The State of Hybrid Space: Why Analog Display Statement Pieces Are Gaining Ground

Hybrid workers now report the highest engagement levels (35%) outpacing both fully remote and fully on-site employees. And yet, many hybrid spaces sit quiet, underused, or overlooked.

According to our research, the tension isn’t in hybrid work itself, but in how physical spaces are designed to support it. Too often, they default to screens and utility, missing the opportunity to create moments of presence and identity.

Explore our thinking on interior branding, experiential engagement, and the role of sustainable analog displays and technologies below. Share your insights on a discovery call, accessible via the link below.

A university-led study found that while digital technologies dominate in speed, automation, and scale, analog creates value through physicality, simplicity, sensory engagement, and emotional resonance, dimensions often ignored in tech-driven design. (The University of Tennessee)

Reading the Signals: What Data Reveals About the Next Era of Shared Spaces

Hybrid work is no longer a question of if. Nearly 80% of office occupants now use, and plan to continue, hybrid models (CBRE Research). And yet, presence remains uneven. Bookings don’t always translate into bodies. Attendance, it turns out, can’t be assumed; it has to be earned.

Public spaces, once default destinations, are still finding their footing. Many people continue to favor remote work, tighter routines, and smaller social or professional circles. That hesitation creates a rare window of opportunity. Offices, schools, stadiums, enterprise cafés, and other shared environments have a chance to reassert their relevance by giving people a reason to show up.

The Signals Behind Today’s Most Successful Third Spaces

That need to earn presence is exactly why third places are gaining momentum in 2026. They succeed by design, feeling intentional and worth the trip. The most effective of these spaces share a common thread: a thoughtful phygital strategy paired with amenity-led design.

A phygital third-place approach balances analog and digital touchpoints across the entire journey through a space, while amenity-focused design ensures comfort, wellness, and sustained engagement, for clients, students, and employees alike. Together, they transform shared environments from optional to magnetic.

A field study of nine Parisian cafés and bars suggests that, while key features such as accessibility and conversation remain vital, the role of technology introduces functional dynamics that reshape how people inhabit and interact in spaces. (University of Lugano)

Participants in a university study consistently reported that simply providing access does not guarantee use. Transitional spaces with poor visibility, lack of amenities, or weak identity were underused, even when located in high-traffic buildings. (Open House International)

The Phygital Third-Space

A “phygital” third space is a third place intentionally designed so that the physical space and digital component are mutually reinforcing. It’s not just a neighborhood café with Wi‑Fi or a gym with a website; it’s an environment where the room, furnishings, and social rituals are tightly integrated into an ecosystem of thoughtful apps, screens, sensors, and online communities to create one stress-free, continuous experience.

A peer-reviewed research paper examined how third places evolve in the age of pervasive information and communication technologies (ICTs) and proposed that they should be designed and integrated to support, rather than replace, their social properties. (University of Lugano)

Amenity-Led Design

Amenity-led design is about creating a space around the services and comforts people actually need. This approach treats once “optional” creature comforts such as cafés, kitchens, social zones, creativity rooms, gyms, and lounges as essential, core infrastructure. Often, architects and designers start with a question such as, “What will make people want to stay here?” and then align prime real estate, branding, and budget around the answer.

Research shows that transitional spaces such as lobbies, entryways, and elevator bays are no longer perceived as passive circulation zones. Visitors increasingly treat them as places to pause, wait, and interact. (Open House International)

A university study found that people often rely on spatial signals, such as light, focal points, and visible activity, to understand how a space is meant to be used. (Open House International)

The rise of presence-focused third spaces aligns with the rise of “going analog”. An author recently compared “going analog to the rise of veganism”, and discussed being intentional about how and why we use technology, distinguishing between necessary engagement and compulsive use. (Cyber Celibate)

What The Experts Say

Experts ranging from architects and designers to CEOs are chiming in on how we think, interact, and behave in spaces. Increasingly, industry leaders are sharing concerns is that modern life has become increasingly disembodied, fractured between digital life and in-person interaction. As people spend more time mediated by screens, algorithms, and abstractions, many warn, they drift further from physical, sensory experiences that ground attention, meaning, and self-awareness. Here’s how that’s trickling into the hybrid spaces we use every day.

“Turning actual pages or hearing the crackle of a needle on a record. These experiences become luxuries.”

The authors of Life After Digital Displacement, Philip T. Roundy (University of Tennessee) and Mark A. Bayer (School of Business at Eastern Illinois University) observe that “As our lives become increasingly digitally mediated, we begin to crave a break from screens, to hanker for the less common experience of turning actual pages or hearing the crackle of a needle on a record. These experiences become luxuries.”

“It’s authenticity and craft that keep cropping up in the conversations I’m having.”

