This document provides a case study review of open office spaces. It examines cases both for and against open office designs through the lens of how they impact worker productivity, satisfaction, and focus. Cases presented in favor of open offices include a Facebook employee who highlights the mobility, flexibility, and chance encounters open offices provide. Another case discusses Mayor Bloomberg's redesigned "Bullpen" office that emphasized accessibility over privacy. However, cases against open offices cite lack of sound and visual privacy as problems, with one study finding productivity was doubled in private offices compared to open plans. The document establishes parameters to analyze how different environments support workers and their needs.
Howto Promote the Logical Thinking Process (LTP) using The Norovirus Approach...Seuils Labs
Version Française ICI:
http://slideshare.net/seuils/howto-promote-ltp-norovirus-approach-fr
"Logical Thinking Process (LTP) - The Norovirus Approach"
How to propagate the Logical Thinking Process (LTP) using a viral approach, modeled on the Norovirus.
Original story reproduced by H. William Dettmer with permission from author, Ronald N. Woehr.
French translation by Paul Merino @SEUILS with permission from H. William Dettmer.
Does the Home Environment Affect Work from Home?DavidJPCChai
This is a research report done by Taylor's University students for the subject Community Service Initiative.
This report is about a research based on the home environment that might affect the people to work from home.
FAGERHULT | OFFICE : creativity at workPaulo Chong
CREATIVITY AT WORK
We know how to create inspiring lighting
Welcome to the creative office!
Where’s your office? Freshly printed business cards tell about the changing world. Less and less people are showing a fixed phone line, as people prefer to be reached on their mobile. The need for a visiting address is not the same when you are easily connected anywhere. A new generation of employees see a job in a different light and have established an office on the move; at home, on the train or in a hotel lobby.
Crowdsourcing involves outsourcing tasks traditionally performed by employees to a large group of people through an open call. It can take two forms: adding capacity by splitting large jobs into smaller microtasks, or accessing expertise to tap into the wisdom of crowds. The document provides guidance on developing effective problem statements for crowdsourcing, including outlining the problem, past attempts to solve it, desired solutions, exclusions, success criteria, and deliverables. It also compares internal, hybrid, and external crowds and provides decision trees to help determine which approach is best suited for the problem.
Camden Council (Design Group Project) DropboxSeb Sear
The document discusses the design process for developing a solution to engage the local community in Camden in discussions about changes to the built environment. It goes through the four phases of the design process: discover, define, develop, and deliver. In the discover phase, the team interviewed local residents to develop personas and understand their experiences. In the define phase, the team identified small business owners as their target group and used co-design methods to reframe their understanding and develop initial concepts. In the develop phase, the concepts were prototyped through low-fidelity versions to get feedback from users.
Track 09 - New publishing and scientific communication ways:
Electronic edition, digital educational resources
Authors: Ana Catarina Silva and Maria Manuel Borges
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAdQkqUYROo&list=PLboNOuyyzZ86iI_x9SRTfV1KlSRX9DcEc&index=5
This document provides an overview of John Chin's lecture on usability testing. It introduces John Chin and his background in user experience design. It then covers various topics related to planning and conducting usability tests, including determining the project lifecycle stage, defining research questions, choosing appropriate prototypes, and methods for recording test sessions. The document aims to provide guidance to practitioners on best practices for planning and executing effective usability studies.
Howto Promote the Logical Thinking Process (LTP) using The Norovirus Approach...Seuils Labs
Version Française ICI:
http://slideshare.net/seuils/howto-promote-ltp-norovirus-approach-fr
"Logical Thinking Process (LTP) - The Norovirus Approach"
How to propagate the Logical Thinking Process (LTP) using a viral approach, modeled on the Norovirus.
Original story reproduced by H. William Dettmer with permission from author, Ronald N. Woehr.
French translation by Paul Merino @SEUILS with permission from H. William Dettmer.
Does the Home Environment Affect Work from Home?DavidJPCChai
This is a research report done by Taylor's University students for the subject Community Service Initiative.
This report is about a research based on the home environment that might affect the people to work from home.
FAGERHULT | OFFICE : creativity at workPaulo Chong
CREATIVITY AT WORK
We know how to create inspiring lighting
Welcome to the creative office!
Where’s your office? Freshly printed business cards tell about the changing world. Less and less people are showing a fixed phone line, as people prefer to be reached on their mobile. The need for a visiting address is not the same when you are easily connected anywhere. A new generation of employees see a job in a different light and have established an office on the move; at home, on the train or in a hotel lobby.
Crowdsourcing involves outsourcing tasks traditionally performed by employees to a large group of people through an open call. It can take two forms: adding capacity by splitting large jobs into smaller microtasks, or accessing expertise to tap into the wisdom of crowds. The document provides guidance on developing effective problem statements for crowdsourcing, including outlining the problem, past attempts to solve it, desired solutions, exclusions, success criteria, and deliverables. It also compares internal, hybrid, and external crowds and provides decision trees to help determine which approach is best suited for the problem.
Camden Council (Design Group Project) DropboxSeb Sear
The document discusses the design process for developing a solution to engage the local community in Camden in discussions about changes to the built environment. It goes through the four phases of the design process: discover, define, develop, and deliver. In the discover phase, the team interviewed local residents to develop personas and understand their experiences. In the define phase, the team identified small business owners as their target group and used co-design methods to reframe their understanding and develop initial concepts. In the develop phase, the concepts were prototyped through low-fidelity versions to get feedback from users.
Track 09 - New publishing and scientific communication ways:
Electronic edition, digital educational resources
Authors: Ana Catarina Silva and Maria Manuel Borges
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAdQkqUYROo&list=PLboNOuyyzZ86iI_x9SRTfV1KlSRX9DcEc&index=5
This document provides an overview of John Chin's lecture on usability testing. It introduces John Chin and his background in user experience design. It then covers various topics related to planning and conducting usability tests, including determining the project lifecycle stage, defining research questions, choosing appropriate prototypes, and methods for recording test sessions. The document aims to provide guidance to practitioners on best practices for planning and executing effective usability studies.
Greenlee aims to foster innovation through improved collaboration and workspace design. Their current office restricts interaction and focuses employees on individual tasks. Researchers analyzed Greenlee's work processes, communication styles, and employee needs. They found desires for uninterrupted focus time, issues with noise and involuntary distractions, and a lack of organization limiting collaboration across departments. The workspace was designed for individual paper tasks rather than product development and does not support Greenlee's goals of cross-functional teamwork and innovation.
Transforming workplaces and workspacesPaul Chaplin
This is the first of a series of papers we're writing to explore what's going on in workplaces and what methods can be used to draw organisations and end-users into a more constructive dialogue about people, their devices and spaces.
1. There are many reasons why people conduct research, including to add to the body of existing knowledge, solve problems, understand what happens when new technologies are introduced, find evidence to inform practices, and gain a better understanding of people and the world.
2. Research can produce different types of knowledge outcomes, such as new or improved products, new theories, reinterpretations of existing theories, and in-depth studies of particular situations.
