Monthly Archives : April 2016

There is an ongoing raging debate in the office world over which is a better working environment for employees, open office plans or old fashioned Cubicles. The best way to sort through this debate is to list the plusses and minuses of both.

The Benefits of Open Office Plans:

Cost Effectiveness

With open office plans, space is utilized to its fullest, especially where small businesses are concerned. This cuts the costs of electricity and heating with more efficient space use. An Open Space Office means less lighting use that covers more employees.

Improved Employee Communication

Communication between employees and colleagues improve when everyone is not holed up in their own little cubicle world. Everybody in the same room brings everyone together and on the same page.

Open Space Offices open up professional relationships on a personal level that standard cubicles cannot. Morale improves with tighter working relationships as doe’s team working abilities, doing away with isolationism.

Departments Merge Together

Companies with Open Space Office Plans have different departments collaborating and delegating daily business together all in one general area. Business runs smoother and tasks get done quicker than when everyone is separated.

The Disadvantages of Open Office Spaces:

Noise, Noise, Noise!

The main complaint of some employees about Open Office Spaces is the noise that putting everyone in one large open room naturally induces. This breaks worker concentration, thus interrupting their thought processes.

The close proximity of workers on the phone to clients and other companies causes overlapping separate conversations. This can really hamper productivity, forcing those who can,  to search around for a quite spot with phone access, those who can’t like the receptionists are stuck where they are, and clients on the other side of the line hear clatter rather than what the worker is trying to convey.

When different teams on different projects are working in the same open space, one rowdy team can severely impact the concentration and productivity of another stuck in the same working environment, even if they are across the room from each other.

Solutions:

• Strategically place acoustic barriers.
• Creating “Zones” or “Neighborhoods” with separate areas for teams for collaboration, and separate desktop and phone areas, plus quite zones with power and wireless connect ability for single workers.
• Build “Closed Areas” for workers who need the old cubicle in order to work efficiently – people have different personalities and working needs, providing them to employees enhances productivity.

The Benefits of Standard Cubicle Offices:

Personal Employee Space

Some workers just do better alone in their own personal space. Some people even deem it cruel to force employees into open areas that they are not comfortable with. Numerous studies point out the fact that for some productivity and morale both drop for some employees who cannot adjust to Open Space Offices.

Permanent Desk, Computer, Phones, Storage Shelves

All the things that workers have to search for or call dibs on just to do their work in an Open Office Space environment are all waiting every morning in the same spot for employees who prefer a Cubicle working space, allowing them to get right to work.

Personal Wall Space

Some workers complain about the dehumanizing effect of not having a permanent place to hang pictures of loved ones, post reminders on the walls, or pin up important worksheets, documents and etcetera.

Distraction Free Zone

All those annoying co-workers are barred from interrupting someone in their private cubicle. Noisy workers and those rowdy teams are buffered by the sanctuary of the surrounding walls of the somewhat misunderstood cubicle. This promotes better concentration and uninterrupted thought and inspiration, which in turn boosts
employee productivity.

The Disadvantages of the Dreaded Cubicle:

The Cubicle Rat Maze
Some people who work in standard Cubicle Offices feel like rats stuck in a maze for eight hours a day, starting from the minute they walk off the elevator and are confronted with the endless rows of cubicles to navigate around before finding theirs like a piece of cheese.
The Creativity Killer

Many studies also find that workers in general are less creative and inspired than workers in an Open Office Space environment. This is one of those things that are based solely on human nature and individual personality traits.

The Bland and Uninspiring

Where as Open Space Offices are usually awash with color, views  to the outside world or even inside atriums, all designed to inspire the employee and stimulate their minds, Cubicle Office Spaces are not even close to any of these inspirational things; they  are  frankly bland and to some, soul crushing.

The Isolation Zone

What some workers find comforting about having their own private Cubicle space that is isolated from the rest of the crowd in the office, others find demeaning and isolated to the point of being mind-numbing. These employees are the ones that are more productive in an Open Space Office layout.

Solutions:

• Provide open area break rooms to help counteract the claustrophobia of eight hours in an Office Cubicle.
• Provide group lunch areas where employees can collaborate and intermingle at during their lunch break.
• Provide collaboration rooms for employees, teams, and peers to be able to meet in during work times, outside of the Cubicle box.

