A Seat at the Table: Design, Hierarchy, and the People Who Use the Space

Tune In to the Full Conversation

In the full episode, Toni Gocke Wyre shares how a well-designed space can communicate importance and equality, and why librarians, custodians, and the wider public all belong in the design conversation. She digs into the trends taking hold in public spaces, from healthcare-grade finishes making their way into schools to the maintenance realities that decide whether a project’s best details survive. And she recounts the moment a young man walked into his finished school and asked, “This is for me? This is my school?”

Press play to hear the whole conversation with Toni.

Hierarchy in Design: What a Space Says Without Words

From corporate offices to judicial and civic spaces, the placement of furniture, the orientation of seating, and the relationships between people within a room all communicate meaning. Design choices can reinforce authority, encourage collaboration, or create a sense of equality and belonging. In this conversation, Toni Gocke Wyre explores how designers use hierarchy intentionally to shape the experience of public spaces.

For designers working in corporate environments, schools, courtrooms and civic spaces, understanding hierarchy is an essential part of creating places that serve the people who use them every day.

The Impact of Design: Creating Spaces That Matter

For Toni Gocke Wyre, the true measure of a successful design is the reaction of the people who use it. In the podcast, Toni shares the powerful moment of seeing a student experience a newly designed school space and realize, “This is for me? This is my school?”

That sense of pride, belonging, and possibility is what thoughtful design can create. Beyond aesthetics and function, the spaces we build have the ability to communicate value and show people that they matter.

Designing With, Not For

The best spaces are created through collaboration. Rather than designing for clients alone, Toni Gocke Wyre believes the strongest projects come from designing with the people who will use and manage the space every day.

By bringing designers, facility managers, staff, and other stakeholders into the conversation early, every decision is informed by real needs and practical experience. This collaborative process builds trust, ensures furniture and finishes are the right fit for the environment, and ultimately creates spaces that better serve the people who depend on them.

A Seat at the Table: Design, Hierarchy, and the People Who Use the Space

Tune In to the Full Conversation

Hierarchy in Design: What a Space Says Without Words

The Impact of Design: Creating Spaces That Matter

Designing With, Not For

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