3. Potential research topics can emerge from personal experiences or opportunities, and ideas can come from suggestions within academic departments, past student work, recent publications, current events, and identifying gaps where assumptions have been made without evidence. Feasibility, scope, resources, and ability to
Mike Rowe argues that skilled labor jobs in trades like plumbing and welding can be satisfying and lucrative, filling a gap of around 3 million jobs in the US. However, contemporary culture often pushes students towards college degrees rather than trade skills. Rowe notes that knowledge work focuses on efficiency, trying to make tasks faster, while trade skills emphasize effectiveness in solving problems. This obsession with efficiency through technology in knowledge work has been unsuccessful and led to employees spending too much time on communication tools rather than valuable work. Rowe suggests prioritizing effectiveness over efficiency like skilled craftsmen do in focusing on accomplishing important tasks.
Respond to at least two of your classmates posts1. A quick .docxdaynamckernon
Respond to at least two of your classmates' posts
1.
A quick dabble on Google about advertising and television will bring forth the phrase that TV is in it's "Golden Age", yet while there are great TV shows being produced, there are a rather large amount of terrible commercials. I know we can all quote or recall an auto sales commercial where the guy is in a cheesy-plaid sports coat, and the footage looks like it was recorded with the first ever video camera or flip phone. WHY? We have 12 year olds who can produce a better quality video yet these companies, with whatever budget they have, settle for something so heinous (not really) and are suprised when they never make it as big as the super lot down the road. Most TV series have invested heavily in the production of their commercials. Investment isn't always money, but time, resources, people and emotion.
Why is there such a high number of low quality advertisement, in 2014, for the small, upcoming business, of any kind? I think the answer lies in attitudes of those in leadership. Consider this: a person number 1 placed in a leadership role in a business only knows advertising by means of putting the name of the company on a sign and putting it on the road... not the best strategy. Then you have person number 2 who knows of advertisement by posters and signs, as well as web pages and social media; I think person number 2 will have the best success because they have a bigger creativity pool to dip it. Simply, I think the problem is that there are more leaders with less creativity who run the marketing production and in turn, you gets junk ads like the overweight car salesman in the 1980's looking commercial. We NEED more creative minds in our leadership roles to ensure that we not only stay ahead of the advertising curve, but but can bring fresh new ideas when the next advertising challenge comes around.
2.
According to this week’s lecture a research question is considered what you want to find out in your research. Original research means that you are collecting and analyzing data specifically collected to answer “research questions” that haven’t been previously answered. A hypothesis is a statement of the business problem you’re investigating in your research as well as your “best guess” about why the problem is happening. Your guess should be educated; that is, it should be informed by your literature review, research you’ve already performed on the topic, or other sources. In the text we are reading it states, “Defining the problem (including the generation of a research question or hypothesis) is one of the first key steps of the scientific method. If business researchers want to understand or predict a behavior, they must be able to describe and define what that behavior is (Landrum, 2014).”
Therefore I am going to create my question based on a problem at one of the current places I am working.
RQ: Why have we currently had 7 employees quit FOYBS in the last 6 months?
H: Empl.
Crowdsourcing as a problem solving strategyMiia Kosonen
This document summarizes a paper that was presented at a conference in Helsinki, Finland in June 2013. The paper identifies 10 practices for hosting organizations to facilitate problem solving through crowdsourcing. These include providing stimulating tasks, timely feedback, encouraging interaction, appropriate rewards, building community, and choosing effective communication technologies. It also discusses assessing the crowd's knowledge, specifying tasks appropriately, providing support for task interpretation, and encouraging collaboration. The paper uses examples from InnoCentive, Lego Cuusoo, and IdeasProject to illustrate different modes of crowdsourcing.
This document summarizes the results of fact-finding interviews conducted with 16 planners to understand how they currently experience and interact with past customer interview artifacts ("artifacts"), and what they want from such artifacts. The interviews found that while most planners were aware of some artifacts, they felt much of the past interview content was stranded and difficult to find. Additionally, most planners found the current format of artifacts did not fully meet their needs. Based on these findings, the author developed a prototype system to better present artifacts using alternative visualizations, which were then tested with planners to evaluate performance.
This document discusses four research articles that examine the relationship between office layout/workspace design and organizational performance factors like communication, innovation, and employee behavior. The first article outlines a framework for evaluating how physical workspace attributes can impact organizational performance and employee behaviors. The second discusses how strategic workspace design can empower employees and encourage teamwork. The third article studies how different office layouts impact communication patterns. And the fourth examines how innovation space design in university research centers can facilitate communication and innovation. Overall, the document analyzes how workspace design may influence important organizational outcomes.
This is the Second out of Seven Articles
co -written by
Steinar Valade-Amland and myself
on
Design Thinking, Design Management
and how to coordinate both strategically .
If you miss number 1/7 send me an email bbm@designence.com and I will send it to you .
A Comparative Analysis on User Satisfaction in Closed and Open Office Buildings: Case Study of Some Selected Buildings in Abuja
* Ph.D. Candidate OBASANJO ADEOLA OWOYALE 1, Dr. BARKA JONATHAN KWAYA 2, Ph.D. Candidate MOHAMMED TAUHEED ALFA 3
1 & 3 Department of Architecture, Cyprus International University, Nicosia, Cyprus
2Adamawa State Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria
E mail: obasanjoadeolaowoyale@yahoo.com E mail: jbarka4u@gmail.com E mail: mohammedtalfa@yahoo.com
A B S T R A C T
Many organizations and industries around the world have their own preference of office type base on the nature of services to be rendered. Office building without employee’s satisfaction can adversely affect their performances at their places of work. Open office is an office that has large open space with no partitionable walls but providing workstation for each employee within the open space while close office is the type with solid walls or frames as partitions with doors which open to each office. It is in the light of this that the design of office becomes imperative to both employers and architects. The aim of this study is to investigate user satisfaction and preferences in office buildings, in other to proffer appropriate design suggestion and recommendation that can be used when providing office to employees. A survey is adopted through the aid of administredquestionnaire to respondents, and the results are therefore analysed using simple statistical tool. Findings from the study reveals users satisfaction and preference for open office layout, it further reveals efficiency in users productivity due to its effectiveness in communication, kwnoledge sharing, space saving, cost saving and flexibility in managerial activities. The study therefore creates a correlation between findings conducted by other researchers over the years concerningthe provision of office for employees their preference andsatisfaction for open office buildings.
Sentient Services (Ubiquity Marketing Un Summit 2009) V1Paul Janowitz
Is Market Research Dead in a 2.0 world?
Presentation given at the Ubiquity Marketing unSummit in Austin, TX. September 3, 2009.
Covers the current state of research in a customer driven web2.0 world. Contains tips and resources for entrepreneurs to leverage free and inexpensive market research techniques.
This document is a project report submitted by a group of students for their Design Engineering course. It includes sections typical of an engineering project report such as an introduction describing the team and project topic, research conducted including empathy mapping and problem definition, ideation canvases showing potential solutions, and a product development canvas outlining the proposed product. The report was submitted to fulfill the requirements for the subject of Design Engineering at the affiliated institute.
This document discusses a bachelor thesis that focuses on supporting creative collaboration within coworking environments. The thesis examines the gap between coworking spaces' focus on networking and cooperation versus true collaboration and co-creation. The research question asks how a workspace concept could support group collaboration and co-creation. Through interviews and research on coworking spaces, collaboration, and workspace design, the thesis identifies opportunities and criteria for a solution. It then proposes an adaptable and modular lightweight furniture system called "Adapt-A-Wall" that can be configured to support different collaborative activities. The solution aims to better support innovation through co-creation within coworking spaces.
