The pandemic shutdown sent so many of us home to work but designers were a bit ahead of that curve, generally speaking, since many worked from home already. But regardless how we got there, home can become a bit lonely and distracting when it comes to productivity and accomplishment. How do you deal with it? Mara Hauser says a CoWorking space may be your solution. Mara is a designer herself. She guides her client’s big ideas into executable designs that focus heavily on brand-building and high-level analysis, including programming, product and amenities mix, adjacency diagrams, and determining “who you serve.” But she’s also CEO of 25 North CoWorking Spaces and understands the powerful benefits a coworking space can be to anyone, including designers and their teams. On this episode we discuss the possibilities, how to make the transition, how to benefit the most from involvement at a CoWorking space, and more. Listen up, Wingnuts!

• [1:02] This episode’s topic: Gettin’ out of the house!

• 25 North Coworking Spaces - Mara’s company

• BOOK: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

If you’ve worked at home, you know the pain. Fido is barking outside your door. The cat walks across your keyboard when you’re out of the room. Netflix is right out there in the living room, beckoning you to continue your latest binge. These are some of the irritations but there are also limitations. It’s hard to host professional meetings at home, especially with clients. It’s also problematic to have your team work out of your home without turning your street into a used car lot every day. Mara says these are exactly the things a CoWorking space is designed to solve. Listen to learn if a CoWorking option is a good fit for you. You might be surprised how adaptable and collaborative it could be for you and your team.

Most designers understand the principles behind good design (of course), so they get the realities around spaces designed to serve specific purposes. That reason alone may have you on the skeptical side of the fence when it comes to using a CoWorking space. But it doesn’t have to, especially when it comes to Mara’s locations. Being a designer, she’s done everything in her team’s power to create flexible spaces that can be transformed into what each client needs. They utilize casters to move things around and remake the space. The lighting, HVAC, and amenities are provided with comfort and productivity in mind. They also include outdoor work and meeting spaces to enable teams to make the most of fresh air and natural surroundings. If you were to visit one of her locations you would be impressed with the flexibility and effectiveness of the spaces she’s created. Listen to this episode to learn if a CoWorking space is right for you and your team!

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