The Art of Designing with Intention with Michelle Carr
July 1, 2025
What if workplace design could transform both company culture and employee well-being? In this episode of Space by Stansons, host Guy Stanley sits down with Michelle Carr, Creative Director at Habit Action, to explore the need for a shift in workspace design - from the purely aesthetic to being deeply human-centred. Michelle shines a light on the most memorable projects from her 26-year journey - Sky TV and Atlas CopCo to name a few, the pivotal moments that challenged her personal philosophies as a designer and the power of strong personal relationships in being a better designer. Tune in to discover how intentionality can change the way we work - in design and in reality.
What if workplace design could transform both company culture and employee well-being? In this episode of Space by Stansons, host Guy Stanley sits down with Michelle Carr, Creative Director at Habit Action, to explore the need for a shift in workspace design - from the purely aesthetic to being deeply human-centred.
What You’ll Learn
- The "Four F's" framework: Finding, Feelings, Form, and Function that transforms workplace strategy
- Why workplace design must embrace cultural authenticity and local context
- The power of creative discovery sessions using imagery and dialogue to extract genuine client needs
- How to measure workplace success through occupancy rates and employee satisfaction metrics
- Why sustainable office design should balance regional identity with global brand consistency
- The critical importance of designing spaces that foster team collaboration while supporting hybrid work models
- Why post-project evaluation and relationship building are essential for long-term design success
With over 26 years of experience in workplace design and strategy, Michelle Carr currently serves as the Creative Director at Habit Action. While she started her career as a graduate designer working on prominent projects for Sky TV and NTL, Michelle has evolved into a thoughtful leader who champions the intersection of creativity, functionality, and human-centred design. Her approach to workplace strategy goes beyond aesthetics, focusing on creating destinations that enhance employee well-being, productivity, and connection, exemplified in award-nominated projects like Atlas Copco's headquarters transformation, which achieved a 35% increase in office occupancy.
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Episode Highlights
- [00:00] Intro
- [01:45] The Need For a Mind Map
- [03:15] Tracing Paper and Morgan Lovell: What Shaped Michelle
- [11:17] Creating a Narrative Workplace and Story-Led Design
- [16:12] Translating Data Into Design
- [18:25] The Importance of The Gentle Brief
- [21:29] The 4 Fs Framework: Finding, Feeling, Form and Function
- [23:25] The Importance of Knowing Yourself & Your Values
- [26:09] What Michelle’s Up To Now
- [31:47] Knowledge is Power and the Sustainable Design Collective
- [36:02] Why Embracing Local Culture is So Important
- [38:06] Michelle’s Dream Project & Making Good Design Accessible
- [44:50] Why In-Person Collaboration Is Key
- [46:42] Michelle’s Recommendations & Closing Thoughts
Episode Resources:
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