With a proven track record in leveraging cutting edge research, evidence-based data and stakeholder feedback to shape workplace strategies & design outcomes, Domino Risch’s expertise is highly valued in leading multi-disciplinary teams and providing strategic advice & guidance to organisations that is fundamentally aligned with organisational, cultural and future focused business objectives.
As a mother to an Autistic teenager, Domino brings a unique perspective to her professional career, supporting and designing for neurodiversity. She openly shares personal experiences to raise awareness of 'invisible diversity’, aiming to improve experiences at work for all her collaborators and positively influence the built environment of world’s leading organizations.
Domino's deep appreciation of evolutionary psychology and understanding of the purpose and value of beauty in the work environment underpins her commitment to creating happier, healthier, and more productive people at work. Championing human centred design in these early stages of the 4th Industrial Era, she weaves her understanding of people, process, place, technology, and experience together in order to foster better environments.
A captivating and entertaining speaker, Domino employs her unique style and wealth of experience to share insights, anecdotes, and cutting-edge information about the future of work based on her real-life experiences as a workplace futurist and designer. Her impact extends beyond professional realms as she continues to shape the narrative and trajectory of work in a fast evolving landscape.
Talking Points
Making Work & Workplaces More Human
Empty offices, a widespread purpose and engagement crisis, toxic leadership, burnout, quiet quitting & the great resignation are all symptoms of the same ailment that has only been accelerated by the pandemic; that the way modern knowledge work is conducted isn’t working for anyone, the system is broken. Weaving together stories, anecdotes, historical perspective and contemporary research & evidence, Domino shows why Return to Office mandates are not working, why, what can be done, and whether even having a workplace is important anymore in the early years of the 4th Industrial Era.Making Work & Workplaces More Human
Key takeaways:
• Brush up on how the modern office has come to be;
• Delve into contemporary trends and issues of modern knowledge work;
• Learn why some workplaces are more effective in enabling culture than others; and
• Discover what leaders can do to increase the happiness, effectiveness and engagement of their people.
Who is this for:
You’ll learn from and love this presentation if you have ever been to a half-empty office, Zoomed with the person at the desk next to you, or are familiar with either people or commercial property. Also great for C-Suite, P&C, FM, Corporate Wellbeing, CRE and commercial property industry consultants and professionals.
Neurodiversity: A New Lens for Workplace Design
The boundaries between being neuro-typical, experiencing mental health issues, being ‘on the spectrum’ and having a clinical diagnosis are far murkier and more overlapping than is generally recognised. In every team you work with and meeting you go to, there will be people who behave, feel, think, hear, speak and learn very differently to you, which is the definition of Neuro-diversity. After my 10 year old daughter was diagnosed as Autistic, I started to realise that a one-size-fits-all approach to open plan environments has led to workplaces that suit very few people, and how critical it is that workplaces are designed to better suit the physical, sensory, behavioural and emotional preferences of a much broader range of people than they currently do.Neurodiversity: A New Lens for Workplace Design
This deeply personal and emotional presentation showcases Domino’s personal experience as a parent and her professional portfolio and asks the question: What if we designed our workplaces and shaped corporate cultures around a broader and more equitable definition of diversity - beyond gender, race, religion, physical ability, sexual orientation and age, and started to take into account people - actual real people’s - neurological preferences in designing workplaces?
Key takeaways:
• Deepen your knowledge of Neuro-diversity and what makes different people tick;
• Gain insight into how modern workplaces exacerbate sensory issues for most people;
• Understand why ‘open plan’ is so widely disliked and why hybrid work has made it exponentially worse for most people;
• Learn how to create a more sensorily-inclusive workplace; and
• Be inspired by the emotional story of Domino’s two worlds colliding, and her determination to create better workplaces where people like her daughter don’t just survive, but thrive.
Who is this for:
You’ll learn from and love this presentation if you have ever worked in open plan, have issues with acoustics in the office or are an introvert, extrovert or anywhere else on the spectrum. Also great for C-Suite, P&C, FM, Corporate Wellbeing, CRE and commercial property industry consultants and professionals.