Conclusion:

Different things work for different people. This is why the debate about whether Open Office Plans Vs Cubicles, Which is Better, will continue to rage on in the office world and studies will continue to show conflicting data on the subject.

The truth is that they are both right, and both wrong in their own ways. Walking the middle ground by designing both Open Office Spaces and Cubicles in the workplace is the best course of action for keeping both factions of Open Space or Cubicle loving employees happy and productive; reaping in the benefits of both worlds and avoiding the pitfalls of both as well.
Office Design by Gefeoz                          WikiMedia Commons

Privacy Blue Marker

Your workspace is where you will spend the majority of your career, and its ability to inspire motivation and creativity is crucial to your success. So it stands to reason that your office should possess the perfect elements that encourage and aid your unique work ethic while still allowing you to interact with your co-workers.

This balance between collaboration and individualism is delicate to maintain. For many, focusing can be difficult with the multitude of distractions surrounding them in an office, impeding their ability to produce the greatest quality work possible. However, complete privacy is not possible, as you must be able to pool your collective productivity with your fellow employees to benefit the entire company.

So how does one reconcile these issues?

The answer is privacy panels. Privacy panels are usually made of clear glass or thin material, offering a superficial wall between desks that allows you to work in relative seclusion while still not preventing communication between you and your coworkers. Below are five of the main benefits of these panels, and why you should invest in them.

1. They block visual distractions.

People are visual creatures, and wherever our eyes are drawn, our mind usually follows. This is a detrimental trait when working in an office, as they are constantly full of activity. Whether it is co-workers wandering to and from the fax machine, arranging their desks, conducting phone calls, or a multitude of other things, an office never rests. For you, this can pose a problem as the constant movement is a distraction. Even with intense concentration, the movement in your peripheral vision keeps from you fully focusing and building up the necessary productive momentum.

With a privacy panel, this superficial wall will create a barrier between you and the rest of your office, subconsciously separating you from the activity. Although the visual block may only be a thin piece of fogged glass, it will block the immediate movement, as well as making the rest of the office a second priority in your mind. However, you can still stand to look over the barrier, communicating with those around you.

2.They give a sense of privacy.

Sharing space with several other people can become unnerving. For some, the feeling of being watched or having others look over their shoulder can be a constant distraction, even if they have nothing to hide. Whether you are truly under inspection or not, the feeling may linger in your mind and draw your attention away from your projects.

A privacy panel, no matter how superficial a barrier, gives the sense of seclusion that eliminates this ever-present thought. Additionally, the impression of privacy is given to your co-workers as well as you. Without a panel, your workspace seems open and inviting, encouraging others to speak with you during work when you desire seclusion. With a panel, however, your workspace seems reserved and personal, discouraging others from entering uninvited. This allows you to focus on your own work without several interruptions and without the sense of being watched. However, your workspace is still easily accessible and allows your co-workers to visit you without trouble.

3. They block distracting noise.

Along with the constant visual activity, an office is a noisy place. This noise can range from co-workers talking beside the water cooler, phones ringing and co-workers speaking to clients, noisy machinery such as a fax machine, or perhaps a waiting room nearby with customers chatting. All of this is normal and to be expected of an office, but is incredibly distracting, especially if your work requires intense care to detail or if you experience trouble focusing already. With a privacy panel, although too thin to literally block out the noise, the barrier will create a subconscious separation from the rest of the room, allowing your mind to block out the noise in a way you cannot do when open to the entire room.

4. They help prevent sickness.

During the flu season, an office can be a hotspot for sickness which spreads rapidly between employees. Workers touch the same surfaces, use the same facilities, breathe the same air, and communicate in close proximity, making it ideal for spreading germs. With a privacy panel, you are creating a real obstacle between yourself and your co-workers, blocking airborne sicknesses to a noticeable extent. With this, the odds of catching a sickness are greatly reduced, while still allowing you the necessary connection between workers.

