Lizzi Whaley

Lizzi Whaley, CEO of Spaceworks Interiors, joins Andy for an energetic conversation shaped by the fact that both host and guest have ADHD. Lizzi has owned the 25-year-old commercial interior design firm for 19 years and worked there for 22, leading a team of ~15 in Auckland, 3 in Wellington, and 1 moving to Queenstown for the Skyline Queenstown project. Her wellbeing-driven design philosophy centres on the idea that "the people that use the space matter to me more than the space itself", design should be invisible, creating emotive responses that drive business outcomes. She argues the design-construct process is fundamentally broken (too linear, too manual) and that the industry is due for a "great big disruption" through AI, VR, and AR, though people are scared of what it means for their jobs.

Key Topics Discussed

• Spaceworks Interiors. commercial interior designers across office, retail, hospitality, and aged care sectors; company is 25 years old, ~15 staff Auckland, 3 Wellington, expanding to Queenstown
• Wellbeing-driven design. the people using the space matter more than the space itself; design should create an "emotive response" (return visits, brand loyalty, choosing an aged care provider)
• Invisible design. "if you walk into a space and say Spaceworks did it, we failed." Bringing someone else's vision to life, not imposing your own
• Design drives business success. space influences behaviour, mood, whether people come back, stay, or shop
• Broken design-construct process. too linear, too manual, "dinosaurs in the industry," "design first, build next, fix later"
• Industry disruption. AI, VR, AR will force change, but people are scared of what it means for their jobs
• Early stakeholder engagement (ECI-like). air conditioning, fire, designers all in the room before design starts; speeds up the process and improves creative output
• Sustainability. decisions made in early design stages have massive downstream impact
• ADHD. both Andy and Lizzi have ADHD, setting the chaotic but energetic tone for the episode
• Skyline Queenstown project. market kitchen, retail, office fit-out
• Succession planning. "I'm unemployable now." Had one boss for 8 years, then herself. Plans to be there till she dies

Notable Quotes

"The people that use the space matter to me more than the space itself."

"If you walk into a space and say Spaceworks did it, we failed."

"Design first, build next, fix later."

"I'm unemployable now."

Guest Background

Lizzi Whaley is the CEO of Spaceworks Interiors, a commercial interior design firm celebrating its 25th year. She has owned the business for 19 years and worked there for 22. The company works across office, retail, hospitality, and aged care, with current projects including the Skyline Queenstown redevelopment. She had one boss for 8 years before becoming her own. Both she and Andy share an ADHD diagnosis.