The editor of livingetc, Hugh Metcalf, an expert trend forecaster, wrote in a 2026 design trend article that, “In the face of escalating technology causing us to question what is real and what is not, it’s authenticity and craft that keep cropping up in the conversations I’m having.”

“Young people who grew up with all the advantages of technology are in fact giving it up more easily.”

Culture press calls the “return to analog/offline” one of 2026’s most significant trends, especially among younger generations who see being offline as aspirational. “It turns out that the aspirations of Gen Z are actually the opposite of what we might have imagined,” writes Vogue Adria journalist Sonja Knežević. “Young people who grew up with all the advantages of technology are in fact giving it up more easily, and more willingly.”

“It’s a deliberate rejection of digital oversaturation in favor of meaningful, immersive experiences.”

Gen Z is looking to vinyl records, books, live figure drawing, zines, and sustainable goods over digital alternatives. The Arts District Substack says “This shift is not just a nostalgic return to analog culture, it’s a deliberate rejection of digital oversaturation in favor of meaningful, immersive experiences.”

“Combining elements across the physical and digital worlds creates unique spatial opportunities.”

In “All At Once – From Zoom Fatigue to Immersive Digital Experiences: Why Architecture Must Adapt,” award-winning designer and architect Sasha Belitskaja found that the future is not better screens, it’s spatial experiences that feel continuous across physical and digital realms.

“Combining elements across the physical and digital worlds creates unique spatial opportunities that cannot be replicated by either medium alone,” she wrote. “Which is what is meant by ‘phygital’.” (Architectural Design via Wiley Online Library)

“Durability and beauty aren’t trade-offs.”

“Boring retail is dying,” said Oat Foundry CEO and Co-Founder Mark Kuhn, a mechanical engineer by training who has led the company for over 12 years. Kuhn was recently elected to serve on the board of SEGD (Society for Experiential Graphic Design). In a press release regarding a recent partnership with Nespresso, he elaborates: “Attention isn’t demanded, it’s earned by compelling work. A split-flap display doesn’t compete with noise; it cuts through it. There’s so much disposable digital out there. Nespresso understood that durability and beauty aren’t trade-offs.”

Where Analog Displays Fit In 

When it comes to amenity-rich design and phygital experiences, our analog displays shine. Not only do our displays allow brands to go screen-free (depending on your space), but they also bring nostalgic, mechanical magic back to spaces. Drawing on the golden age of travel, our displays function like classic departure boards at train stations and airports on the front end, with images or messages that flip into place. On the back end, updates are made digitally, managed through our free web app, Portal.

Analog technology is strategic and nostalgic.

A university-led study found that analog tech often succeeds in spaces where digital over-optimizes efficiency at the expense of human experience, as seen in this split-flap transit board at 325 Main in Boston. (The University of Tennessee)

Non-artificial design influences human wellness.

A joint study by the Department of Architectural Engineering at Pennsylvania State University and Yarmouk University in Jordan found that architectural decisions shape circadian effectiveness and must be addressed early in the design process, not retrofitted later. (Penn State)

The rise of AI results in a need for trusted mediums.

A university-led study found that analog technologies are repeatedly described as more real, trustworthy, and grounding because they are tangible, visible, and not mediated by code or screens. (The University of Tennessee)

After 20+ years, we’re seeing the long-term disadvantages of digital technology.

Analog tech feels purposeful and productive, as print, paper, and other analog tools help people focus, reduce distraction, and feel more intentional in how they work and plan. (Sappi)

Analog and “offline” tools have a greater emotional impact.

Handwritten letters, paper planners, and physical media carry a sense of importance and memory that purely digital content often lacks. (Aesthetics for Birds)

People are already integrating analog tools back into their home and work.

A recent survey asked 2,000 people to share how they’re cutting down on tech, with a majority pointing towards analog tech such as alarm clocks, notebooks, physical books, paper calendars, and board games as ways to unplug and reconnect in the moment. (Yahoo)

Design represents the tangible form of “intangible” services. 

Because services are intangible, the physical environment becomes the stimulus that influences emotion, satisfaction, and consumer behavior, especially in hospitality. (International Journal of Hospitality Management)

Analog design is built for comprehension.

When information is presented in physical form, people understand it more quickly and remember it longer than when it is displayed on a screen. (Cornell University)

Architecture is behavioral infrastructure.

The S-O-R framework shows how strategically designed environments activate emotional and cognitive responses that turn space into experience. (International Journal of Hospitality Management)

Analog Displays at a Glance

Oat Foundry’s 2026 Design Trend forecast predicted “an ever-changing year of color, pattern, texture, and movement in spaces.” Reflecting this need for motion, sound, and personality in spaces, our analog signage displays, Split Flap and Picture Flap can be customized for a range of spaces and industries. Learn how these displays positively impact spaces, as well as companion technology, Algorithm. 

