In her dissertation research at University College London, Leadon studied collaboration in workplaces. She found via a “case study at an interior design office followed by a survey of four design firms…that collaboration and individual work must be supported by workplace design. While collaboration was high among employees and meeting rooms were utilized…fluidity and frequency of collaboration were, at times, deterred in the open office environment, due to the expectation that collaboration would be a distraction to others…Private meeting rooms were integral solutions in facilitating both collaborative and individual modes of work, as these spaces could host groups or individuals as required.”
Alexandria Leadon. 2015. “Workplace Design: Facilitating Collaborative and Individual Work Within the Creative Office Environment.” Dissertation Abstract, The Florida State University, http://search.proquest.com/docview/1725171451.
Sally Augustin, PhD, a cognitive scientist, is the editor of Research Design Connections (www.researchdesignconnections.com), a monthly subscription newsletter and free daily blog, where recent and classic research in the social, design, and physical sciences that can inform designers’ work are presented in straightforward language. Readers learn about the latest research findings immediately, before they’re available elsewhere. Sally, who is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, is also the author of Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Architecture (Wiley, 2009) and, with Cindy Coleman, The Designer’s Guide to Doing Research: Applying Knowledge to Inform Design (Wiley, 2012). She is a principal at Design With Science (www.designwithscience.com) and can be reached at sallyaugustin@designwithscience.com.