{"id":19520,"date":"2026-08-05T19:25:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T19:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=19520"},"modified":"2026-08-05T19:25:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T19:25:28","slug":"imagination-as-infrastructure-adelia-schleuszs-neurodesign-model-for-the-future-of-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=19520","title":{"rendered":"Imagination as infrastructure: Adelia Schleusz\u2019s neurodesign model for the future of work"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 300px 160px; gap: 2px; width: 460px; background: #eee; padding: 2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u6574\u884c\u5bbd\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876674\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 90px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876676\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u5de6\u4fa7\u7ad6\u6392 -->\r\n  <div style=\"height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876672\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"height: 500px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876680\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u6469\u5929\u697c\uff08\u548c\u5de6\u4fa7\u5b8c\u5168\u5bf9\u9f50\uff09 -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row: 3\/5; height: 750px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876678\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e6\" data-zoneid=\"5876682\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><em>Opinions expressed by\u00a0Digital Journal\u00a0contributors are their own.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The conversation around the future of work is often dominated by technology. Artificial intelligence, automation and data infrastructure take center stage, while the human nervous system is treated as an afterthought. Adelia Schleusz believes this is a fundamental mistake.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the Founder and Creative Director of What If LAB, Schleusz operates at the intersection of design, science and psychology. Her work is grounded in a simple premise: environments are not neutral. They shape cognition, behavior, decision-making and long-term well-being. If organizations want to build truly future-ready systems, they must start by understanding how the human brain interacts with space.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where neurodesign enters the conversation, not as a buzzword but as a strategic lens.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-what-neurodesign-means-in-practice\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What neurodesign means in practice<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Neurodesign is often confused with aesthetics or wellness trends. Schleusz is careful to define it more precisely.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Research institutions including MIT Media Lab and the Johns Hopkins International Arts and Mind Lab have explored how sensory environments shape human experience and perception. Schleusz draws on this body of work as a foundation, applying it across design practice in ways that go beyond aesthetics. Schleusz has led design across sectors, contributing to applied research throughout her career-long practice in design. Some previous examples of blending her design leadership, neurodesign framework and applied research include collaborations with Center for Advanced Design Research and Evaluation (CADRE), including applied research on enriched environments for social and emotional learning as well as the ASID Outcome of Design Award (2022), project award for human-centered research and quantifiable occupant well-being impacts at UC San Diego\u2019s North Torrey Pines campus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At its core, neurodesign, as Schleusz practices it, examines how humans process information through their environments. Light, sound, temperature, spatial layout, materiality and color all influence how people focus, engage and regulate their experience of a space. While these principles apply to any setting, Schleusz emphasizes that they become especially critical in workplaces navigating rapid change.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn many ways, neurodesign can feel synonymous with interior design, leveraging art and science to create environments that work with our brains and engage our senses,\u201d she notes, \u201cbut it goes deeper into the science behind why these elements matter and then how they can be tested.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The distinction matters. Neurodesign, in her view, is not just about preference. It is about evidence.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-from-static-spaces-to-living-labs\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">From static spaces to living labs<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What differentiates Schleusz\u2019s approach is how theory is translated into practice. Rather than delivering static recommendations, What If LAB operates as a living lab model. The work unfolds in phases, beginning not with solutions but with people and bold ideas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI have had the privilege of working with clients and teams across the globe and across market sectors, designing evidence-based, permanent design solutions. It\u2019s exciting to now be focused on reimagining space and experiences, testing innovation in \u2018living\u2019 ecosystems,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first step is identifying individuals with the appetite for innovation and new ideas. Leaders willing to question assumptions. Teams open to positive disruption. \u201cYou want stakeholders and co-creators that are engaged and excited about this kind of thinking,\u201d Schleusz says. \u201cYou want people who want to be there and make real change.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From there, Imagine Workshops create a shared foundation. Participants are guided through future foresight exercises that stretch thinking beyond immediate constraints. Neurodesign principles are introduced as lived experiences, not abstract concepts. The workshops function as both education and experimentation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A second phase, in a workplace-focused example, moves into piloted environments. Temporary pop-ups designed for different work modes, including deep focus, collaboration and sensory regulation, are deployed and tested. These environments are not speculative. They are measured.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Schleusz references the work of immersive environment pioneers such as TeamLab and Marshmallow Laser Feast as examples of how designers and technologists are already using spatial and sensory tools to study how people engage with designed environments. \u201cThe goal is learning by doing,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-why-one-size-never-fits-all\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why one size never fits all<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A common critique of workplace design is its tendency toward uniformity. Schleusz sees this as incompatible with human reality. Neurodesign, by definition, must account for neurodiversity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEveryone needs a sense of choice,\u201d she says. Some individuals need quiet and low stimulation. Others thrive in dynamic environments. Inclusive neurodesign, as she describes it, creates multisensory experiences and an ecosystem that allows people to self-regulate based on their needs at that moment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The aim, as Schleusz frames it, is cognitive equity. When environments offer flexibility, they support decision-making, well-being and sustained performance across diverse populations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDesigning for humans means designing for difference,\u201d Schleusz notes.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-leadership-cognition-and-the-ai-era\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Leadership, cognition and the AI era<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As organizations adopt advanced technologies, Schleusz argues that leadership adaptability has become a strategic priority. Neurodesign, she believes, sits at the intersection of these concerns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A 2024 report from Deloitte identified imagination as a deficit in modern organizations, noting that the capacity for creative and speculative thinking is increasingly undervalued relative to efficiency-driven metrics. Schleusz has cited this finding as consistent with what she observes across her client work.