This presentation will examine the purpose and application of information architecture for the so-called ‘next generation’ of information tools, including blogs and wikis. We will introduce ‘needs based’ information architecture, the methodology used for organising and designing information-rich environments in a way that allows people to use them more easily. We will then look at how the best practice principles behind this approach apply equally well to emerging technologies.
Presented at Open Publish 2007, by Patrick Kennedy of Step Two Designs.
Given that the numbers of star ups with new BM is increasing and the disagreement among researchers. The author proposes to analyse the success of Black Socks’ BM under two different frameworks, BM canvas of (A. e. Osterwalder 2010) and (Demil 2010) in order to identify advantages and disadvantages of using them to analyse internet based BM. It seems logic to think that the author, as CBS student, will soon or later face a situation where he is required to perform BM analysis, thus being aware of the implications when we use one or another it might be extremely valuable
Buffer sizing methodsCOLLAPSETop of FormProject buffers are .docxRAHUL126667
Buffer sizing methods
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
Project buffers are used to provide cushion for the project and the individual task that make up the project. The buffers provide extra time, so the project can remain on schedule even with minor delays. CCPM uses four different methods for working with buffers. The four methods are 50% of the difference, square off the sum of the squares, bias plus SSQ, Monte Carlo analysis (Leach, 2014). Each method has strengths and weaknesses, but when used properly they can be beneficial to a project.
The first method or 50% of the difference estimates buffers by calculating the difference between low-risk and the average task and dividing that in half. This is a simple method, but sometimes causes buffers to be too large. The second method or square of the sum of the squares also uses the difference between low-risk and the mean, but it uses the square root of the difference squared. This method takes into account unexpected variation, but can create undersized buffer. The third method or bias plus SSQ combine the first two methods. The fourth and final method or Monte Carlo analysis is the most complicated, but encompasses many of the other advantages of the previous method (Leach, 2014).
Each method has its advantages, but I would suggest using method 3, bias plus SSQ. This method provides a simple platform that offers a high level of control over accuracy.
Reference
Leach, L.P. (2014). Critical chain project management. (3rd Ed.). Boston: Artech House
Bottom of Form
2-Bottom of Form
Less is more...
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
Class,
The “less is more” more approach is interesting to me because I have grown up in a military culture where if it is not on paper then it won’t happen or it didn’t happen. Leach did discuss where some project managers are very proud of having very high number of tasks associated with the project because they have “thought of everything”. However, as a project manager you are not as worried with the individual tasks that it takes to complete the work packages and the overarching project as you are with big muscle movements and milestones being accomplished on time and budget. Additionally, as a project manager you have a vast amount of breadth, but typically very little depth in the various specialties that are required to accomplish the project. Therefore, it is not feasible nor necessary for a project plan to identify every single task that will be accomplished. The project manager should allow is section managers/leads run their part of the project the way they see fit because they have a better handle on their resources and what needs to be accomplished. I would suggest that project managers focus on the big moving parts and go to the individual section leads to determine the time, budget, resources, and project flow and use that large scale information as the skeleton for their project plan. Also, when you plan out every single task, if something ...
The 3 Dimensions of Design: A Model to scale the Human-Centered Problem-Solvi...Andrea Picchi
Abstract. Design is a human-centered, problem-solving, practice that happens inside three dimensions. These dimensions are defined by the thinking and doing activities, and the environment where these two events take place.
After an introduction (section 1 and 2) to the landscape that developed the main idea behind this essay, the paper illustrates (section 3 and 4) the connection between design and being human-centered, and presents a framework that supports the creation of a human-centered organization. Subsequently (section 5.1), the paper articulates the abilities demanded by the thinking and the doing activities and shows how to scale them across the workforce. Following (section 5.2) the paper introduces the characteristics that an environment must possess to engender and promote the thinking and doing activities proposing a real implementation that can be allocated to a multidisciplinary team.
The paper also compares (section 6) the proposed framework against three popular approaches used to bring a design function inside an organization analyzing their nature and limitations. In the final part (section 7), the paper articulates some conclusions pointing the direction for further elaborations.
FDSeminar Meer doen met minder | 17 maart | BMW Group BeluxFDMagazine
Johan Bohyn (CFO RecoMatics)
Ontdek hoe het digitaliseren van processen en hun papierstroom uw efficiëntie kunnen verhogen en centralisatie in de hand werken. Johan Bohyn legt uit hoe organisaties het evenwicht kunnen bewaren tussen het nieuwe werken en slim werken met een papierarm kantoor en een digitale workflow.
Optimize Customer Experiences with Design ThinkingJared Hill
If you are looking to generate engaging digital experiences but are unsure where to begin, leveraging the knowledge within your organization is a good starting point. However, information is typically dispersed across the company in silos. Different business units often have their own vernacular. Design thinking provides a common language. It’s a customer-centric approach to problem solving that is both creative and practical.
Industry leaders have been using design thinking methodology to work with cross-functional and multidisciplinary teams to create innovative customer journeys. Learn how in our recorded webinar, Optimize Customer Experiences with Design Thinking.
You will learn:
• Why leverage design thinking
• How to successfully lead a remote workshop
• How to document winning customer journeys
• How to map desired experiences in Signavio for builders
The document outlines the experience and education of Jen Serdetchnaia including her current role as a Senior User Experience Designer at Scotiabank Digital Factory where she leads research, strategy and design for help platforms. Prior to this she held UX roles at Klick Health, EPAM Systems, and IBM focusing on designing solutions for clients across healthcare, retail, and public health. She also has a Master's in Design from OCAD University and has launched several side projects and organizations focused on design, art, and empowerment.
OCAD University - Major Research Project
Not the Silicon Valley of the North: Leveraging the affordances of Toronto's technology ecosystem to design an inclusive Canada
Greenlee aims to foster innovation through improved collaboration and workspace design. Their current office restricts interaction and focuses employees on individual tasks. Researchers analyzed Greenlee's work processes, communication styles, and employee needs. They found desires for uninterrupted focus time, issues with noise and involuntary distractions, and a lack of organization limiting collaboration across departments. The workspace was designed for individual paper tasks rather than product development and does not support Greenlee's goals of cross-functional teamwork and innovation.
Transforming workplaces and workspacesPaul Chaplin
This is the first of a series of papers we're writing to explore what's going on in workplaces and what methods can be used to draw organisations and end-users into a more constructive dialogue about people, their devices and spaces.
1. There are many reasons why people conduct research, including to add to the body of existing knowledge, solve problems, understand what happens when new technologies are introduced, find evidence to inform practices, and gain a better understanding of people and the world.
2. Research can produce different types of knowledge outcomes, such as new or improved products, new theories, reinterpretations of existing theories, and in-depth studies of particular situations.
3. Potential research topics can emerge from personal experiences or opportunities, and ideas can come from suggestions within academic departments, past student work, recent publications, current events, and identifying gaps where assumptions have been made without evidence. Feasibility, scope, resources, and ability to
Mike Rowe argues that skilled labor jobs in trades like plumbing and welding can be satisfying and lucrative, filling a gap of around 3 million jobs in the US. However, contemporary culture often pushes students towards college degrees rather than trade skills. Rowe notes that knowledge work focuses on efficiency, trying to make tasks faster, while trade skills emphasize effectiveness in solving problems. This obsession with efficiency through technology in knowledge work has been unsuccessful and led to employees spending too much time on communication tools rather than valuable work. Rowe suggests prioritizing effectiveness over efficiency like skilled craftsmen do in focusing on accomplishing important tasks.
