SEASON 1 EPISODE 09:

Toby Mildon:
Designing inclusively creates a better environment for everyone

This week on the SpaceCraft podcast, Dan Moscrop interviews Toby Mildon, an expert on diversity, inclusion and creating inclusive workplace cultures.

In the first part of the podcast, Toby Mildon introduces himself and talks about his transition from working at large organizations like the BBC and Deloitte to running his own business focused on addressing systemic biases within organizational systems, processes and workplace design.

They then discuss the importance of agile and flexible working practices in modern office environments, and how younger generations entering the workforce expect more flexibility. Toby shares examples of how organizations like the BBC and Deloitte have redesigned their office spaces and architecture to accommodate different working styles and promote collaboration.

The conversation shifts to accessibility and inclusivity in physical workspace design and architecture. Toby shares personal experiences of encountering accessibility issues in buildings, and emphasizes the importance of inclusive design that considers the needs of people with disabilities from the outset when planning office spaces.

Towards the end, they discuss the growing focus on diversity and inclusion within businesses, driven partly by gender pay gap reporting requirements and the need for inclusive branding. Toby shares his predictions for a greater emphasis on customer experience and designing services with inclusivity in mind.

Throughout the discussion, Toby highlights the need for diversity and inclusion to be treated as a business-critical priority in workplace culture and design, rather than a side project or CSR activity. He also stresses the importance of addressing unconscious biases and creating inclusive systems, processes and office environments that promote fairness for all employees.