How Trust Creates Ease and Ease Builds Engagement

Building trust is deeper than a smart logo plastered on the wall; it’s about connection to people and the energy we’re working with as human beings.

How would you like people to feel when they enter your space? This is always my first question when I begin a dialogue with new clients. Some time ago, we were interviewing Wattpad’s cofounder and CEO, Allen Lau, and the leadership team at their Toronto-based headquarters. Wattpad is the world’s leading social storytelling platform and in 2021 was acquired in a transaction valued at more than US$660 million—one of the largest tech acquisitions in Canada.1

MetteSpace was asked to design Wattpad’s office space on three occasions as the company grew from a storytelling website to a global, multi-platform entertainment company. During our first session, Allen told us that the primary intent was to create trust and respect. He and his team knew that creativity flourishes when people feel free to make mistakes and do not feel monitored and manipulated, or like they have someone looking over their shoulder.