Respond to at least two of your classmates posts1. A quick .docxdaynamckernon
Respond to at least two of your classmates' posts
1.
A quick dabble on Google about advertising and television will bring forth the phrase that TV is in it's "Golden Age", yet while there are great TV shows being produced, there are a rather large amount of terrible commercials. I know we can all quote or recall an auto sales commercial where the guy is in a cheesy-plaid sports coat, and the footage looks like it was recorded with the first ever video camera or flip phone. WHY? We have 12 year olds who can produce a better quality video yet these companies, with whatever budget they have, settle for something so heinous (not really) and are suprised when they never make it as big as the super lot down the road. Most TV series have invested heavily in the production of their commercials. Investment isn't always money, but time, resources, people and emotion.
Why is there such a high number of low quality advertisement, in 2014, for the small, upcoming business, of any kind? I think the answer lies in attitudes of those in leadership. Consider this: a person number 1 placed in a leadership role in a business only knows advertising by means of putting the name of the company on a sign and putting it on the road... not the best strategy. Then you have person number 2 who knows of advertisement by posters and signs, as well as web pages and social media; I think person number 2 will have the best success because they have a bigger creativity pool to dip it. Simply, I think the problem is that there are more leaders with less creativity who run the marketing production and in turn, you gets junk ads like the overweight car salesman in the 1980's looking commercial. We NEED more creative minds in our leadership roles to ensure that we not only stay ahead of the advertising curve, but but can bring fresh new ideas when the next advertising challenge comes around.
2.
According to this week’s lecture a research question is considered what you want to find out in your research. Original research means that you are collecting and analyzing data specifically collected to answer “research questions” that haven’t been previously answered. A hypothesis is a statement of the business problem you’re investigating in your research as well as your “best guess” about why the problem is happening. Your guess should be educated; that is, it should be informed by your literature review, research you’ve already performed on the topic, or other sources. In the text we are reading it states, “Defining the problem (including the generation of a research question or hypothesis) is one of the first key steps of the scientific method. If business researchers want to understand or predict a behavior, they must be able to describe and define what that behavior is (Landrum, 2014).”
Therefore I am going to create my question based on a problem at one of the current places I am working.
RQ: Why have we currently had 7 employees quit FOYBS in the last 6 months?
H: Empl.
Crowdsourcing as a problem solving strategyMiia Kosonen
This document summarizes a paper that was presented at a conference in Helsinki, Finland in June 2013. The paper identifies 10 practices for hosting organizations to facilitate problem solving through crowdsourcing. These include providing stimulating tasks, timely feedback, encouraging interaction, appropriate rewards, building community, and choosing effective communication technologies. It also discusses assessing the crowd's knowledge, specifying tasks appropriately, providing support for task interpretation, and encouraging collaboration. The paper uses examples from InnoCentive, Lego Cuusoo, and IdeasProject to illustrate different modes of crowdsourcing.
This document summarizes the results of fact-finding interviews conducted with 16 planners to understand how they currently experience and interact with past customer interview artifacts ("artifacts"), and what they want from such artifacts. The interviews found that while most planners were aware of some artifacts, they felt much of the past interview content was stranded and difficult to find. Additionally, most planners found the current format of artifacts did not fully meet their needs. Based on these findings, the author developed a prototype system to better present artifacts using alternative visualizations, which were then tested with planners to evaluate performance.
This document discusses four research articles that examine the relationship between office layout/workspace design and organizational performance factors like communication, innovation, and employee behavior. The first article outlines a framework for evaluating how physical workspace attributes can impact organizational performance and employee behaviors. The second discusses how strategic workspace design can empower employees and encourage teamwork. The third article studies how different office layouts impact communication patterns. And the fourth examines how innovation space design in university research centers can facilitate communication and innovation. Overall, the document analyzes how workspace design may influence important organizational outcomes.
This is the Second out of Seven Articles
co -written by
Steinar Valade-Amland and myself
on
Design Thinking, Design Management
and how to coordinate both strategically .
If you miss number 1/7 send me an email bbm@designence.com and I will send it to you .
A Comparative Analysis on User Satisfaction in Closed and Open Office Buildings: Case Study of Some Selected Buildings in Abuja
* Ph.D. Candidate OBASANJO ADEOLA OWOYALE 1, Dr. BARKA JONATHAN KWAYA 2, Ph.D. Candidate MOHAMMED TAUHEED ALFA 3
1 & 3 Department of Architecture, Cyprus International University, Nicosia, Cyprus
2Adamawa State Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria
E mail: obasanjoadeolaowoyale@yahoo.com E mail: jbarka4u@gmail.com E mail: mohammedtalfa@yahoo.com
A B S T R A C T
Many organizations and industries around the world have their own preference of office type base on the nature of services to be rendered. Office building without employee’s satisfaction can adversely affect their performances at their places of work. Open office is an office that has large open space with no partitionable walls but providing workstation for each employee within the open space while close office is the type with solid walls or frames as partitions with doors which open to each office. It is in the light of this that the design of office becomes imperative to both employers and architects. The aim of this study is to investigate user satisfaction and preferences in office buildings, in other to proffer appropriate design suggestion and recommendation that can be used when providing office to employees. A survey is adopted through the aid of administredquestionnaire to respondents, and the results are therefore analysed using simple statistical tool. Findings from the study reveals users satisfaction and preference for open office layout, it further reveals efficiency in users productivity due to its effectiveness in communication, kwnoledge sharing, space saving, cost saving and flexibility in managerial activities. The study therefore creates a correlation between findings conducted by other researchers over the years concerningthe provision of office for employees their preference andsatisfaction for open office buildings.
Sentient Services (Ubiquity Marketing Un Summit 2009) V1Paul Janowitz
Is Market Research Dead in a 2.0 world?
Presentation given at the Ubiquity Marketing unSummit in Austin, TX. September 3, 2009.
Covers the current state of research in a customer driven web2.0 world. Contains tips and resources for entrepreneurs to leverage free and inexpensive market research techniques.
This document is a project report submitted by a group of students for their Design Engineering course. It includes sections typical of an engineering project report such as an introduction describing the team and project topic, research conducted including empathy mapping and problem definition, ideation canvases showing potential solutions, and a product development canvas outlining the proposed product. The report was submitted to fulfill the requirements for the subject of Design Engineering at the affiliated institute.
This document discusses a bachelor thesis that focuses on supporting creative collaboration within coworking environments. The thesis examines the gap between coworking spaces' focus on networking and cooperation versus true collaboration and co-creation. The research question asks how a workspace concept could support group collaboration and co-creation. Through interviews and research on coworking spaces, collaboration, and workspace design, the thesis identifies opportunities and criteria for a solution. It then proposes an adaptable and modular lightweight furniture system called "Adapt-A-Wall" that can be configured to support different collaborative activities. The solution aims to better support innovation through co-creation within coworking spaces.
This presentation will examine the purpose and application of information architecture for the so-called ‘next generation’ of information tools, including blogs and wikis. We will introduce ‘needs based’ information architecture, the methodology used for organising and designing information-rich environments in a way that allows people to use them more easily. We will then look at how the best practice principles behind this approach apply equally well to emerging technologies.
Presented at Open Publish 2007, by Patrick Kennedy of Step Two Designs.
