Expert Insights

The last decade has seen unprecedented change, driven by technologies that have forever altered how and where we work, so that, not long from now, there won--™t be offices --“ or at least, not offices as we understand them.

The future of the workplace is evolving into a playground of possibilities. Collaboration of multiple parties was not the norm 20 years ago. The sole purpose in the business world was to get yourself ahead, not bring others along with you.

I believe we are sitting at an important crossroads in the life and evolution of the workplace. This crossroads offers us a route of change and opportunity that we cannot afford to ignore. These changes are fundamental and they have the potential to change everything. We should also not underestimate the effects of liberation driven by flexible information technology and a new generation of workers.

The internet, video conferencing, and cloud-based networks all enable us to have interactions and to share information with people halfway around the world -- or simply across the room. Location has, in many instances, become a non-factor in how we connect with people.

Jan Johnson leads Allsteel--â„¢s Workplace Advisory team and gives us her take on enabling human performance.

Today, far too often we still are inundated with wasting time, energy, and money by having \"“people waiting for materials and work waiting for people.--  LEAN construction can organize collaboration and improve our work process efficiency. It is one step in the right direction.

Coworking is a rapidly growing, technology-driven phenomenon and is seen as an alternative to leasing more traditional office space.

By Jennifer E. Klein, AIA, Principal, DBI Architects, Inc. I believe that, as architects and designers, we must communicate and collaborate with our clients to understand their work style and effectively design for their culture. And throughout my experience, these three themes still resonate: (1) Cultural change needs to come from the top, (2) Form should follow function, and (3) Less is always more. But what are your experiences telling you?

With instant-communication based technologies increasingly becoming commonplace across the planet, we are beginning to see global -- rather than local, regional, or national -- design aesthetics emerge. So perhaps in the near future, elements like national pride, local climate, immediate geographical factors, and regional materials will not inspire our work as commercial designers. But what if we re-commit to intensely cultural design?

What is it about the word "raw" that nurtures our spirits and piques our interest?

When the recession hit, employers buckled down by rallying their troops to keep their heads down and make great things happen. As part of that resolve, it wasn't uncommon to see perks like the office Wii gathering dust -- after all, "playing" when you were lucky to have a job didn't seem tasteful. But now we're seeing the re-emergence of play in the office -- and, hopefully, what it's revealing to employers is that having a release isn't just "cool" for culture, but a real part of productivity.

If we used all five senses to design our workspaces, would this make us -- as end users -- happier and more productive workers? Most designers typically create spaces with only two of our five senses; namely, sight and touch. But maybe it's not out of the question that we could use sound, scent, and taste when tackling a design challenge. Perhaps a cohesive approach with all our senses considered would make our spaces more creative, joyful, and experiential.