Trading Desks to Operations: A 32-Year Furniture Industry Journey | Workspace Design Lab Ep. 2

Workspace Design Lab | Healthy Spaces, Lasting Impact

On this episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Syl sits down with Darryl McCracken, Operations Manager at NovaLink. With over 30 years of experience, Darryl shares the evolution of modular furniture, how industrial design shaped his approach to problem-solving, and the importance of creating flexible, future-ready solutions. From his early days as a CAD detailer to leading operations, Darryl offers deep insights into what it takes to design for change in modern workplaces.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• How industrial design fosters problem-solving in furniture development
• The evolution from beam systems to modular frame systems
• Why simple floor plans deliver the most flexibility
• How NovaLink’s building block approach supports reconfiguration
• The impact of client feedback on continuous product improvement
• Why NovaLink designs furniture for long-term flexibility and reuse
• Strategies for minimizing downtime during reconfiguration
• The importance of durable materials in sustainable furniture systems
• How archived job files enable part recreation decades later
• Darryl’s reflections on 30+ years of workspace innovation
BEST MOMENTS
00:02:55. “I didn't know what it was before I started the design classes.”
00:04:00. “It was just natural for me to want to create things and build.”
00:05:23. “It was recognized by management and I said you would work well in engineering management.”
00:07:12. “Each job, there's different aspects to it, challenges. So that's what keeps the variety.”
00:08:55. “Simple is best. You lose so much space with complicated layouts.”
00:10:58. “Our base modules, you can actually walk through the door.”
00:17:19. “You can have a desk redone in 3 hours.”
00:20:01. “We can recreate anything that we have in the past. Again, within reason.”

Workspace Design Lab | Healthy Spaces, Lasting Impact
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