Given that the numbers of star ups with new BM is increasing and the disagreement among researchers. The author proposes to analyse the success of Black Socks’ BM under two different frameworks, BM canvas of (A. e. Osterwalder 2010) and (Demil 2010) in order to identify advantages and disadvantages of using them to analyse internet based BM. It seems logic to think that the author, as CBS student, will soon or later face a situation where he is required to perform BM analysis, thus being aware of the implications when we use one or another it might be extremely valuable
Buffer sizing methodsCOLLAPSETop of FormProject buffers are .docxRAHUL126667
Buffer sizing methods
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
Project buffers are used to provide cushion for the project and the individual task that make up the project. The buffers provide extra time, so the project can remain on schedule even with minor delays. CCPM uses four different methods for working with buffers. The four methods are 50% of the difference, square off the sum of the squares, bias plus SSQ, Monte Carlo analysis (Leach, 2014). Each method has strengths and weaknesses, but when used properly they can be beneficial to a project.
The first method or 50% of the difference estimates buffers by calculating the difference between low-risk and the average task and dividing that in half. This is a simple method, but sometimes causes buffers to be too large. The second method or square of the sum of the squares also uses the difference between low-risk and the mean, but it uses the square root of the difference squared. This method takes into account unexpected variation, but can create undersized buffer. The third method or bias plus SSQ combine the first two methods. The fourth and final method or Monte Carlo analysis is the most complicated, but encompasses many of the other advantages of the previous method (Leach, 2014).
Each method has its advantages, but I would suggest using method 3, bias plus SSQ. This method provides a simple platform that offers a high level of control over accuracy.
Reference
Leach, L.P. (2014). Critical chain project management. (3rd Ed.). Boston: Artech House
Bottom of Form
2-Bottom of Form
Less is more...
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
Class,
The “less is more” more approach is interesting to me because I have grown up in a military culture where if it is not on paper then it won’t happen or it didn’t happen. Leach did discuss where some project managers are very proud of having very high number of tasks associated with the project because they have “thought of everything”. However, as a project manager you are not as worried with the individual tasks that it takes to complete the work packages and the overarching project as you are with big muscle movements and milestones being accomplished on time and budget. Additionally, as a project manager you have a vast amount of breadth, but typically very little depth in the various specialties that are required to accomplish the project. Therefore, it is not feasible nor necessary for a project plan to identify every single task that will be accomplished. The project manager should allow is section managers/leads run their part of the project the way they see fit because they have a better handle on their resources and what needs to be accomplished. I would suggest that project managers focus on the big moving parts and go to the individual section leads to determine the time, budget, resources, and project flow and use that large scale information as the skeleton for their project plan. Also, when you plan out every single task, if something ...
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Office space
1. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
Office space: Case study review
By: Jen Serdetchnaia
Table of Contents
Introduction 2
Background: Opening and closing space 2
The problem: Distracting open space 2
Analytical framework 3
Cases in favour of open space 4
Case 1: Facebook employee 4
Case 2: Mayor Bloomberg’s “Bullpen” office 5
Case 3: The Bridgespan Group 6
Case 4: W&P Design in Brooklyn 6
Cases against open space 7
Case 1: Senior writer at an ad agency based in New York City 7
Case 2: Reddit thread in response to Joel Polsky’s interview 8
Case 3: Game Developer magazine study 8
Case 4: My personal experience 9
Conclusion: The future of office space and the future of my research 9
Appendix 10
Background: Opening and closing space 10
Analytical framework tables 13
Table 2: Tanner Christensen at Facebook 13
Table 3: Bloomberg at the “Bullpen” 14
Table 4: The Bridgespan Group new office 14
Table 5: W&P Brooklyn office 15
Table 6: New York City ad agency 15
Table 7: Coders on Reddit 16
Table 8: Game Developer magazine study 17
Table 9: My personal experience 17
References 18
1
2. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
Introduction
In the cyclical history of office space layouts, this past decade saw the most recent rise of the open office design
spearheaded by Silicon Valley tech giants like Facebook, Apple and Google, as a symbol of collaboration and
egalitarianism. Open office design has since been adopted by a reported 70% of all organizations in North America
(Mann 2017) to improve collaboration, create a sense of community, and, not of least importance, cut costs for
rent and structure.
Almost as quickly as the open office design was adopted, reports began to surface that the new layout was not
living up to the hype—something that should have come as no surprise to those of us who pay attention to history
and are aware of the oppressive connotation that haunted the open offices of the 1950’s (Entis 2016). Workers are
suffering from broken concentration and lacking privacy. Perhaps the greatest irony is that this time around, the
open office pioneers are some of the world’s largest employers of developers—who arguably require the greatest
affordance for concentration.
Are the benefits of an open office layout worth the challenges? Are private offices the answer? How can businesses
meet their bottom line goals while enhancing worker happiness and productivity? What does the future of the
office look like?
In this paper, I take a look at a series of short cases in two categories: one that describes the benefits of open office
space, and another that describes the drawbacks. Although I am interested specifically in the technology and
creative industries, the scope of how a space can impact workers can be broadened to the entirety of the
knowledge worker body. I then provide insight into how I will further incorporate my findings both in favour and
against open space in my further research.
Background: Opening and closing space
See Appendix.
The problem: Distracting open space
My hypothesis is that open office space is detrimental to worker satisfaction and to quality of output, especially for
workers that require extended periods of focus, such as those in the technology and creative industries. My goal is
to present an analytical framework to evaluate cases that both support and oppose my hypothesis. I plan to take
the learnings from analyzing these cases within a framework and apply them to my broader Major Research
Project (MRP), which focuses on the affordances of public shared spaces in empowering entrepreneurs,
freelancers, students, remote workers and others without traditional office space in completing tasks.
Countless research studies and my personal experience suggest that complex challenges take more than a few
minutes to solve. Constant conversation, interruption and distraction may generate great ideas, but it can prevent
the focused down time required to bring some of those great ideas to fruition. Too much distraction may prevent
the workers from having sustained periods of time to think and to work, reducing both creativity and productivity.
Furthermore, research shows that although open space can create a sense of cohesion and friendship, that sense of
cohesion can actually mask the true negative impacts of the frustrations that come with open office environments
(Konnikova 2014).
Nearly half of the workers surveyed in open space environments identified the lack of sound privacy as a problem,
and a third of the workers also identified visual privacy as a problem (Kaufman 2014). Researchers stated that
“the loss of productivity due to noise distraction … was doubled in open-plan offices compared to private offices”
2
3. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
(Kaufman 2014). It is ironic that the main issue that open offices aim to solve—communication—has been
identified as a problem by fewer than 10% of all workers in any type of office (Kaufman 2014). Even more
ironically—workers in private offices were less likely to identify communication as a problem (Kaufman 2014).
Proponents of open environments argue that in order for us to fairly evaluate the performance of an open space
office compared to a private office, we need to redefine the productivity. According to Gallup, while it is true that
reduced privacy and increased interruption may lead to lower levels of code or visual output, it may increase the
rate of relevant output and reduce the amount of rework due to miscommunication (Mann 2014).
Analytical framework
My research question is what kind of environment best supports workers? As previously stated, my hypothesis is
that open office spaces are detrimental to workers based on parameters that define worker satisfaction and
success. I based these parameters on reading a number of cases and reviews. I am interested in the ability of a
space to sufficiently meet workers’ requirements in the following parameters:
● Sustained focus, concentration and attention
● Productivity and output
● Creative thinking
● Satisfaction
● Community and team cohesion
● Identifying with organizational, team or project mission and vision
● Identity as a worker
● Avoiding illness
I am curious about how these framework impacts workers across a number of senses, including:
● Sound
● Vision
● Tactile
● Smell
Table 1: Analytical framework to examine how space impacts worker
Think of the y-axis as the message, and the x-axis as the medium.
