design community through storytelling and broaden our creative horizons. The goal of Imagine a Place is to further elevate the belief that the places we make and the ways we design them matter in our lives.

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What does “flex work” really mean today? In this conversation, Wesley Edmonds (Director of Workplace at OFS) sits down with top leaders from Switchyards, 25 North Coworking, Everything Coworking, and the Global Workspace Association to explore the future of coworking and flexible office spaces. From the rise of neighborhood work clubs to the pitfalls of landlord partnerships, this episode dives into how the industry can stay truly people-first.

In this episode you'll hear from:

Kayla Gottschalk, Switchyards

Meagan Slavin, 25N Coworking

Jamie Russo, Everything Coworking

Giovanni Palavicini, Fronteras Commercial Real Estate and Global Workspace Association

Connect with Maria on LinkedIn.

Click here to get your copy of Maria's children's book—Design Your World.

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In this episode, host Maria sits down with Charmaigne Haley, an interior designer at SmithGroup whose story beautifully blends culture, creativity, and compassion. From her Filipino roots to her journey into healthcare design, Charmaigne shares how her heritage, family, and personal experiences with neurodiversity have shaped the way she designs for empathy and connection.

Together, they explore what it means to create spaces that not only function but also heal—spaces that honor people, culture, and community at every turn.

Connect with Charmaigne on LinkedIn

Connect with Maria on LinkedIn.

Click here to get your copy of Maria's children's book—Design Your World.

Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.