Open V. Private in 2018 & Beyond: Why Not Blend the Best of Both?
The late ‘80s, early ‘90s vision of free-range workplaces didn’t work quite the way the era’s design visionaries expected. Employees eventually learned, once the novelty wore off, that they still wanted privacy for certain activities. “Over the past 20 years, we moved from private offices to tall cubicle panels to low divider walls to benching and tables,” said Katie Ostreko, director of marketing and product development at izzy+. “And we’re seeing employees pushing back against the ‘theory’ that totally open spaces will improve collaboration and, therefore, work will become more efficient and innovative and people will feel more engaged.” As research and news reports consistently show, this ‘theory’ falls flat. People work in different ways. While some like the noise and chaos of open spaces, others need private, quiet areas to concentrate. But they don’t want to sacrifice one for the other. They want it all. And companies are trying …
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