Sound Vision Tactile Smell
Sustained focus,
concentration and
attention
Productivity and
output
Creative thinking
Satisfaction
Community and team
cohesion
Identifying with
organizational, team
or project mission and
vision
Identity as a worker
3
4. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
Avoiding illness
Autonomy and
control over
environment
Privacy
I acknowledge that everyone works differently, so the affordances of a space will not impact two people alike. My
MRP research dives deeper into reviewing how individual differences and personal habits are accommodated
differently by different spaces. From this analysis, I am curious to learn about common threads in how people
work, while acknowledging that there is no average.
Cases in favour of open space
Cases in favour of open space are defined as the case studies that highlight the positives of working in an open
space.
Case 1: Facebook employee
Facebook boasts the world’s largest single open office layout, with the sole room housing 2,800 employees
(Frankel 2015). Of those employees, the majority are engineers. The space was designed by architect Frank
Gehry (Frankel 2015).
Figure 1: Frank Gehry-designed open concept office at Facebook
Source:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/facebooks-new-headquarters-where-ope
n-plan-is-king-and-frictionless-working-is-the-aim-a6756426.html
One employee took to an Inc. Magazine column to defend the social networking giant. The defendant is Facebook
Product Designer Tanner Christensen, who has also written extensively on creativity (Christensen 2016). In
support of Facebook’s open concept office, Christensen lauds the focus on mobility and flexibility and the
provision of multiple types of working spaces available to any employee with a laptop. He highlights the
prominence of “Work from home Wednesdays”, a day reserved for few meetings when workers are permitted to
work from home for some heads-down time (Christensen 2016). He then states that noise-cancelling headphones
and 27-inch monitors are provided by the company on request—and that the tools can be viewed as visual and
auditory cues to avoid distracting the worker (Christensen 2016). Most importantly, the cues are minded and
4
5. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
respected within the office culture. Finally, Christensen highlights the most commonly cited benefit of open
offices: chance encounters that offer cross-pollination of ideas and solutions.
In analyzing the source, I think I can be somewhat skeptical of Christensen’s case, as he may have felt there could
be career incentive in writing as positively as possible about his current employer.
See analytical framework Table 2 for Case 1 in Appendix.
Case 2: Mayor Bloomberg’s “Bullpen” office
Michael Bloomberg famously redesigned the New York City Mayor’s office when he became Mayor in the fall of
2001 (Barbaro 2013). He knocked down walls to create an open space likened to the trading floors where he began
his career (Barbaro 2013). Fifty cubicles with low dividers are fit into the small space, allowing for little privacy
but for maximum accessibility to Bloomberg (Barbaro 2013).
Bloomberg believes that being accessible to his chief executives is a defining leadership characteristic and is
symbolic of opening the government up for transparency (Barbaro 2013). He was a proponent of a more open
environment that is less focused on hierarchy, and he felt that the open office was the best design representation
of that (Barbaro 2013). His subordinates who enjoyed working in the open office layout cited the more
old-fashioned reason of being able to know what co-workers were doing as a bonus (Barbaro 2013).
Figure 4: Mayor Bloomberg’s “bullpen”
Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/23/nyregion/bloombergs-bullpen-candidates-debate-its-future.html
As Bloomberg transitioned out of office, mayoral candidates showed their distaste for the open space, pointing out
that it’s difficult to concentrate in, that it may actually isolate the Mayor via too much noise, and that it confuses
the hierarchy and command structure (Barbaro 2013). Bloomberg resolutely disputed these claims, saying nothing
can be more important than being available, accessible, and open, and that that is the only way to run a successful
organization (Barbaro 2013).
In analyzing the source, I can appreciate that Michael Bloomberg is very much influenced by his background as a
trader and his experience working in the environment of a trading floor. I can also note that a lot of the benefit
that Bloomberg cited of the open space is symbolic, and not necessarily focused on impact to output.
See analytical framework Table 3 for Case 2 in Appendix.
5
6. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
Case 3: The Bridgespan Group
The Bridgespan Group is a non-profit consulting group based in Boston, Massachusetts. Two executives from the
Group’s Boston office detail in The Harvard Business Review that after careful review of the challenges with open
office space, they went ahead and designed an office space anyway—and succeeded (Rosenberg & Campbell
2014).
The Group tackled the office redesign as a co-design challenge, involving employees from across the company, and
using the best and worst of open layout results as guidelines for what to do and what not to do (Rosenberg &
Campbell 2014). Six months prior to the writing of the article, the 70-person office was moved from two floors of
cubicles to a single top-floor open design (Rosenberg & Campbell 2014). The Group’s goal was to tear down
hierarchies, provide a more flexible working environment, and save on costs (Rosenberg & Campbell 2014). They
report that after six months in their new space, they are experiencing a greater amount of productivity, energy and
connectedness (Rosenberg & Campbell 2014).
In analyzing the source, I can point out that as executives at the Group who had significant input into the design of
the office and significant responsibility over recruitment, the partners are incentivized to provide a favourable
view. Additionally, this case is different in pertaining to a small organization and a small office (70 people
compared to the aforementioned 2,000+), with people working on tasks where cross-pollination of ideas may be
crucial (consulting compared to coding).
Figure 5: New office for The Bridgespan Group
Source: https://hbr.org/2014/10/an-open-office-experiment-that-actually-worked
See analytical framework Table 4 for Case 3 in Appendix.
Case 4: W&P Design in Brooklyn
W&P Design is an early-stage start-up in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, with 12 workers (Entis 2016). Although it is
definitely noisy, co-founders Eric Prum and Josh Williams state they think it’s the only way to work given that
their “workflow depends on collaboration” (Entis 2016). One example of this workflow success is when two
co-workers discussed the possibility of shutting down the concept for a Nacho cookbook (Entis 2016).
Eavesdropping colleagues turned around and convinced the others it was a good idea, and the group had an
impromptu brainstorming session for recipes (Entis 2016). The book was set for production as of the writing of
the article, permitted by the affordances of open space (Entis 2016).
In analyzing the source, I like this kind of case because it provides concrete proof for the benefit of an open office
layout, and acknowledges the important role that company context plays in office design.
6
7. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
Figure 7: W&P open plan office
Source: http://fortune.com/2016/05/12/the-open-office-concept-is-dead/
See analytical framework Table 5 for Case 4 in Appendix.
Cases against open space
Cases against open space are defined as the case studies that highlight the negatives of working in an open space.
Case 1: Senior writer at an ad agency based in New York City
One senior writer at a New York City ad agency had the following to say about her move from a private office to a
shared space:
“Our new, modern Tribeca office was beautifully airy, and yet remarkably oppressive. Nothing
was private. On the first day, I took my seat at the table assigned to our creative department, next
to a nice woman who I suspect was an air horn in a former life. All day, there was constant
shuffling, yelling, and laughing, along with loud music piped through a PA system. As an
excessive water drinker, I feared my co-workers were tallying my frequent bathroom trips. At
day’s end, I bid adieu to the 12 pairs of eyes I felt judging my 5:04 p.m. departure time. I beelined
to the Beats store to purchase their best noise-cancelling headphones in an unmistakably visible
neon blue.” (Kaufman 2014)
On her very first day in an open office space, Kaufman sees a number of immediate problems with her new space.
