Multistudio’s innovative concept, Deck of Spaces™, has been recognized by Fast Company in their annual Innovation by Design awards. The concept is a finalist in the ‘Learning’ category and received an honorable mention in the ‘Impact’ category.

Fast Company, a leading business media brand focused on innovation, technology, leadership, and design, has honored Multistudio’s Deck of Spaces™ in their prestigious Innovation by Design awards.

Deck of Spaces™ is a collection of card decks designed to highlight the significant impact of physical environments on students’ learning experiences. This tool serves as both a conversation starter and a brainstorming aid, allowing educators and designers to introduce novel spatial concepts to diverse communities. The tactile and user-friendly Deck facilitates discussions between spatial planners and educators, fostering engagement among all stakeholders. Cards have a unique ability to bring people together, arguably more so than technology.

Multistudio, a pioneer in educational design, uses the Deck to promote equitable and inclusive learning environments. This innovative tool has been integral in early childhood education centers, middle schools, high schools, and colleges across the United States. The Deck has evolved to include two sets tailored for K-12 and higher education clients. These enhancements enable Multistudio to create traditional and non-traditional learning spaces that consistently engage students and staff, showcasing a track record of innovation and effectiveness in educational design.

“The recognition from Fast Company in not just one but two categories confirms the Deck of Spaces’ impact on the design industry from learning to implementation,” said David Reid, Education Design Principal at Multistudio. “The Deck underscores how the design of learning environments can create a stronger sense of belonging, inclusion, and support. It also demonstrates how an environment can unintentionally create barriers.”

The Deck was developed to support the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. Each card features an idea or set of ideas, with a narrative description on one side and photos of application ideas on the other. These images serve as starter ideas, giving the design team and end users a springboard to express goals for educational facility design.

Dr. Michael C. Ralph, Author and Director of Research at Multistudio, adds, “The Deck of Spaces has tremendous value as a tool to invite students, educators, and others in the learning community to contribute to creating their own learning environments. Research shows that student ownership of their spaces is connected to academic success. Every student and every educator should have spaces in their school that inspire creativity and curiosity.”

Fast Company’s Innovation by Design awards are judged by the magazine’s editors, who review thousands of applications from some of the brightest minds in design and business. The winners represent those who seek to solve big problems with simple solutions.

For the complete list of winners, click below.