When Bain & Co. started planning the design for its new office in Austin, Texas, leaders at the firm wanted their employees' input. It formed a 12-person real-estate committee led by Mackenzie Bushy, an associate partner and diversity, equity, and inclusion leader.

The group wanted to design a space reflective of the surrounding Austin community. Think country music, vibrant colors, and tacos.

"The vision for the Austin office decided as a group was Willie Nelson eating a taco at the Hotel van Zandt, strumming his guitar, talking about mergers and acquisitions," she told Insider in a recent phone conversation. "We got together with the architects every week to hammer out how to execute that vision."

But designing its first office since the start of the pandemic was not just about selecting the right color palette. The group had to think critically about how they could design a space that both encouraged collaboration and kept people socially distanced.