I’m always surprised by how often clients neglect office design when considering their internal communications planning. Yet the office environment is a key part of the culture and communications of an organisation. It impacts how people work, the manner and the frequency they talk to each other and how information flows through the company structure. I read recently that in one company a redesign to a more open space resulted in a fall in email traffic of 50%.
So what makes great office design? Google’s London HQ is often vaunted as the paragon of inspirational office space, a celebration of creativity and individuality. In her recent, extremely frank article however, Lucy Kellaway takes a very different view. She argues that the excess of design and imagination in the Google offices is so overwhelming that it in fact dampens the potential for employees to create.
After reading it, I wondered, in 10 years time will pods and pool tables in offices seem as outdated and misguided as cubicles and corner offices seem now?
A great read for anyone thinking about how they organise their working environment.