Workspaces design

Do companies and cities still need each other?

How to keep the distractions at bay.

Just look at what Google and Groupon have done to boost productivity.

A study shows the power of seating charts.

Surveys, interviews, observation, and other tools can help you avoid “one-size-fits-none” policies.

Timing is everything.

Fifty percent of Americans play video games, spending approximately seven hours a week glued to some type of screen, according to the Electronic Software Association. While that level of play gets blamed for everything from violence to obesity to illiteracy, gamers can bring some desirable qualities to the workforce if companies know how to exploit […]

They impart a feeling of connection and credibility.

We like seeing people, even if it’s inefficient.

New survey data sheds light on three key reasons.

Messy workspace, messy headspace.

Research supports all sides of the debate over the merits of open workplaces: An MIT study finds that a wall-free office plan increases face-to-face communication among workers; a study at Stanford demonstrates the opposite; and a third study reports no effect. My research suggests that these studies disagree in part because other factors are in […]

What to do when not everyone has returned to the office.

To the trained eye, even a quick plant tour can reveal a lot about a company. Here’s how to tell if a factory is truly lean—in as little as 30 minutes.

Procter & Gamble practically wrote the book on market research. But when the company used those techniques to learn how its employees felt, it discovered a whole new way to improve morale—and profits, too.

I’ve often fantasized about hurling my laptop over Niagara Falls, then grilling a fresh salmon to celebrate my sensory liberation. I’d become a Maker. I’d build a sailboat to circle the globe. I’d live off the sea, fending off killer whales and Somali pirates. I’m not alone in yearning to resuscitate my flabby Tweeting muscles. […]

A better ventilation system doesn’t have to break the bank.

When designing flexible work arrangements, focus on individual human concerns, not just institutional ones.

Nokia’s IdeasProject features visionary and influential thought leaders on communications technology. In this clip, John Hagel of Deloitte’s Center for the Edge describes “creation spaces,” online and in-person experiences designed to draw out what Hagel refers to as tacit knowledge — “Valuable knowledge that we have a really hard time expressing to each other.” This […]