24 Jun 2026
By Vicki Walker, Regional Director, Space Solutions
I’ve been in this industry for 27 years, and when you’ve spent that long evolving through different roles from Interior designer to Project manager, to where I am now, you build a perspective that’s hard to get any other way.
I started my career designing space and learning how people interact with their environment. Then my journey moved onto site, delivering fit‑outs in the kind of fast‑paced, high pressure settings only shopfitting can teach you, taking that discipline finally into the commercial office space.
Over the years I’ve delivered everything from SME refurbishments to large corporate workplaces, and the constants have always been the same:
A team you trust — the kind who show up for each other when the pressure hits.
Pride in the craft — caring about the outcome even when no one is watching.
Detail that holds the whole thing together — because the small things are never small on site.
Clear communication — the difference between a smooth handover and a painful one.
Calm under pressure — especially when programmes tighten and decisions need to be made fast.
Respect for the people doing the work — trades, designers, contractors, clients; everyone shapes the outcome.
And now, years later, I find myself asking a simple question: Has much really changed?
The answer is yes and not in the ways people might think.
The fundamentals haven’t changed at all.
At its core, this industry has always been about people. How they work. How they feel. How they move through a space.
Twenty‑seven years ago, I was designing with those principles in mind even if we didn’t have the language we use today. We didn’t talk about “experience,” “wellbeing,” “neurodiversity” or “hybrid behaviours.” But we were still trying to solve the same human problems.
The truth is: People shape space, and space shapes people. That hasn’t changed.
What has changed?
If I compare the early days of my career to now, the biggest shift is:
The work hasn’t become harder, but it has developed more layers.
Strategy has moved from optional to essential.
When I was designing in the early years, workplace strategy was something only a handful of organisations invested in.
Now, it’s the starting point. Clients want evidence, insight, behavioural understanding, and a clear narrative before they even think about a layout.
And this is where having lived both sides both in design and delivery becomes powerful. You understand the intent and the reality. You know what works on paper and what survives on site.
Delivery is still the differentiator.
Despite all the evolution, one thing remains the same: projects succeed or fail in the detail.
The coordination. The communication. The relationships. The sequencing. The ability to keep a team aligned when the pressure is on.
These are the things that had an influence 27 years ago, and they’re still the things that have an influence today.
The next shift is already happening.
We’re entering another phase of change one that feels bigger than the last few cycles:
The industry is moving again, and it’s moving fast.
But experience matters here. Understanding where we’ve come from helps you see where we’re going.
