Making your space work is a real talking point.

An interior design of a building has more function than making the space more aesthetically pleasing.

It can also increase the productivity of workers, address brand recognition, encourage shoppers to spend more, and enhance the living experience of occupants, say experts in the industry.

Many of these functions are accomplished by the proper selection and positioning of lighting, materials, signage and furniture.

"A building's interior has an enormous effect on worker productivity and quality of life," said Terrence O'Neal, AIA, principal, Terrence O'Neal Architect LLC (TONA), a full-service architectural/design firm based in Manhattan. "I believe strongly that an appropriate use of light, color and material to shape a space can yield real and tangible benefits for individuals, companies and institutions. With our corporate clients the results are seen in enhanced well-being for employees and increased productivity."

Designers say the first steps in achieving their client's goals for an interior space is to open a dialogue with those using or occupying the space, determining all the uses of the space, and refining the objective or statement the occupants want to impart.

"We have a series of conversations with the top executive down to the mailroom guy," said Gerard Geier II, AIA, IIDA, principal at Fox & Fowle Architects. With more than 25 years of experience as an architect and space planner, Geier leads Fox & Fowle's Interiors Studio, working on a wide range of projects, including corporate and institutional offices and high-end residential.

"Taking a broad brush down to the smallest detail to determine what works and what doesn't," is key to creating the space, said Geier.

Establishing the demographics of space users, including age, income level, profession and lifestyle, are vital to creating an interior space, said Matthew Jarmel, of AIA, MBA principal of Jarmel Kizel Architects and Engineers. "We need to know who is going to be using the space," said Jarmel, experienced in a wide variety of project types, including interiors, renovation and new construction in a multitude of industries.

"Is it to be designed for segments of certain types of people or different demographics?"

Another factor in designing interiors is to "Visit and experience the space," said Damian Besculides, associate vice president of Cannon Design that has been consistently ranked among the leading architectural firms in planning and design for sports and recreation, government, health sciences, education, corporate facilities and commercial development.

"No drawing, photo or written explanation can augment the way a space 'feels'," said Besculides. "Design will be a direct result of the feel of a space and the required program to fit within it."

Once the groundwork has been completed, the architect continues the dialogue throughout the process.

Asking the right questions can help lead the direction of the design. "The biggest issue is 'what does the space say about the client'," said Geier. "Where can the design say something about the brand of the company?"

Studies have shown that brand recognition has been become linked to company's success in the marketplace, and design professionals are very cognizant of that fact.

"The notion of brand and branch identity has become increasingly important--not just how the exterior of a building is designed, but how the interior is designed," Jarmel said. "Usually the brand is tied into the demographic market they are looking to entice."

With brand and market objectives driving design decisions, designers not only have to know their client but also their client's customers.

For example, a traditional law firm may choose to use the materials of wood paneling, plush carpeting and colonial furniture. However, the market they are trying to reach could demand an atypical environment.

"It's very different designing an interior space for a law firm than it is for a media company," said Geier. "But if you have a law firm that deals mostly with media companies, then they will want to look more like a media company. It may not have wood paneling. Instead, the design would be more progressive."

The client's employees or prospective employees also factor into the design of a commercial space, say experts at Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum New York, a global architectural firm that specializes in planning, design and delivery solutions.

For employees working in corporate space, the design character of the work environment makes a measurable difference in recruiting and retaining the best people," said Juliette Lam, head of the Interiors Group at HOK. "Given that salaries are usually pegged to industry ranges, amenities such as "cool spaces" can tip the balance for employees considering change. Good design makes people believe that their employer cares about their well being."

One of the first things HOK designers focus on is "the function and the needs of people working in and visiting the space," said Lam. "These requirements are the 'bones' on which you build great design."

Geier agrees saying, "At the end of the day, what matters most is that the workstation has to support the person's work function. There needs to be a flexibility built into the design to adjust to each worker's needs."

Lighting in any space is extremely important, but no more so than in a workspace.

"Effective lighting opens the space and establishes the overall feel of the environment. Good lighting in the workplace keeps people fresher and more productive," Lam continued. "One of the most prevalent complaints from employees in their existing spaces is about harsh fluorescent lighting."

Use of material can enhance lighting, said O'Neal.

"Studies have shown that such factors as natural light, colors and color combinations are extremely important," said O'Neal. "They affect emotions and how people feel in a space. We use glass and other transparent or translucent materials whenever possible to allow natural light to penetrate. In some cases, we bring in light from above through the use of skylights."

In retail space design, the product, as well as the consumer is taken into consideration.

"In retail design, it is important to recognize the most important factor of retail success.... selling product," said O'Neal.

"It is important to design a space that showcases product, not detract from it."

"The interiors are designed to become more friendly to consumers, for example an electronics store catering to teenagers who are going to buy computers and Ipods," said Jarmel. "The design is tied into keying into what's comfortable to them."

Ease of shopping is also a major factor, said Lam. "Buying/shopping patterns need to influence the layout so customers find it easy to stay and shop."

Designing a residential space can be a more intense experience, taking into consideration the owner's lifestyle, as well as functionality, say designers. "It's a much more personal decision, a much more personal process," said Geier. "The decision of color, materials, furniture becomes a matter of personal choice."

Although in rare instances, a wider range of design factors are also included.

"In the rare case, we get to design residential pieces that are a direct response to the environment around them, much like the igloo to the north or the longboat house of the wetlands," said Besculides. "That is when architecture transcends the owner or even the architect and becomes a direct response to nature and its elements."

Lighting is also a key aspect of creating a residential space.

Said Lam, "It has been proven the psyche, morale, productivity and general health is all enhanced by exposure to direct sunlight versus diffuse or even reproduced natural daylight."

Demographics enter into the design when creating interior spaces of multi-housing units.

"A residential building in Hoboken and Jersey City would target urban professionals who commute into Manhattan," said Jarmel. "They are high earners, live a fast paced lifestyle. They would want to be close to clubs, athletic clubs, restaurants, dry cleaners etc."

Buildings designed for this demographic, said Jarmel, may include a health spa and dry cleaner within the building.

"The interior of the building would be set up to attract those kinds of people and have amenities that they wouldn't find with competitors, whereas, the buildings trying to attract seniors, 55 and older, would be designed with larger elevators, a concierge and gathering rooms," he said.

Special use housing requires a unique approach.

"For a residential facility for young people in crisis we were asked to increase the number of beds by 20% and create a sense of openness and spaciousness in what was previously a rather drab, cramped environment," said O'Neal.

"These sound like seemingly conflicting needs, but through proper planning, the right design and the proper use of light and color, we were able achieve the client's goal and also build the space within available resources."

An architect designing an interior space takes into consideration many factors and when the project is completed it should fit the client's needs and thus their level of satisfaction.

"The quality of work space or residential space is tied to the level of comfort, therefore to the level of happiness," said Jarmel.