In this year-end episode of Imagine a Place, Maria brings together her co-hosts and longtime friends, Wesley Edmonds and Christina Jameson, to look back on the lessons, surprises, and standout moments of 2025. The trio reflects on how the workplace is evolving, why choice and neuroinclusivity are becoming essential design drivers, and how communication, optimism, and human connection shaped their conversations this year. From WorkX insights to the power of storytelling, mentorship, and emerging design talent, this episode captures the heart of what they learned, what inspired them, and what they’re hopeful for in 2026. It’s a warm, candid, and energizing conversation about design, leadership, and the future of work, told by three voices who lived it together.

Check out Maria's 2025 recap article: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place/what-i-learned-year-behind-iap-microphone

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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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In this episode, Wesley talks with Aflac’s Office Design & Planning Supervisor, Lelitha Williams and Meta Workplace Designer, Emily Burchill about what it really means to create employee-centric spaces. Together they unpack how empathy, flexibility, and a little bit of hospitality thinking can turn workplaces into environments where people actually feel seen, supported, and inspired to do their best work. These two women are doing amazing work for big companies and you won't want to miss their insights in this jam-packed episode.

Connect with Wesley on LinkedIn.

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

Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn.

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.

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

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

Connect with Maria on LinkedIn.

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

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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.

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

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 Wesley 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Join our guest host, Roby Issac from Mannington Commercial, as he sits down to talk with Alexandra Bonner from FCA.

A West Philadelphia-born interior designer, Alex's heart and passion for healthcare spaces are rooted in empathy, personal experience, and a lifelong love of design. She shares how her firsthand experiences inform her approach to creating neuro-inclusive healthcare spaces and designing environments that empower. Join the conversation about how color, choice, and human-centered design can transform clinical environments and discover Alex’s advice for emerging designers ready to make an impact.

Discover the article: 5 key insights to neuro-inclusive design.

Connect with Roby Issac on Linkedin

Connect with Alexandra Bonner 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.

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.

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

In this episode of In the ROOM, host Wesley Edmonds sits down with Christina Jamison, Director of Workplace at OFS, to unpack key takeaways from WorkX in Boston. From the industry’s “flight to experience” and the resurgence of private offices to the impact of AI and the human side of workplace data, they explore how design and strategy must evolve to meet the needs of today’s workforce—a practical, human-first conversation on what’s shaping the future of work.

Let's escape the noise and join us "In the ROOM."

Read more about WorkX and the future of work on OFS.com/Insights

Learn more about ROOM

Connect with Wesley on LinkedIn.

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

Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn.

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.

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

What happens when you bring together leaders shaping the workplace from some of the world’s most innovative companies? In this special WorkX episode, In the ROOM host Wesley Edmonds sits down with Alexandra Selezneva (Coca-Cola), Jimmy Groh (Otsuka Pharmaceuticals), Lauren Hasson (JLL), and Brittany Freeman (Athenahealth) for four fast-paced conversations packed with insights on the future of work.

Let's escape the noise and join us "In the ROOM."

Read more about WorkX and the future of work on OFS.com/Insights

Connect with Wesley on LinkedIn.

Learn more about ROOM

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.

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.

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

What does a farm full of Highland cows have to do with interior design? For Shanna Francis, Director of Corporate Interior Design at HuntonBrady Architects, it’s everything. In this episode, recorded live at OFS Design Days showroom, we dive into her inspiring journey, from raising a young son while grinding through design school, to leading high-profile projects, to building a life of peace and purpose on a 200-year-old farm in Virginia.

Shanna shares the pivotal moments that shaped her career: the professor who doubted her, the studio community that lifted her up, and the design industry colleagues who rallied around her. Her story is one of resilience, mentorship, and the power of surrounding yourself with people who believe in you.

We talk about what it means to lead with empathy, to be authentic in your work, and to find joy in both the quiet mornings on the farm and a bustling design scene. If you’ve ever faced doubt or struggled to balance career and life, this episode will inspire you to embrace your own unique path and discover peace among the mountains, along with a renewed sense of joy and happiness.

Connect with Shanna 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.

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.

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

How can we start making spaces more inclusive for all kinds of minds?

In this episode, Host Roby Isaac sits down with Dr. Kati Peditto, senior design researcher at DLR Group, to explore neurodiverse and inclusive design. Dr. Peditto shares how co-design, research, and empathy help shape spaces that meet the needs of neurodivergent individuals. From classrooms to healthcare to workplaces, she explains how small, intentional choices like lighting, sound, wayfinding, and tactile elements make a big difference.

The conversation highlights practical strategies for designers to create environments that are neuro-inclusive. Dr. Peditto emphasizes listening to lived experiences, engaging stakeholders early, and designing for extremes so everyone benefits.

5 key insights to neuro-inclusive design

Connect with Roby Issac on LinkedIn

Connect with Dr. Kati Peditto 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.

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.

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