Posted by Carla on June 17 at 9:12 AM
Recently I've been thinking about work environments. Many of us spend more time at the office than in our homes. As is human nature, we tend to personalize our work space with things that speak to who we are. You know what I mean: the special mug or desktop wallpaper. Beyond that, how do we design and customize work environments to optimize performance? More and more companies are moving toward team models and collaborative environments and away from traditional cubicles. While I love open spaces that encourage collaboration and produce some of the best ideas, I also crave personal space where I can
think. I want to be able to freely mutter sentences aloud as I'm writing without breaking my colleague's concentration as she works on '09 planning. Striking a balance is no easy task.
At NeoCon this year, the folks at Kimball Office revealed their solution to balancing private and public work space via
Hum. The central idea behind
Hum is to offer a seamless transition from solo work to group work. While there are several configurations available, individuals have their own unique work space, but can easily transition to group work without moving. Kimball office describes it as, "From I to we without changing place. From I to we without changing pace." A key component are the strategically laser cut screens that allow workers some privacy, but also allow them to easily make eye contact with a co-worker for an exchange of ideas or information.
While I love the concept, I think it needs tweaking.
I STILL SEE YOU!
PEEK-A-BOO!
Perhaps I'm not quite there yet. Is it silly that I feel a laugh bubbling up inside me as I imagine darting back and forth on my office chair wheels and peeking at colleagues through a whimsical yellow cut-out? What do you think?
Another interesting office related NeoCon find included the Sitness 5 from Topstar. The Sitness 5 is essentially a mesh covered fitness ball that sits on five chromed feet. It bounces and moves as your body weight shifts and comes in a variety of eye catching colors. As I observed the booth, many people stopped to test it out, encouraged by the folks who were already bouncing away.
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