Split Flap: Interactive Brand Message Board

Split Flap helps organizations like Nespresso and Google share consistent on-brand messaging, creating a seamless interactive experience. With Split Flap, brands can securely send brand-compliant messages with our free web-based Portal app. In practice, the tactile movement and soft sound draw attention to the board, even in high-traffic areas such as lobbies, offices, retail spaces, and enterprise coffee shops.

Picture Flap: A Signature Brand Focal Point 

An Oat Foundry Picture Flap display transforms ordinary signage into a dynamic, intentional design feature. The display cascades with high-resolution images of brand logos, employee achievements, and local scenery, enhancing company identity and branding. See how organizations such as White Claw and the University of Arizona use Picture Flap for increased experiential engagement.

Algorithm: Analog Display Companion Technology 

Algorithm, an analog display companion technology only available at Oat Foundry with our products, equips brands with a secret weapon: brand-friendly interaction. Organizations like Marriott International and The Citizen by Clutch use Algorithm to bring interactivity into spaces, empowering people to further engage with Split Flap or Picture Flap. Whether your Algorithm is designed to allow clients or customers rotate through seasonal collections or cue up local recommendations (as it does in our office), it’s the perfect way to get the best and most use out of an analog display.

Analog in Action: Low-Fi Cafe Soundscape at Helms Bakery

Modern third places (cafés, bars, etc.) often incorporate mobile phones, laptops, and social platforms to shape social interaction. At Helms Bakery (formerly in Los Angeles, CA), a custom split-flap display contributed to a low-fi soundscape, masking disruptive sounds (clattering dishes, coffee grinding) and creating a calm, predictable environment. (Berkeley Wellbeing)

Video Case Study: The Irish Exit in NYC

A university study found that analog experiences restore in-person interaction, shared attention, and collective moments, all of which are diminished by digital overconsumption. This Oat Foundry video case study depicts the performance of an analog split-flap display positioned at The Irish Exit at Moynihan Train Hall in New York City. (The University of Tennessee)

Practicing Sustainable Design

A Split Flap or Picture Flap can drastically cut down on energy use, using a fraction of the power needed for LED walls or video displays. An Oat Foundry study found that alternative digital solutions like Samsung’s The Wall emits ~30× more heat at maximum output, and LED walls consume ~9× to 26× more max power (when compared to Picture Flap). Click below to check out the reports.

Analog Display Use Cases
Who It’s For

We’ve worked with designers and architects curating one-of-a-kind student experiences for schools such as the University of Arizona and the University of Kansas, as well as brands such as Starbucks and Carnival Cruise Line. Our signs, starting at 15k for Split Flap and 20k for Picture Flap, scale up based on size and additional customizations. We find that our displays are a great fit for brands undergoing a redesign or new build that require signature features that prioritize presence and place. Oat Foundry’s dedicated sales team and engineers work with you from the beginning to create an analog display tailored to your organization, with each display handcrafted and built to order.

The University of Arizona| Branded University Signage

5 Rows x 7 Columns Picture Flap Display in Classic Black

In a student center, an analog display acts as a visual anchor, cutting through screen fatigue to create a shared focal point that reinforces identity. Learn more about the role of analog displays in university and K-12 settings.

Buck & Rider| Interactive Menu

Multiple Sizes of Split Flap Displays in Classic Black

In an amenity-led restaurant, an analog display serves as a tactile centerpiece, reinforcing brand personality and turning the space itself into a reason guests arrive early, stay longer, and come back. Learn more about the role of our analog displays in restaurant and bar settings.

Nespresso| Analog Coffee Shop Menu

21 Rows x 40 Columns Split Flap Display in Classic Black

In a coffee shop-meets-retail environment, analog technology becomes a living brand moment, blending retailtainment with phygital design. Combined with a thoughtful balance of LED video walls and bespoke decor, an analog display turns this quick coffee stop into an experience worth exploring and sharing. Learn more about the role of our analog displays in coffee houses and enterprise cafés.

Ralph Lauren| Kinetic Retail Signage

9 Rows x 7 Columns Split Flap Display in Classic Black

In a luxury retail environment, an analog display seamlessly integrates into the façade while introducing motion and craftsmanship into the storefront. The display reinforces brand narrative and exclusivity through a screen-free, experiential experience inside. Learn more about the role of our analog displays in retail settings.

Share Your Insights

If you’re currently working in a hybrid space, through the lens of leadership, architecture, or design, we’d love to hear from you!
Click below to book a discovery call and we’ll explore our analog tech.

Research and Sources

The research for this study was prepared and outlined by Melissa Houghton, Oat Foundry Digital Marketing & SEO Specialist. To be added or cited to this research, please contact mel (at) oatfoundry dot (co).