The office is no longer just a place to work; it’s a destination where employees come for the experience – how the space makes them feel, how it supports collaboration, and how it connects them to colleagues and culture. Yet too many workplaces still rely on traditional metrics – like occupancy or utilisation – that tell us how many people use a space, but not how it feels when they’re there.

As hybrid work reshapes expectations, workplaces must evolve from simply providing desks to crafting experiences. And increasingly, lighting is emerging as a powerful tool in defining that experience.

From Counting People to Understanding Atmosphere

Workplace success has long been measured through familiar metrics: occupancy levels, utilisation rates, footfall. Useful, but limited. They quantify presence, not atmosphere.

Hybrid working has exposed this gap. Offices may be full mid-week and quiet at the edges. Some areas buzz with energy while others feel flat – even when every desk is occupied.

This disconnect matters. Research shows that 78% of employees say access to natural light improves their overall happiness and wellbeing, with clear links to motivation, satisfaction, and performance. How a space feels can be just as influential as how often it is used.

This is where vibrancy becomes essential. Vibrancy is not about busyness alone. It is the combined effect of energy, comfort, movement, and social presence. A vibrant workspace captures the sense of connection many employees miss when working remotely, while still supporting focus, wellbeing, and productivity.

No Single Metric: A Principles-Led Approach to Vibrancy

Unlike acoustics or illuminance levels in lighting design, vibrancy has no universal standard. It sits between data and perception. Rather than limiting its value, this invites a principles-led approach.

A vibrancy-led workplace considers factors such as:

  • Activity levels and patterns of presence
  • Noise that feels lively, not disruptive
  • Lighting that is dynamic, comfortable, and supportive
  • A mix of spaces for different work modes
  • Team proximity and interaction
  • Employee sentiment and lived experience

 

Lighting contributes to nearly all of these factors. It shapes behaviour and perception, and can also help reveal how spaces are actually used. In this way, lighting becomes both a design tool and a source of insight. When supported by smart lighting sensors such as Organic Response, data can help organisations better understand patterns of movement, presence, and interaction – forming the basis of a more nuanced view of vibrancy.

The Psychology of Light: A Silent Mood Setter

Lighting in the workplace subtly influences how people feel and behave – often without conscious awareness.

Employees in well-daylit environments report fewer headaches, less eyestrain, and lower levels of drowsiness than those in poorly lit spaces.

Research into Fagerhult’s Double Dynamic Lighting shows that lighting designed to follow natural daylight rhythms can positively influence:

  • Mood and motivation
  • Concentration
  • Work engagement
  • Visual comfort
  • Perceived wellbeing

 

These effects operate on both biological and psychological levels. Cooler, brighter light supports alertness and focus, while warmer tones help reduce tension and encourage social interaction. Direction, contrast, and intensity all shape whether a space feels energising, calm, or somewhere in between.

What Vibrancy Looks Like in Practice

Vibrancy is not achieved through uniform brightness or one-size-fits-all solutions. It is created through variation, layering, and intentional contrast.

  • Circulation areas feel bright and easy to navigate, encouraging movement
  • Focus spaces are evenly lit and visually calm, supporting sustained concentration
  • Collaboration zones use warmer tones and softer contrasts to support conversation
  • Social spaces glow rather than glare, drawing people in without overstimulation

 

Lighting also changes throughout the day. Morning light feels crisp and activating, helping people transition into focused work. As the day progresses, lighting becomes more balanced and relaxed, responding to shifts in energy, posture, and interaction. Even quieter moments feel purposeful rather than empty.

When thoughtfully designed, vibrancy becomes visible – not as noise or clutter, but as rhythm, warmth, and presence.

Designed for Change: Flexibility in Hybrid Work

Hybrid work has made movement constant. Teams shift, spaces evolve, and office rhythms change from day to day. Vibrancy is not static – it adapts with the people using the space.

Lighting must be just as flexible. With Organic Response, lighting also functions as an intelligent sensor network, providing insight into occupancy, movement, and patterns of use, responding automatically to occupancy, daylight, and patterns of activity.

Lighting as a Strategic Tool

In a hybrid context, employees compare the office not only to other workplaces, but to the comfort and control of working from home. Lighting plays a key role in making the office feel equally welcoming and adaptable.

Spaces that offer visual comfort, variation, and subtle responsiveness feel more human and less institutional. Over time, lighting becomes part of the workplace identity – reinforcing culture, signalling intent, and shaping how people experience being together.

When done well, lighting transforms the office from a functional necessity into a place people actively choose.

Looking Ahead Towards a Vibrancy Mindset

The idea of vibrancy is moving towards a more data-informed, experience-led approach:

  • Human-centric lighting supporting mood, comfort, and belonging
  • Multi-sensory design where lighting works alongside acoustics and materials
  • Intelligent controls responding in real time to activity and daylight
  • Sensor data revealing patterns of movement and interaction
  • Workplace strategies that prioritise experience alongside efficiency

 

In this future, lighting does more than shape atmosphere. It helps organisations understand, manage, and continuously improve it.

Creating Workplaces That Truly Support People

As organisations rethink how they define workplace success, lighting offers a powerful way to move beyond metrics and towards mood. By designing for vibrancy – not just utilisation – workplaces can become environments that feel alive, supportive, and genuinely human.

Want to learn more about how our lighting could enhance the vibrancy of your workplace? Speak to us.

Lighting for offices and workplaces

Lighting for offices and workplaces

Many of us spend as much of our waking hours at work as at home. Often indoors and in electric light. That the right lighting, properly adjusted, facilitates the ability to do a good job and be productive, has been established in several studies. The work environment in an office is subject to regulations and standards, but we know that we can provide added value – in the form of our solid knowledge of the effects of light on health and well-being. When lighting is tailored to the needs of the individual and what they are doing, this contributes to establishing a good working environment for each employee.

Read more

Related News