Those problems included interrupted concentration through noise distraction, and fear of judgment and lack of
privacy from her co-workers.
In analyzing the source, I can say that Lindsey Kaufman is a writer in the advertising industry and has been
working in New York City for about a decade. This would indicate that she began her career during cubicle office
culture, and recently had to make the transition to open office space.
See analytical framework Table 6 for Case 5 in Appendix.
7
8. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
Case 2: Reddit thread in response to Joel Polsky’s interview
Stack Overflow CEO Joel Polsky’s interview on the importance of privacy and concentration for worker
satisfaction and output inspired a lively thread on the site Reddit from developers supporting his claim:
● “The foosball table is right next to my desk in our office. Like, 10 meters away. I feel like I’m slowly going
crazy.” (Collins 2016)
● “Went from home, to private office, to open floor plan and it’s more difficult, for me at least, to
concentrate. Generally there’s a nerf war once a day, too.” (Collins 2016)
● “Currently quitting a job at an open plan office. My work rate is lower than when I worked at home with
my 6 month old daughter.” (Collins 2016)
● “I’ll take an open floor plan if I didn’t have to attend so many meetings that have nothing to do with me,
but my attendance is mandatory.” (Collins 2016)
● “Headphones give me a headache. Earplugs disorient me. Office noise—especially scrum meetings or half
a dozen people on the phone at the same time—make it difficult for me to think. Interruptions kill my
productivity because it can take me 10-15 minutes to get back to same mental state in the code that I had
before the interruption.” (Collins 2016)
In analyzing the source, I feel confident in assuming the validity of the claims, as most Reddit contributors assume
anonymous identities and can count on their confidentiality. They speak without repercussion. While anonymity
has the power to feed the negativity of Internet trolling, in this case, their comments are likely honest and accurate
to their experiences.
See analytical framework Table 7 for Case 6 in Appendix.
Case 3: Game Developer magazine study
The Game Developer magazine study came at the issue of interruption from a scientific approach, looking at the
cost of being interrupted and then quantifying that cost in a typical open office environment. The study found that
a programmer takes an average of 10 to 15 minutes to resume the work they were doing prior to an interruption
(Parnin 2013). Based on a typical open office setting, that would mean a programmer may get just a single
uninterrupted two-hour session daily (Parnin 2013).
Figure 3: Tracking the change in pupil diameter over time for individuals given tasks of varying difficulty
Source: https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/190891/programmer_interrupted.php
8
9. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
In analyzing the source, I think using biological science to make against the distractions of an open office layout is
an interesting alternative approach.
See analytical framework Table 8 for Case 7 in Appendix.
Case 4: My personal experience
I’m personally inspired to conduct this research as an introvert who works as a designer in an open space layout. I
find that in addition to the constant interruptions that pull me out of “deep work” (Newport 2016), I find myself
drained after a day of interacting and interfacing with people (instead of ideas). This impacts more than my
personal well-being—it also impacts my output. As a designer, I need heads-down time to think through solutions
and ideas in order to present them coherently. I find the open office layout prompts me to prioritize immediacy
over importance day after day. For that reason, I get my best and most important work done outside of working
hours.
See analytical framework Table 9 for Case 8 in Appendix.
Conclusion: The future of office space and the future of
my research
I conclude that the first and foremost most important aspect of designing efficient space is context. What may
work for one company, may not work for another. This is part of the problem with the recent trend toward blindly
accepting any innovation from San Francisco—it may work in the Bay area market, but it may not work in ours.
The case studies examined showed that open floor layouts may work in specific cases, where the office is small or a
start-up, and very much dependent on collaboration to define a workflow. It also seems to work with a different
definition of production: open office may be less helpful where the workers are required for traditional outputs,
like those of designers and coders, and more helpful where the workers are required for ideas, like consultants and
strategists.
This distinction begs that we ask the definition of production. Is production the lines of code written and the
wireframes produced, or is it a shift in the strategic direction of the company? Again, this comes down to context.
In fact, I think defining production at a strategic level often makes more sense for smaller, newer organizations
where employees sitting around their desks in an office can still bear impact on those kinds of decisions.
Regardless of the egalitarian vibe that large tech companies try to create with their vibe, it is still unlikely that
every developer will have the determining votes in the strategy of Facebook, as if it were a democracy.
This brings me to my next point: much of the benefit of open space seems to be symbolic. It is the symbolism of
egalitarianism, openness, transparency, community and collaboration that open spaces promote. That symbolism
is not without advantages, as studies prove that open offices do boost workers’ positive feelings (Konnikova 2014).
The issue, of course, is that there is yet to be a link proven between this positivity and any quantifiable outcome to
the company.
The quantification comes in with cost savings. It is undeniable in any of the cases laid out that one of the
motivators for the move toward open office was the relative cost saving of reduced square footage and less
structural build out. The question remains whether the cost-savings are worth the certain drop in output and job
satisfaction from workers, which can also lead to higher attrition.
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10. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
Christensen’s defense of the Facebook office space almost implicates it more than absolves it. In my analysis,
Christensen lauding “Work from home Wednesday” at his Facebook office and the flexibility to come in earlier or
stay later when it’s quiet is an admission of the company’s failure in providing sufficient quiet space at the office. I
feel similarly about his emphasizing the availability of 27-inch monitors and noise-cancelling headphones to act
both as personal concentration aides and as social cues to co-workers: sounds like a last attempt to do work
amidst chaos.
The office of the future will likely have a flexible, hybrid layout with a mixture of cubicles, offices and open space.
The office of the future will also likely promote a culture where workers can take advantage or privacy or
collaboration as needed, and where taking social cues will be encouraged. As identified in some of these cases, it’s
not alway that there is no available private space—it’s also that when everyone expects to see everyone all the
time, it can be frowned upon to remove yourself from the situation; similarly, it’s not always that headphones and
monitors don’t work to block out the distraction, it’s that co-workers ignore the social cues and interrupt you via
tactility anyway. These points emphasize the importance of a culture, which we can call the system, being built
around the office, which we can call the feature.
My further research for my Major Research Project will examine how freelancers, entrepreneurs, students and
remote workers are accommodated in the shared public spaces where people commonly work in Toronto, and look
at the greater impact that the availability of shared space has on both individual worker satisfaction and also on
the greater economy. I will use the learnings from these case studies on the affordances of different types of spaces
as a framework to inform my analysis of the shared spaces.
Appendix
Background: Opening and closing space
The style of office layouts is almost as cyclical as the style for denim, but arguably more impactful. Most recently,
the open space layout has been ushered in by Silicon Valley tech giants in favour of collaboration and rebellion
against “The Man”. Like many Bay area innovations, the open space layout has subsequently been adopted by over
70% of all companies in North America; and like many Bay area innovations, applying the innovation outside of
the Bay area context does not create the same kind of solution. Ironically, the open office solution makes perhaps
the least sense in the Bay area, where whiz technologists require hours of heads-down time free from interruption
to execute on the cutting-edge technology.
The problem that open offices attempt to address is collaboration and communication among co-workers, which
strategists say can lead to cross-pollination of great ideas, shortcuts in execution, and scrapping bad ideas earlier.
However, collaboration was identified as a problem among a relatively minimal 10% of the workers surveyed in all
kinds of offices, with the number ironically being lower for workers in private offices as compared to their
counterparts in open space offices (Kaufman 2014).
