Born between 1982 and 2003, the Millennials are coming of age and making appearances in corporate, hospitality and even healthcare environments. Quite possibly, they’re already your colleagues, managers, doctors, and CEOs. Not convinced? The combined age of the CEOs for Facebook, Groupon, and Modcloth.com is a mere 80 years of age. Born into technology and to some extent ? raised by it ?Millennials are completely comfortable in the digital environment, rigidly conditioned for instant information, and eagerly responsive to custom experiences. Which all adds up to a new consumer group with significantly different expectations of their designed environments.

Here at Massa, we anticipate that Millennials will have a significant effect on corporate environments and workplace design. Obviously, digital work trends reduce the need for paper as well as workspace. But this paperless, mobile, collaborative workforce also puts a high value on balanced living and well-being. That translates to a need for connected, social atmospheres in the office, where authenticity and transparency reinforce the idea of a greater good being accomplished.

Not sure what this means for your own office environment? Massa can help. Some things to consider when re-designing spaces for a Millennial workforce include:

Use social environments for collaborative problem solving.
Remember, Millennials are highly motivated by social environments and collaborative spaces that encourage free-flowing discussions, brainstorms and team problem-solving. This means a responsive office design will incorporate more open work spaces, community tables and workshop areas versus conference rooms.

Use community spaces to communicate values.
Break areas, workout facilities, healthy snack and vending options, and modern furnishings are examples of purposeful design elements that demonstrate a commitment to the physical and emotional well-being of employees.

Use your brand to build community.
Millennials are used to immersive experiences with the brands they trust – and the workplace is no different. There are a variety of ways to incorporate your brand into design spaces, whether that be specific elements like colors and logos or representative pieces like artwork and photos of employees themselves.

Intrigued? You should be. Whether you’re updating a designed space for the emerging Millennial consumer, or looking for ways to improve collaborations with your Millennial workforce, Massa is already addressing the challenge and can help you take the next step.