After spending over 30 years designing work environments for companies of all shapes and sizes, I have

a pretty clear idea of what goes into making a company great. How can a designer possess such insight?

Well, through the design process, I’ve gotten up-close looks into who and what makes an organization

tick. While I believe a good workplace design supports an organization’s success and that it can be a key

agent for reinforcing ideals, I am equally convinced that office design can’t have much of an impact unless

the following five boxes are checked.

The first is vision: An organization has to know where it is going, so people can get behind and be guided

by something tangible. A close second is culture. Positive culture is palpable (and so is its opposite).

Number three, leadership, makes the two aforementioned happen. Number four, talent, is critical -- and

doesn’t tend to stick around in the absence of strong leadership, a firm vision, and a supportive culture.

Number five is an obvious one: fiscal responsibility -- which, as we’ve seen in recent years, can be

surprisingly lacking. Without these five, your physical work environment is not going to produce the results

that design and management consultancies would like you to believe. But if you’re on track with one

through five, go ahead and read the following keys to creating a bang-up workplace.

[The City of Vancouver's Engineering Office. Photo: Perkins+Will]

8 Keys To Creating An Office Where Ideas Flow Fast Company August 1, 2011 Gina Berndt

1. Engage different perspectives. If you have all boxes checked, you probably already understand that

the creation of any great workplace requires collaboration among multiple disciplines within an

organization, including leadership, HR, IT, finance, real estate, and facilities management. Without all

these points of view, the end result will be unbalanced. Many organizations don’t see the benefit of this

degree of feedback and cooperation, but those that do, create the best places.

2. Provide an anchor. We haven’t been tethered to the office in years, and the mobile style of working

won’t be going away. That said, there is still a need for a sense of place. Coworker camaraderie can be

built virtually, but nothing matches in-person interaction. The most creative companies are exploring ways

place can enhance connections between people. The design and innovation consultancy, IDEO, creates

project rooms, where teams assemble to collaborate. In Chicago, IDEO employees can get away to the

roof terrace for a bit of fresh air and informal discussion. While quite different, both spaces foster

connections.

3. Design for efficiency. The workplace is shrinking, giving rise to a number of strategies to maximize

space, such as non-hierarchical planning, desk-sharing, working from home, and “benching” (rows of

desks arranged in benchlike fashion). These strategies will continue to grow in popularity and acceptance,

because technology allows for it and there are tangible benefits from a real-estate perspective. As spaces

grow denser, it is important to ensure that mechanical systems are designed properly to meet the

demands, as indoor climate has substantial effects on health and productivity.

[IDEO Chicago. Photo: Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing]

4. Support different working styles. Creating a sense of community is important, but so is recognizing

the needs of the individual. Generous areas for socializing or working over coffee, a snack, or a meal are

vital, and they are always part of the design solutions for top-notch companies. We all know that one can’t

always think in a group or in a room full of people; some of our most productive moments happen during

quiet, alone time. Finding this balance means offering a menu of spaces within the work environment to

meet a wide variety of working styles.

[CompTIA. Photo: Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing]

5. Adapt to technology. Technological innovation is the single-greatest force in workplace evolution, and

successful companies must be at ease with technology and flexible enough to adapt to rapid changes.

Engaging the right experts to provide a glimpse into what’s next and building the power and data

infrastructure to support technological changes makes sound business sense. A leading global proprietary

trading company designed their Chicago offices’ electrical and communications infrastructure in a flexible

grid under a raised floor, allowing its mobile trading stations to be configured in any fashion in their

100,000-square-foot space.

6. Embrace shifting demographics. The Baby Boomer branches on the corporate tree will inevitably be

pruned to allow for new growth. Future Generation X and Y leaders don’t expect the workplace to be

precious; they expect it to work and be informal, flexible, and healthy. Organizations that get this will have

a competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining talent.

7. Address wellness holistically. The best companies want their employees to be healthy. Creating an

environment that promotes well-being goes beyond setting up a fitness center; it means creating interiors

that are free of harmful materials and cater to human comfort, with ergonomic furnishings and work tools.

Greater attention is already being paid to the benefits of spaces filled with natural light, and walls and

divider panels are being lowered in height or taken away altogether.

[Great River Energy. Photo: Don Wong]

8. Express your brand. Just as a retail or dining establishment conveys a certain vibe, an office also

communicates the company’s brand. Think long and hard about what you want your space to reflect about

your business. Apple and Target stores offer great examples of brand expressed in the retail environment,

but workplaces can also communicate value to employees and clients. Our solution for Darden

Restaurants’ Orlando, Florida, headquarters does this extremely well; environmental graphics and other

components reflecting the company’s history, current events, and employee recognition build on the brand

story “to nourish and delight.”

eOffice, 20 Broadwick, W1F 8HT, London, UK, tel +44 870 888 8888, hello@eoffice.net, www.eoffice.net

[Darden Restaurants. Photo: Michelle Litvin]

Conclusion

William Hannah and Joseph Barbara, the creators of the 1962 cartoon series “The Jetsons” accurately

predicted a few things about the future workplace. George Jetson connected with his boss, Cosmo

Spacely, via mobile communication devices (much like our cell phones), video-conferencing, and

telepresence technology. I don’t have the imagination of Hannah or Barbara, so my prediction for the

workplace -- and life, for that matter -- is guided by a particularly insightful fortune cookie I once received:

“Possibilities are infinite because change is inevitable.” I would ask, however, that as you embrace this

inevitable change, you remember not to lose sight of the five principles (vision, culture, leadership, talent,

and fiscal responsibility) and then, by all means, build an awesome workplace. It will make a true

difference.

Copyright © 2011 Mansueto Ventures, LLC. Gina Berndt. “8 Keys to Creating An Office Where Ideas Flow.” FastCompany. August 4, 2011. http://www.fastcodesign.com/1664545/eight-tips-for-designing-a-workplace-where-ideas-flow