The Value of Beauty in a Sea of Workstations
Stretching back continuously over hundreds of generations, we humans have surrounded ourselves with an abundance of aesthetic expression, be it in the realms of art, architecture, literature, dance or music. There are some who prefer to appreciate beauty in the natural environment such as colours found in rocks, symmetry in plants, the scent of fresh lemons or the sound of crashing waves; beauty comes in many forms. Contrast that with many workplaces which are soulless, uninspiring and suffer endless rows of anonymous desks that make Dilbert’s cubicle look good.The Value of Beauty in a Sea of Workstations
On an uninspiring study tour to Silicon Valley I found myself wondering - is there some evolutionary or psychological benefit that as a species we gain from being surrounded by beauty? What is it’s purpose? And what even is beauty? Can it be defined? This delightful presentation takes you on a richly illustrated journey of discovery to find the core purpose of beauty, and understand how it enriches and benefits people everywhere, and specifically, what value it can provide in a workplace.
Key takeaways:
• Recognise the difference between style and beauty;
• Identify 6 elemental principles that make something beautiful;
• Understand the evolutionary psychology behind why we prefer certain types of images, colours and spaces;
• Make sense of why you can’t really experience beauty on Instagram; and
• Learn what the purpose of beauty is, and the positive impact it brings to a people in a work environment.
Who is this for:
You’ll learn from and love this presentation if you have ever worked in a sea of workstations, laughed at Dilbert, watched The Office, or wondered why you prefer the blue meeting room over the yellow one. Also great for C-Suite, P&C, FM, Corporate Wellbeing, CRE and commercial property industry consultants and professionals.
Video
WORKPLACE 2022: WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR IN A HYBRID WORLD? with Domino Risch at WWF22
I've had the pleasure of listening to Domino present and speak for many years - both in day to day project roles in working as a Workplace Designer for our firm, but also at workplace confer ... keep reading Baker McKenzie
Domino is one of the most interesting and passionate speakers on all things related to work and workplace, and not only is it a highlight to attend events and conferences where she is presenting, but we also love inviting her to speak and contribute to our own events at Colliers - from boardroom lunches to presentations and client events. What she speaks about is always interesting and relevant, and her anecdotes really bring ideas to life and are entertaining, fresh and reflect her deep connection to, and understanding of the modern work zeitgeist.
I have attended a few presentations Domino Risch has given and found her presentation style to be very engaging. Domino has deep knowledge in her subject matter and is very clear with her messaging. Every time I’ve brought someone new to Domino’s presentations, they have always been complimentary of Domino’s presentations.
As a member of the senior leadership team at Woven Image, it is my responsibility to organise the guest speaker session for our company conference. We have enjoyed subject matter experts on workplace strategy, acoustic design, sustainability, workplace health & wellbeing, which all align as educational pieces for our team. I have to say, your guest speaker session, Designing for Neurodiversity, was by far the most enlightening, inspiring, moving and emotional session we have enjoyed to date. These sessions enable our teams to align our portfolio and market discussions, whilst at the same time educating on the principles of the subject matter. However, weaving those principles into such a thoughtful and personal story left not a dry eye in the room. I cannot recommend you and your professional endeavours enough to any organisation engaged in workplace design and development. I especially think that every corporate organisation responsible for the care of their employees should, as a first point of call, discuss their strategies with you. You demonstratively prove that if we achieve ideal design for neurodiverse humans, we achieve the correct environments for all humans.
As the Director of the Workplace Wellbeing Festival, we have invited Domino to present at our conference for the past two years in a row. She has been an outstanding contributor, bringing her unique style to the main stage and always being completely professional, engaging and full of interesting, relevant information based on her real life experiences of work and the workplace. We love how in 2022, when her post-lunch session commenced, she took the time to get everyone to stand, stretch, and breathe deeply. The audience was in her highly capable hands from that point onward and the session was one of the most enjoyable of that year.
