Empty offices, a widespread purpose and engagement crisis, toxic leadership, burnout, quiet quitting & the great resignation are all symptoms of the same ailment that has only been accelerated by the pandemic; that the way modern knowledge work is conducted isn’t working for anyone, the system is broken. Weaving together stories, anecdotes, historical perspective and contemporary research & evidence, Domino shows why Return to Office mandates are not working, why, what can be done, and whether even having a workplace is important anymore in the early years of the 4th Industrial Era.

The boundaries between being neuro-typical, experiencing mental health issues, being ‘on the spectrum’ and having a clinical diagnosis are far murkier and more overlapping than is generally recognised. In every team you work with and meeting you go to, there will be people who behave, feel, think, hear, speak and learn very differently to you, which is the definition of Neuro-diversity. After my 10 year old daughter was diagnosed as Autistic, I started to realise that a one-size-fits-all approach to open plan environments has led to workplaces that suit very few people, and how critical it is that workplaces are designed to better suit the physical, sensory, behavioural and emotional preferences of a much broader range of people than they currently do.

This deeply personal and emotional presentation showcases Domino’s personal experience as a parent and her professional portfolio and asks the question: What if we designed our workplaces and shaped corporate cultures around a broader and more equitable definition of diversity - beyond gender, race, religion, physical ability, sexual orientation and age, and started to take into account people - actual real people’s - neurological preferences in designing workplaces?

Stretching back continuously over hundreds of generations, we humans have surrounded ourselves with an abundance of aesthetic expression, be it in the realms of art, architecture, literature, dance or music. There are some who prefer to appreciate beauty in the natural environment such as colours found in rocks, symmetry in plants, the scent of fresh lemons or the sound of crashing waves; beauty comes in many forms. Contrast that with many workplaces which are soulless, uninspiring and suffer endless rows of anonymous desks that make Dilbert’s cubicle look good.

On an uninspiring study tour to Silicon Valley I found myself wondering - is there some evolutionary or psychological benefit that as a species we gain from being surrounded by beauty? What is it’s purpose? And what even is beauty? Can it be defined? This delightful presentation takes you on a richly illustrated journey of discovery to find the core purpose of beauty, and understand how it enriches and benefits people everywhere, and specifically, what value it can provide in a workplace.