In The Field

There’s a shift underway in commercial design. As the traditional office becomes less central to daily work, we’re seeing attention—and investment—move toward the places where the real, tangible work is happening. Distribution centers. Manufacturing plants. Data centers. Warehouses. These spaces have always been essential, but now they’re becoming visible. And for companies that care about the values, culture, and long-term impact attached to their real estate, that visibility is a huge opportunity.

At INDIO, this is what we’re excited about, and where we want to get to work. We believe the future of design lives in the field—not because these spaces have been historically overlooked, but because they’re ready to be reimagined. This is where clarity, efficiency, and physical experience converge. Where small changes can lead to real operational improvements. And where values can be expressed not through posters or taglines, but through the built environment itself.

Design in these spaces doesn’t mean luxury or over-spending. It means intentionality. A thoughtful environment tells a story—not just to visitors, but to the people who show up every day and keep things running. It’s a way to differentiate, to motivate, and to embed meaning into function.

Here are three places to start:

1. Micro-environments within the macro.

Even the most industrial facility has small, human-scaled spaces—break rooms, restrooms, locker areas, entry vestibules. These are often treated as afterthoughts, but they hold enormous potential. With limited square footage and modest cost, these spaces can quietly—but powerfully—affirm that people matter. Whether it’s a moment of warmth, clarity, or quiet, the return on care is high.

2. Functional design with elevated purpose.

Wayfinding, signage, and spatial organization are baseline needs in large-scale environments—but that doesn’t mean they have to be boring. With the right design approach, these elements can enhance flow, reduce confusion, and create a memorable sense of place. Bold moves—color, typography, materiality—can elevate a space without complicating it, creating impact without sacrificing function.

3. Context as an active design input.

Too many industrial buildings ignore their surroundings. But why should scale mean indifference? There’s an opportunity to think outside the box—literally—by considering how these structures relate to the land, the climate, and the community. From orientation and viewsheds to material choices and landscape integration, designing with context shows care. It tells the world your work doesn’t exist in a vacuum. And that can speak volumes about what your company stands for.

The field is where things are made, moved, stored, and powered. It’s also where people work, think, walk, rest, and solve problems. When we design these spaces strategically and pay them the attention they deserve, we don't just improve operations—we elevate the experience of work itself. That’s the future we want to help build.