On Sept 30, creative professionals and students gathered in 12 cities across Canada to learn from panelist presentations and engage in lively local discussions. VP of Habanero Consulting Group, Caterina Sanders began with a presentation on the approach to work that earned her organization its number one ranking on The Globe and Mail's list of Best Workplaces in Canada. Sid Lee co-founder Philippe Meunier shared his vision for the future of work and Herman Miller's Director of Insight + Exploration, Gretchen Gscheidle, explained the strategic approach of Scenario Planning.

Top 10 insights from 'The Future Workplace' panel:

1. "It's no longer a sea of sameness. Today's workstations and landscapes need to be designed in ways that take into account how work will change." Gretchen Gscheidle
2. "The next generation of workers will not accept a place without light and playfulness. They will pack up their laptop and go elsewhere." Philippe Meunier
3. "Autonomy (the desire to direct our own lives), mastery (the urge to get better at something that matters) and purpose (where autonomy and mastery come together) are already present today. It's a great foundation on which to build a workplace experience." Caterina Sanders 
4. "Work is split into Me-time and We-time. The time we spend on our own processing information, and the time where we exchange, debate and share in an active way." Philippe Meunier 
5. "Increasingly we will put more trust in our digital social networks over search engines like Google." Gretchen Gscheidle
6. "Millenials are driving a different workplace; they have different demands. They are asking for things that everyone wants and raising the bar in a way that everyone benefits." Caterina Sanders 
7. "The only thing that will not change is change. Everything will transform at light speed." Philippe Meunier
8. "If you have a culture where people understand what's expected of them and love what they do, things like vacation time won't need to be as structured. People will be able to manage their time as they see fit." Caterina Sanders 
9. "Instead of selling hours, we should sell value. More and more clients are seeing the value in what we do. They don't want our time, they want our ability." Philippe Meunier 
10. "The future is here, it's just not evenly distributed." Gretchen Gscheidle 

From attendees:

"I really enjoyed the presentation. The panel participants provided a very interesting perspective on the future workplace!"  Karen Brown, Winnipeg 

"It is always an inspiring event and I truly do enjoy the topics and hearing the panelists' perspectives." Amanda Chamberland, Barrie  

On Twitter:

@Dzamage: So much info to process from #rgdFBD. Great discussion in the #Sault! Huge thanks to @RGD, @HabaneroConsult, @SidLee and @HermanMiller

@McMillan_Agency: Unlimited vacation may become a reality in the future. In unrelated news, McMillan is permanently moving to the Bahamas. #rgdFBD

@jjkaye100: At @FactoryMediaArt for national webinar about future workplaces. Utopian visions being questioned by practical Hamiltonians.  #rgdFBD

@birddogdesign: Very informative webinar. A bunch of us are gathered @McMillan_Agency in Ottawa #rgdFBD

@artistjenna: @McMillan_Agency thx for hosting a great event tonight! #rgdFBD the food and drinks were so thoughtful!

‪@ChristineWhone‬: Loving the panelists, convos & insight to the future workplace at Future by Design webinar #rgdFBD tonight at @actuallycreate in #Barrie!

@wendymill: I don't know if these yummy treats will make it! @rgd #rgdfbd Great turnout so far! #kingston 

For more discussion from Future By Design: The Future Workplace search the hash tag #rgdFBD on Twitter.  

Our next Future By Design will explore 'The Future of Making' and will be held on December 2. Click here to find out more about hosting a discussion group in your city.