GCUC Podcast Recap: Amanda Perry on Designing Coworking Spaces for Different Brains

What makes someone choose one coworking space over another? Location matters. Price matters. Amenities matter. But the experience of walking into a space and feeling like you belong can make all the difference.

For neurodivergent people, that experience can be shaped by things operators don’t always consider: lighting, background noise, unclear instructions, or the pressure to work in a particular way.

On the GCUC Podcast, Liz Elam sits down with Amanda Perry, founder of Brain First and author of Brain First Business, to explore neurodiversity, workplace design, and what it takes to create coworking spaces where more people can thrive. Following Amanda’s participation in a roundtable at GCUC UK in London, the conversation offers practical insights for operators looking to make their spaces more inclusive.

When the Way You Work Stops Working for You

Amanda knows firsthand what happens when the way a business operates doesn’t align with the way someone’s brain works.

During COVID, her marketing agency grew from a team of five to forty. On the outside, the business was thriving. But after receiving an ADHD diagnosis, Amanda began to recognize why certain aspects of running the company felt so exhausting.

The open office environment. The constant Slack notifications. The expectations around how work should get done.

She realized she’d built a business that wasn’t working for her.

After selling the agency, Amanda began exploring a different question: What would it look like to build a business around the way her brain actually works?

That journey led to Brain First and her book, Brain First Business. Her framework centers on three steps: awareness, alignment, and action.

For coworking operators, there’s an important lesson here. Before trying to fix a problem, it helps to understand why something isn’t working in the first place.

Coworking Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All

People don’t choose coworking based on square footage alone.

A space can have beautiful furniture, great coffee, and an impressive list of amenities. But if someone walks through the door and doesn’t feel comfortable, those things may not be enough to bring them back.

Amanda experienced this firsthand when she visited a coworking space that wasn’t a good fit. In a LinkedIn post that sparked a wider conversation, she described sensory challenges, confusing rules, and uncomfortable experiences that made working there difficult.

The response was telling. Other neurodivergent people shared similar experiences, including challenges with noise, lighting, smells, open layouts, and unclear expectations.

It raises an important question: How many people are unintentionally excluded because spaces are designed around assumptions about how everyone works?

Many coworking spaces already offer a variety of environments that can support different needs. The opportunity is to recognize those needs, communicate what a space offers, and help people find an environment where they can thrive.

Five Things Coworking Operators Can Do

Creating a more inclusive coworking space doesn’t necessarily require a major renovation or a complete change in operations. Sometimes, small adjustments can make a meaningful difference.

1. Make Communication Crystal Clear

For some people, the stress starts before they even get inside.

Where’s the entrance? Which button should they press? Where should they sit? What happens when they arrive?

Clear communication can make the first visit much easier. Send detailed arrival instructions, explain what to expect, and make policies easy to understand.

A little clarity can go a long way toward helping someone feel comfortable from the start.

2. Give People Choices in How They Work

Not everyone thrives in the same environment. Some people love an energetic, open workspace. Others need a quieter corner, a private room, or somewhere with fewer distractions.

Rather than trying to create one perfect environment for everyone, operators can offer a variety of options.

Consider where members can go when they need quiet, whether there’s somewhere to take a call without disturbing others, and whether the space offers a choice between social areas and calmer environments.

No space can accommodate every individual need perfectly. Providing options, however, gives more people the opportunity to find what works for them.

3. Pay Attention to the Senses

Lighting, noise, smells, and even furniture placement can influence how comfortable someone feels in a space.

During the podcast conversation, Amanda and Liz discussed the impact of background noise. Consistent ambient sound, for example, may help create a more predictable sound environment than a space where every conversation and interruption stands out.

They also explored the appeal of smaller seating nooks and areas where people can feel a little more tucked away.

These details might seem minor, but they can have a meaningful impact on someone’s experience.

4. Stop Treating Community as an Extra

Coworking is about more than desks, conference rooms, and amenities. People also come for connection.

Community events, familiar faces, and the feeling of being part of something can be just as important as the physical workspace.

Operators should consider why members return. Is it simply because they need a desk, or is it because someone greets them by name, they have friends there, and they feel part of a community?

That sense of belonging isn’t just a bonus. It’s something operators can intentionally build.

5. Ask Members What They Need

Operators don’t have to guess what will make their spaces more welcoming.

Ask members what’s working and what isn’t. Pay attention to feedback that might challenge existing assumptions. Experiment with layouts, seating, communication, and different ways of supporting the community.

As Amanda’s approach highlights, designing for different brains isn’t about creating a perfect scenario for every person. It’s about recognizing that people have different needs and giving them more ways to find what works.

Making Neuroinclusive Coworking Easier to Find

One of the initiatives Amanda shared during the conversation was the Brain First Mark and its accompanying directory.

The goal is straightforward: help people identify workplaces that have taken steps to support neurodivergent people.

Through a self-assessment process and supporting evidence, participating spaces can demonstrate their approach to creating more psychologically safe environments. The mark helps signal that a space has considered these needs, rather than leaving people to figure everything out on their own.

Amanda is initially focusing on coworking spaces in the UK, with the goal of making supportive environments easier to discover.

Creating a welcoming space is one thing. Helping people recognize that it’s welcoming before they arrive is another.

Coworking operators spend considerable time marketing their spaces to the right audiences. But are they communicating the things that matter most to the people they’re trying to reach?

Sometimes, it’s not about adding another amenity. It’s about showing people they belong.

The Future of Coworking Is About People

The coworking industry has an opportunity to rethink what a great workplace experience looks like. Not just a beautiful space. Not just a productive space. A place where people with different brains, working styles, and needs can find their footing.

That requires operators to keep questioning their assumptions, listening to their members, and remaining open to change.

A practical place to start is by bringing these questions to the team: What could make the working day easier for members? Are there parts of the space that create unnecessary stress? How could communication, design, or community experiences be improved?

Choose one idea from the conversation and put it into practice. Ask members for feedback, look at the space through a different lens, and give new approaches room to develop.

When coworking works for more people, the entire community benefits.

Listen to the Full Conversation

Listen to the full conversation to hear more about Amanda’s journey and the practical changes operators can make to create more inclusive spaces.

Connect with Amanda Perry
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandaperryuk/

Follow Amanda Perry on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/amandaperry/

Follow Amanda Perry on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/amandaperry/

Explore Brain First Accreditation

Take the Neurodiversity & Coworking Survey

Learn more about Amanda Perry and Brain First: amandaperry.co.uk

Connect with Liz Elam
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizelam

Watch the GCUC Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@GCUCPodcast/videos