Designing Workspaces for Human Performance | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 5

Workspace Design Lab | Healthy Spaces, Lasting Impact

Is your office furniture silently sabotaging productivity?
In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Syl Vander Park is joined by Jane Sleeth, founder of Optimal Performance Consultants, to explore how workplace design impacts everything from physical injury to cognitive performance. With 35+ years of experience across manufacturing, banking, healthcare, and aviation, Jane breaks down what real ergonomics means—and why too many companies still treat it as a box to check.
From avoiding costly design mistakes to planning for inclusivity and longevity, this conversation is packed with insights for architects, designers, and workplace leaders who want to create environments that truly work.
Whether you're sourcing furniture or rethinking an entire space, this is an episode you'll want to bookmark.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Ergonomics is about movement, not just posture
• Good workstation design can prevent long-term injuries
• Human error is often the result of bad design, not bad workers
• Ergonomics includes physical, mental, and psychological dimensions
• Inclusive design starts with understanding the end user’s anthropometrics
• Early ergonomic involvement saves money and prevents liability
• Many design teams still treat ergonomics as an afterthought
• Real ergonomics requires adjustability, not just good marketing
• Education and training are essential to long-term success
• The ROI of ergonomic design is measurable and proven
BEST MOMENTS
00:03:28. “There’s no such thing as human error. There’s bad design. That’s the premise from which we start.”
00:07:32. “We could prevent these accidents in the first place because we're seeing people for six months.”
00:11:07. “We want you to come in and study what people do. What are their mental demands? What are their physical demands?”
00:14:25. “The association itself never marketed the profession… I just undertook that myself.”
00:22:47. “Excellent design means that you're pretty much trying to go across the spectrum.”
00:26:00. “It made it a little more black and white so that the science really came through.”
00:29:15. “Some of that is the design to account for that. But at the same time, a lot of it is about training.”
00:31:05. “We're asking the human body, which is not linear, to sit in a linear chair behind a desk that's one size.”
00:32:23. “Dynamic movement is good mentally but also physically. Circulation. Synovial fluid into the joints.”
00:36:05. “The literature for people with osteoarthritis now is: keep moving.”
00:41:10. “Let's do the return on investment. And when you choose those critical things… that was really important.”
00:45:55. “The mistakes that are made… to be human. If we automate too much, then there'll be something lost in that.”
00:49:08. “That's the magic of life. Those happy accidents, two people bump together… here's an innovative way to look at it.”

Workspace Design Lab | Healthy Spaces, Lasting Impact
📅 New episodes release every 2nd Thursday at 6 AM ET / GMT-4.
Join host Syl VanderPark as we explore ergonomic office design, modern interiors, and sustainable workspace solutions with architects, designers, and industry leaders.
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4x47wvr2
💡 If this conversation helped you reimagine what a workspace can be, share it with a colleague or client. Together we can design offices that support wellbeing, productivity, and lasting impact.
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