Office design has been altered, reinvented, and interchanged throughout history since the introduction of commercial office space in the early 20th century. Offices can vary from open design to closed design, to somewhere in between, and there are positives and negatives to each perspective. Although open design was intended to promote communication and collaboration, face-to-face interaction declined after they became popularized (Bernstein, 2021). Additionally, open office design has been related to the workforce being less productive and has caused the spread of more illness (Borzyokwski, 2021). Finally, worker dissatisfaction and stress levels have seemed to increase in open designs (Brennan, 2002).

 

Experiencing a pandemic has also forced changes among office design. Workstations are being placed further apart, conference rooms are no longer in use, and space dividing partitions have erected to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus (Brownell, 2020). Companies have even taken the route of selling their commercial offices and converting to an all-online remote platform completely to reduce rental costs (Waite, 2020). Tools such as e-mail, Zoom video conferencing, Google Docs, and virtual whiteboarding have made remote work not only possible, but easier from the comfort of one’s own home (Seabrook, 2021).

 

Innovative thinking can be heavily influence by a company’s physical surrounding and office layout. In opposition to what most believe, it’s not just the look of the office that drives creativity, but rather the experience the space evokes (Schneider, 2021). Some guidelines Schneider suggests following include mixing collaboration spaces with meeting spaces throughout the floorplan, enclosing spaces to lessen distractions, and by including background noise or visual stimulation. Although innovative office designs can promote creativity, it can also be changed to increase worker satisfaction, communication, and teamwork (Bryant, 2012).

 

Despite all these new changes in office design, the workplace we know and understand today is likely to change in the near future to better adapt to new realities, economies, and cultural identities.