Research Reports
Seven Predictions Shaping the Future of Work
Herman Miller invited 80 up-and-coming designers across the US and Canada to four Future State workshops. They shared their hunches, blue-sky ideas, anxieties, and crazy bets about the future of work, offices, and the evolving role of designers. We’ve distilled these into seven predictions for how the environments they’ve creating might look five, 10, or even 20 years from now.
| future_state_folio_2.pdf |
Turn Your Open Office into a Productive Office
Recent surveys of people in open workspaces find that noise, distractions, and lack of privacy and personal space consistently top the list of dissatisfactions, and that people feel they are less productive as a result. The good news is that there is a better—and more cost-effective way—to help people make sense of and find comfort in an open office. By implying space, you can transform an open-office environment into an intuitive, productive workplace without making a costly investment in inflexible, permanent walls.
| wp_turn_your_open_office_into_a_productive_office.pdf |
Bringing Focus Back to the Open Office
Companies love the open office because it saves money, but people struggle to stay focused. Here’s how to keep everyone happy.
Seventy percent of US office workers now work in open-plan offices. While the press loves to disparage the open office, a massive global study shows that nine out of ten of the highest performing workplaces are either fully or extensively open plan. That may be because a thoughtfully designed open plan can create conditions that encourage engagement. People are more likely to be engaged at work if they can move around, have privacy when they need it, and have access to spaces that let them connect with coworkers.
Seventy percent of US office workers now work in open-plan offices. While the press loves to disparage the open office, a massive global study shows that nine out of ten of the highest performing workplaces are either fully or extensively open plan. That may be because a thoughtfully designed open plan can create conditions that encourage engagement. People are more likely to be engaged at work if they can move around, have privacy when they need it, and have access to spaces that let them connect with coworkers.
| se_bringing_focus_back_to_the_open_office.pdf |
Belonging at Work
Did you know that the desire to belong is a fundamental and powerful motivator at work? A recent study found that business leaders can build a sense of belonging among people by helping people identify with organizational values and create meaningful connections with one another. This, in turn, helps boost employee engagement and improve performance.
Belonging is one of six fundamental human needs, which also include security, purpose, autonomy, status, and achievement. We identified these needs through an in-depth review of literature, studies, and research from the past 80 years.1 Workplaces that foster a sense of belonging have more engaged, higher performing, and satisfied employees.
Ongoing studies with our Living Office Research Partners from a variety of industries demonstrate that successful and proactive organizations and their design partners are creating workplaces that support the individual’s sense of belonging. See how these industry leaders are implementing designs that offer a variety of settings to encourage social interaction, and by carefully planning physical proximities, traffic paths, and sight lines across the landscape.
Belonging is one of six fundamental human needs, which also include security, purpose, autonomy, status, and achievement. We identified these needs through an in-depth review of literature, studies, and research from the past 80 years.1 Workplaces that foster a sense of belonging have more engaged, higher performing, and satisfied employees.
Ongoing studies with our Living Office Research Partners from a variety of industries demonstrate that successful and proactive organizations and their design partners are creating workplaces that support the individual’s sense of belonging. See how these industry leaders are implementing designs that offer a variety of settings to encourage social interaction, and by carefully planning physical proximities, traffic paths, and sight lines across the landscape.
| wp_belonging_at_work.pdf |
How a Conventional Office Can "Go Collaborative" (and Save Money)
There’s been a seismic shift toward collaborative work in the last 30 years. In 1985, just 30 percent of an individual’s output depended on working within a group; by 2010 that figure was up to 80 percent. No wonder private offices are unoccupied 75 percent of the time and workstations sit empty 60 percent of the time.
In addition, conference rooms are frequently booked but not occupied and occupied without being booked. Work is moving so quickly that it’s difficult for people to plan ahead. What’s needed, says Dr. Tracy Brower, director of Herman Miller Performance Environments, is a greater variety of informal areas that give workers a choice about where and how they interact.
A conventional work environment can make the transition to a collaborative one—and do it in a way that increases density and lowers real estate costs. Download the research report to see how.
In addition, conference rooms are frequently booked but not occupied and occupied without being booked. Work is moving so quickly that it’s difficult for people to plan ahead. What’s needed, says Dr. Tracy Brower, director of Herman Miller Performance Environments, is a greater variety of informal areas that give workers a choice about where and how they interact.
A conventional work environment can make the transition to a collaborative one—and do it in a way that increases density and lowers real estate costs. Download the research report to see how.
| collaboration_scenario.pdf |
Perception and Filtration Shape How the Brain Processes Information
A first in a series produced in cooperation with Kimball Office Group, capitalizing on its work in developing its product, HUM! Minds at Work. This piece was created by the following Kimball Office Group officers: Terry Carroll, market intelligence manager, Kent Reyling, director of market education, and Jay Henriott, market requirements designer. Originally published in Office Insight magazine.
| how-the-brain-processes-information.pdf |
