Auckland Design Week 2025 – Wrapped

Did you actually look forward to Monday morning this week? If you were at Auckland Design Week, chances are you did. Kicking off the event with a thought-provoking panel, our CEO Lizzi Whaley joined some of the country’s top minds in design and technology to tackle one big question:

How can AI, AR, and VR reshape workspaces so people actually want to be in them on a Monday?

Blurring Boundaries: Redesigning Workspaces with Tech

Lizzi took the stage alongside:

• Richard Voss – Architect, Voss Associates
• Diego Betanzo – Furniture Expert, Crestline Workplace
• Ange Wallace – Founder, What Lies Beneath
• Sam Ramlu – Founder/MD at Method, Mad Carnival & Mighty Eyes

Their panel, Blurring Boundaries: How AI, AR, and VR Are Redefining Workspace and Furniture Design for a Better Monday Morning, went beyond the hype to explore how emerging tech can be used to create workspaces that work for humans—not just look good in a render. From AI-driven office layouts that adapt to employees’ needs to VR being used to trial spatial designs before a single desk is moved, the discussion reinforced something we already know at Spaceworks:

The best workplaces aren’t just efficient, they make people feel good.

More Than a Trend: The Future of Workplace Design

This was just one of many conversations happening throughout the week about where design is heading. Auckland Design Week, with its Chance + Change theme, brought together global and local voices pushing boundaries in architecture, interiors, furniture, and tech. Other key highlights included:

• The Future of Design keynote from legendary designer Karim Rashid, challenging how we think about the digital age and its impact on creativity.
• Women Shaping Innovation Through Tech, a powerhouse panel exploring how female leaders are driving change in AI and digital design.

What’s Next?

For us at Spaceworks, it’s exciting to see these conversations happening because we’re already bringing a lot of this thinking into real-world projects. Whether it’s integrating workplace tech into design strategies or using VR to help clients visualise their spaces before the build, we’re not just talking about the future of workplace design—we’re creating it.

If you missed the panel, get in touch with Lizzi for a chat about how your office can embrace smarter design, you know where to find us.

#BetterMondaysStartHere.