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trend is broader. The iF Design 2026 Trend Report identified a growing countermovement in design toward distinction, authenticity and human-centered experience, noting that as generative tools make creation faster and more uniform, the most influential designers are moving in the opposite direction. Schleusz\u2019s practice reflects precisely that orientation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAI transformation puts enormous pressure on leaders,\u201d she explains. \u201cHow they think, how they make decisions, how they recover, all of that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In her work with cities, corporations and innovation teams, Schleusz integrates neurodesign into leadership development. The environments where leaders work directly affect their ability to navigate complexity. Designing spaces that support focus, reflection and creative agility is, in her view, a form of infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Schleusz frames imagination not as a soft skill but as a capability organizations must intentionally develop. She describes it as \u201cimagination as infrastructure,\u201d a system she believes is essential if organizations want to augment human intelligence rather than replace it.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-a-transdisciplinary-model\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">A transdisciplinary model<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What If LAB\u2019s team structure is not an operational detail. It is a strategic differentiator.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rather than maintaining a fixed roster of narrow specialists, Schleusz designs each team as a flexible, evolving ecosystem. Collaborators are curated for overlapping and adjacent expertise: researchers fluent in design, neurodesigners trained in anthropology, innovation strategists with backgrounds in AI and biotech. The structure is intentionally nimble, allowing the composition of the team to shift based on the complexity of the challenge.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo one company will typically have all of the expertise at a given notice,\u201d she says. \u201cBut by reimagining what a team is, we can build teams centered on the talent of the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That future is arriving faster than many organizations anticipated. The World Economic Forum\u2019s Future of Jobs Report 2025, which surveyed more than 1,000 leading global employers, projects that 170 million new jobs will be created by 2030, driven largely by emerging technologies and the green transition. Many of those roles do not yet have clear titles. Schleusz has structured What If LAB in anticipation of precisely this kind of labor market shift, curating teams around expertise that spans ecology, technology, behavioral science and design in combinations that traditional firms rarely assemble.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The talent of the future model is designed to not only prevent siloed thinking by bringing together uncommon combinations of expertise, but to promote new ways of thinking to tackle more complex problems. Collaboration with What If LAB is relational rather than hierarchical. Team members align around shared values: human-centered practice, ethical responsibility and regenerative thinking for people and planet.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-designing-with-intention\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Designing with intention<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Design, Schleusz emphasizes, is inherently future-oriented. Every environment shapes behavior over time. Neurodesign introduces accountability into that process by grounding decisions in evidence and human impact, and then stretching our thinking to design those better futures.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As workplaces evolve, the question is no longer whether design influences performance. The question Schleusz returns to is whether organizations are willing to design with intention and reimagine our human potential.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her work positions design innovation not as a race toward efficiency but as a practice of care for the people and communities that will inhabit the systems being built today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \u603b\u5bb9\u5668\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u5bbd908px Grid\u7d27\u51d1\u5e03\u5c40 -->\r\n<div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 728px 160px; gap:2px; width:908px; background:#eee; padding:2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u901a\u680f\u9876\u90e8\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u6a2a\u5e45 908x258 \u8de8\u6574\u884c -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; height:258px; background:#ff6b6b; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114307\" data-width=\"908\" data-height=\"258\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114307});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u7b2c\u4e8c\u901a\u680f\uff1a728\u00d790 \u901a\u680f -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; 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display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114302\" data-width=\"133\" data-height=\"139\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114302});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n    <div style=\"height:125px; background:#91e7ac; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t\r\n<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114303\" data-width=\"125\" data-height=\"125\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114303});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u7ad6\u680f\uff1a160\u00d7600 \u6574\u5217\u9ad8\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row:3\/8; height:600px;  display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114301\" data-width=\"160\" data-height=\"600\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114301});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<br \/> Imagination as infrastructure: Adelia Schleusz\u2019s neurodesign model for the future of work<br \/>\n<br \/>#Imagination #infrastructure #Adelia #Schleuszs #neurodesign #model #future #work<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Opinions expressed by\u00a0Digital Journal\u00a0contributors are their own. The conversation around the future of work is&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19521,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[15031,3604,15030,4869,3333,15033,15032,771],"class_list":["post-19520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-adelia","tag-future","tag-imagination","tag-infrastructure","tag-model","tag-neurodesign","tag-schleuszs","tag-work"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TechTO-11-4.png",1600,900,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TechTO-11-4-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TechTO-11-4-300x169.png",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TechTO-11-4-768x432.png",640,360,true],"large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TechTO-11-4-1024x576.png",640,360,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TechTO-11-4-1536x864.png",1536,864,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TechTO-11-4.png",1600,900,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TechTO-11-4-1115x715.png",1115,715,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TechTO-11-4-800x500.png",800,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TechTO-11-4-1024x576.png",1024,576,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TechTO-11-4-540x340.png",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TechTO-11-4-400x250.png",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?cat=7\" rel=\"category\">Stories<\/a>","tag_info":"Stories","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19520","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19520"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19520\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}