Workplace design can look like a style project from the outside. However, the best results start long before colours, finishes, or furniture. They start with clarity. That is where workplace design consultants come in.

A workplace design consultant helps you understand what your organisation needs from its workspace, both now and next. They translate business goals into a practical design brief. Then, they guide the decisions that shape layout, experience, and performance. At ADT Workplace, consultancy begins with understanding your business and listening to your people, before evaluating how the office is used. 

What does a workplace design consultant actually do?

A good consultant sits between strategy and delivery. They look at how teams work, what gets in the way, and what needs to change. Then, they build a plan you can act on.

In practice, workplace design consultants often help with:

  • Workplace strategy and direction that connects people, culture, and business goals.
  • Ways of working analysis, so the space supports focused work, collaboration, and hybrid routines.
  • Space utilisation and requirements, so you avoid paying for space you do not need.
  • Wellbeing and inclusivity insight, including the practical needs that help people thrive at work.
  • A stronger design brief, so interior design and fit-out decisions align with outcomes, not assumptions. 

In other words, they make sure the office works, not just looks good. 

Office Refurbishment Newcastle for Neptune North

Why workplace consultancy matters to business outcomes

If you skip consultancy, you often get a design that is based on opinion. You might also miss hidden problems, like poor adjacencies, weak acoustics, or a lack of spaces for confidential work. As a result, the fit-out can be harder to justify, and harder to use.

By contrast, ADT Workplace highlights three clear benefits that consultancy delivers:

People and culture

When the workplace reflects your culture and values, it becomes easier to attract and retain talent. It can also improve satisfaction and wellbeing. 

Productivity and performance

When the environment supports what people need to do their jobs, you can improve collaboration, communication, and overall productivity. 

Space optimisation

When you define what space you truly need, you can rationalise property requirements and reduce wasted cost.

So, consultancy is not an extra. Instead, it is a way to reduce risk and increase return.

Salford Workspace design

The typical workplace design consultancy process

Workplace consultancy should feel structured. It should also feel collaborative. On ADT Workplace’s consultancy page, the process is set out in three stages. 

1) Understand and evaluate

This is the discovery phase. It blends qualitative and quantitative insight, such as strategic workshops, employee interviews, wellbeing and inclusivity analysis, space rationalisation, and review of company goals.

2) Shape

Next, the consultant turns findings into actionable insight. This is where workplace psychology, space planning, and office design expertise inform recommendations that align with real business needs. 

3) Refine and implement

Finally, key stakeholders review the strategy, including employee feedback. Then, consultancy works closely with design consultants and the wider project team to begin transformation.

This approach helps you move from opinion to evidence. It also helps you move from ideas to delivery.

office workspace interior design

When should you bring in workplace design consultants?

Some organisations only seek consultancy when they are relocating. Yet it is just as valuable for refurbishment, hybrid change, or a cultural reset.

ADT Workplace suggests starting with simple questions. Is the office comfortable? Is there too much space, or too little? Do people have choice in where and how they work? Is the tech right? Could you do more for wellbeing?

If you cannot answer confidently, consultancy will help you get there.

How consultancy fits with design and build

Consultancy should not sit in isolation. It should feed directly into design and delivery.

ADT Workplace positions consultancy as the step that helps define what you need, so the design brief is stronger and the refurbishment can be delivered with fewer surprises.  This also supports future-proofing, because smart space planning accounts for hybrid working, flexibility, and business change. 

3-EIG-1D0A9781

What to look for when choosing a workplace design consultant

Not all consultants work the same way. So, it helps to assess fit as well as capability.
Look for a team that:

  • Starts with understanding your business, not selling a layout.
  • Uses a structured process that includes employees and stakeholders.
  • Connects strategy to delivery, so recommendations can be implemented.
  • Can explain how decisions will improve performance, space use, and experience. 

Final thoughts

Workplace design consultants help you make better decisions. They reduce guesswork, align teams, and create a clear brief that drives value. Most importantly, they ensure your workspace supports people, culture, and performance, while using space more effectively.

If you are planning a fit-out, refurbishment, or workplace change, consultancy is the step that keeps everything on track. To explore ADT Workplace’s approach, start with the “Understand” stage and build from there.  

GET IN TOUCH
OUR WORK

More News and Insights

office revamp Freetrade Exchange
WHAT WORKPLACE DESIGN CONSULTANTS DO AND WHY THEY MATTER
Learn what workplace design consultants do, when to hire one, and how consultancy improves space, culture and performance.
Interactive Investor
IS A PREMIUM OFFICE FIT-OUT WORTH THE INVESTMENT?
See when a premium office fit-out pays back through productivity, retention and lower running costs. Practical ways to fund it.
office design and fit out Vivid Resourcing
WORKSPACE DESIGN AND BUILD SOLUTIONS THAT DELIVER
End-to-end workspace design and build for faster delivery, clear costs and consistent quality, from strategy to handover.
View all news & insights