When Facebook opened the world’s then largest open concept office to house 2,800 developers, industry leaders
criticized the design (Frankel 2015). Joel Spolsky, CEO of Stack Overflow said:
“I think Facebook was very pleased with themselves, that they had built what they thought was
the ultimate, most amazing place for developers,” he said. “And if you went to Hacker News and
read the comments, 99.98% of the comments said, ‘I would hate to work there.” (Collins 2016)
Spolsky said that at his three companies—Stack Overflow, Trello and Fog Creek Software—developers are able to
work from home or have private offices with natural sunlight (Collins 2016).
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11. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
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November 12, 2017
Figure 2: CEO of Stack Overflow discusses why open office space doesn’t work for developers
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=R1V8OUOb-Hw
Apple has outdone Facebook with its new headquarters, Apple Park, which houses 12,000 people, a lot of it in the
open space layout (Marks 2017).
Figure 1: Apple Campus 2
Source:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-small-business/wp/2017/08/16/some-apple-employees-may-quit-
over-new-open-office-floor-plan/?utm_term=.383c9bf72f5b
Nonetheless, open office layouts are attractive for reasons beyond their affordances for collaboration: they offer
cost savings to companies of up to 50% per employee, as they save on both space and structural build-out (Dizik
2016). The economic recession of 2008 sped up the transition toward open spaces, as organizations looked for
every possible cost-saving (Dizik 2016). In his blog, developer Nathan Marz surfaced a lower but still impressive
number of an average of 9.2% cost saving per employee in an open space (Marz 2014). He, however, argued that if
employee productivity fell more than 10% as a result of being distracted in an open save, than the cost-saving
becomes merely a cost (Marz 2014).
The concept for the open office was officially conceived in the 1950s by a team in Hamburg, Germany, (Konnikova
2014), but in reality, the open office space has been around longer than that. Post offices in the 1920s were open
offices, as were many other working spaces.
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12. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
Figure 1: Washington, 1923. "Stamp Division, Post Office."
Source: http://www.shorpy.com/node/4322
In its day, it was the cubicle that served as the antidote to the issues found in the open offices prevalent in the
1950s. The cubicle was invented in 1964 as an ‘action office’ by Robert Propst, chief executive at Herman Miller
(Entis 2014). The action office was meant to address the stark lack of privacy suffered by junior employees and the
lack of autonomy and control they felt over their environment (Entis 2014). Propst hoped that the action office
would liberate employees from scrutiny and allow them to choose their posture and position throughout the day
(Entis 2014). His prototype was made from high-quality adjustable panels that allowed workers to choose to sit or
stand (Entis 2014).
Figure 4: ‘Action office’ concept that became the cubicle
Source: http://fortune.com/2016/05/12/the-open-office-concept-is-dead/
Propst’s prototype became the cubicle when interpreted for mass production, becoming a different kind of symbol
for oppression over the years, inspiring iconic stories like Mike Judge’s 1999 cult classic Office Space, set in a
bleak cubicle environment.
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13. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
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November 12, 2017
Figure 6: Scene from Office Space, breaking out of the cubicle trap
Source: Office Space
So goes the trend cycle.
Analytical framework tables
Table 2: Tanner Christensen at Facebook
Sound Vision Tactile Smell
Sustained focus,
concentration and
attention
Good -
noise-cancelling
headphones
Fair - 27-inch monitor
Productivity and
output
Creative thinking Good -
cross-pollination of
ideas due to chance
encounters
Satisfaction High
Community and team
cohesion
High
Identifying with
organizational, team
or project mission and
vision
High
Identity as a worker
Avoiding illness Able to work from
home when feeling
under the weather
Autonomy and
control over
environment
“Work from home
Wednesday’s”
Privacy None None
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14. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
Table 3: Bloomberg at the “Bullpen”
Sound Vision Tactile Smell
Sustained focus,
concentration and
attention
Loud No privacy
Productivity and
output
Difficult to
concentrate
Creative thinking Access to a lot of
different officials
Satisfaction High - Open
government
Community and team
cohesion
High - Team
camaraderie
Identifying with
organizational, team
or project mission and
vision
High
Identity as a worker
Avoiding illness
Autonomy and
control over
environment
Low
Privacy None None None
Table 4: The Bridgespan Group new office
Sound Vision Tactile Smell
Sustained focus,
concentration and
attention
Flexible layout
Productivity and
output
Flexible layout
Creative thinking More impromptu
meetings and
collaboration
Satisfaction High - Open
government
Community and team
cohesion
High - Team
camaraderie
Identifying with
organizational, team
High
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15. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
or project mission and
vision
Identity as a worker
Avoiding illness
Autonomy and
control over
environment
Significant - flexible
work spaces
Privacy
Table 5: W&P Brooklyn office
Sound Vision Tactile Smell
Sustained focus,
concentration and
attention
Noisy
Productivity and
output
Creative thinking More impromptu
ideas and effective
cross-pollination
Satisfaction
Community and team
cohesion
High
Identifying with
organizational, team
or project mission and
vision
High
Identity as a worker
Avoiding illness
Autonomy and
control over
environment
Limited Limited
Privacy Lacking Lacking
Table 6: New York City ad agency
Sound Vision Tactile Smell
Sustained focus,
concentration and
attention
Constant shuffling,
yelling and laughing,
along with loud music
piped through the PA
system
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16. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
Productivity and
output
Creative thinking
Satisfaction Low
Community and team
cohesion
Fear of judgment
Identifying with
organizational, team
or project mission and
vision
High
Identity as a worker Lack of privacy
impacts identity
Avoiding illness
Autonomy and
control over
environment
None None
Privacy Lacking Lacking
Table 7: Coders on Reddit
Sound Vision Tactile Smell
Sustained focus,
concentration and
attention
Headphones are
insufficient, social
cues ignored
Screens are
insufficient, social
cues ignored
Constant physical
interruptions
Productivity and
output
Decreasing Decreasing
Creative thinking Takes time to get back
to creative
problem-solving after
interrupted
Satisfaction Low Low Low
Community and team
cohesion
Indifferent
Identifying with
organizational, team
or project mission and
vision
Indifferent
Identity as a worker Lack of privacy
impacts identity
Avoiding illness
Autonomy and
control over
environment
None None
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17. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
Privacy Lacking Lacking
Table 8: Game Developer magazine study
Sound Vision Tactile Smell
Sustained focus,
concentration and
attention
Breaks focus Breaks focus Breaks focus
Productivity and
output
Drops significantly Drops significantly
Creative thinking Takes 10-15 minutes
to get back to output
levels
Satisfaction Low Low Low
Community and team
cohesion
Indifferent
Identifying with
organizational, team
or project mission and
vision
Indifferent
Identity as a worker
Avoiding illness
Autonomy and
control over
environment
Privacy
Table 9: My personal experience
Sound Vision Tactile Smell
Sustained focus,
concentration and
attention
Conversations Interruptions
Productivity and
output
Drops significantly Drops significantly
Creative thinking Some benefit from
side conversations
Satisfaction
Community and team
cohesion
Increased Increased
Identifying with
organizational, team
or project mission and
vision
Increased
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18. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
Jen Serdetchnaia
November 12, 2017
Identity as a worker
Avoiding illness Sick more often
Autonomy and
control over
environment
None
Privacy Low Low Low
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19. Lab 3 - Assignment 2a
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November 12, 2017
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