The Hashtag
#CoworkingSpace documented shared workspaces that enabled digital nomad culture, transforming from freelancer necessity into Instagram-worthy design showcases and networking hubs.
Origins
Coworking existed since the mid-2000s, but WeWork’s explosive growth (2015-2019) and Instagram aesthetics made them lifestyle brands. Spaces competed on design, amenities, and “Instagrammability.”
By 2018, there were 18,000+ coworking spaces worldwide. Bali, Lisbon, and Chiang Mai became hotspots for nomad-focused coworking with rooftop pools, cafes, and accommodation packages.
Cultural Impact
What coworking spaces offered:
- Fast, reliable WiFi (the digital nomad oxygen)
- Community and networking (“collisions”)
- Professional workspace in foreign cities
- Events, workshops, and social programming
- Mail handling and business addresses
- Coffee, beer, and snacks
- Instagram-worthy design (neon signs, plants, industrial chic)
The brands:
- WeWork: venture-funded, beer on tap, “hustle” culture
- Selina: Coworking + hostel hybrid for nomads
- Impact Hub: Social enterprise focused
- Hubud (Bali): Bamboo architecture, rice paddy views
- Second Home (Lisbon): Portuguese tile aesthetic
The Instagram aesthetic:
- Industrial lofts with exposed brick
- Neon motivational quotes (“Hustle,” “Create,” “Do Epic Shit”)
- Plants everywhere (biophilic design)
- Standing desks and ergonomic chairs
- Phone booths and private pods
- Rooftop terraces
- Coffee bar setups
The WeWork collapse (2019):
- $47 billion valuation to near-bankruptcy
- Exposed coworking’s shaky business model
- Revealed “community-adjusted EBITDA” was nonsense
- CEO Adam Neumann’s bizarre leadership
- But didn’t kill coworking—just humbled it
COVID-19 impact:
- Temporary collapse (empty spaces, health concerns)
- Shift to neighborhood flex spaces
- Work-from-home made dedicated offices valuable again
- Hybrid work models boosted day-pass business
Post-pandemic, coworking evolved: less “hustle porn,” more work-life balance. The Instagram aesthetic remained, but substance mattered more than style.