5. They give you a sense of ownership

A workplace should inspire creativity and the motivation to work towards your greatest potential. A privacy panel is low in cost and easy to assemble, creating a secluded and intimate workspace that cultivates all those positive emotions. With this addition, you are adding your own personal touch to your office space, creating a sense of customization and ownership. This will make you feel more comfortable and authoritative, encouraging a sense of prospect and ability. With this newly endowed sense of control, you will have the enthusiasm to take on your work.

Conclusion:

An office is a place to create and develop, no matter what your chosen field. If you wish to work to your maximum potential, producing the service necessary to rocket you forward in success, you must feel comfortable in your workspace. With the help of a privacy panel, you can cultivate that ideal workspace in a simple but efficient way.

In our business, we see space as an entity where productivity takes place.

Everything we design and create is meant to meet your needs and, at the same time, create an efficient workspace where people are motivated to produce quality outcomes.

As you probably know, desks, dividers and office chairs steal the show in the typical office set-up. But there are small touches that can add a significant amount of value to your workspace and meeting rooms. Tack boards are one of those details.

Why Tack Boards?

Imagine the typical meeting in your office, or any office for that matter. What typically happens is your colleagues and you take your seats, flip open your laptop or notebook and start taking notes and suggesting ideas at the appropriate time.

Opens Up Another Avenue of Communication

This traditional scene, in a certain sense, creates collaboration. Ideas are thrown around, topics are debated and decisions are made. But remember, this type of meeting only caters to extroverts and those with enough confidence to speak up. Other team members might have great ideas but never voice them because more aggressive personalities take over.

Tack boards allow this discussion process to take a more democratic turn. Ideas can be written down and tacked up on the wall for all to see. This method of idea generation gets results – everyone is writing down ideas – while allowing for more introverted employees to share their perspectives through writing.

Ideas are Up for Everyone to See

Another aspect here that benefits perceived productivity is that the ideas your team creates are visible. You can see them pinned up on tack boards. This has a couple of benefits.

We just mentioned that the sense of productivity goes up, which is important. Even if your meeting is making slow progress, ideas and initiatives fixed to tack boards give visual markers that communicate something is happening.

Aside from that, tack boards can save people who have to step out of a meeting for a phone call or become distracted. Once their call is over or they conclude their mind wander, they simply look to the tack board to understand what was discussed.

An Element of Visual Vitality

Let’s add another dimension to the visual nature of tack boards: style. Meeting rooms, as you’ve probably noticed, don’t put a premium on looks. Most likely you’ve got a decent table, several chairs and a conference-call station somewhere in the room. And that’s it.

From the outside, your conference room looks like a bland, Spartan space. “Bland” rarely inspires the kind of creativity and critical thinking you need out of your meetings.

When you add tack boards to the mix, you open up dozens of design possibilities. Just take a look at our tack board page.

We aren’t the only ones in the office business offering tack boards, but we definitely take pride in the options you have for color, shapes and sizes. You won’t be limited to bland, square tack boards that only come in uninspiring brown hues.

OBEX lets you choose between 20 different colors and 10 different shapes. To get an idea of what kinds of shape and color combinations are possible for your meeting room, click here to download our tack board brochure. It features six different examples and includes all 20 colors and 10 shapes.

What Others Are Saying About Tack Boards

We did a little research to find out how other companies are using/talking about tack boards. The HT Group, a human capital company based in Austin, Texas, ran a great article about the importance of creating office spaces optimized for getting things done.

Among their suggestions is implementing tack boards along with high-top tables and write-on surfaces in order to spur productive planning and brainstorming sessions. We think this is a great insight based on what we know about today’s office trends.

The new workforce desires an open, collaborative space where interactions happen easily. Tack boards play a part in fostering a collaborative environment.

We also read an Inc. article about improving company break rooms. There are plenty of good suggestions in here, one of which is boosting the break room’s decorations. Vibrant, visual spaces promote conversation and creativity. Part of that equation includes tack boards, which serve the dual purpose of adding flare to otherwise monotonous walls and providing a surface for the expression of ideas.

Questions About Tack Boards?

Remember how we said tack boards are part of the new movement toward a collaborative work space? That’s an important point, because it means adding them to your meeting room or break room takes on a new meaning that may not have been around 10 or 20 years ago.

So take a second to rejuvenate your preconceptions about tack boards. Stop by the page we created for them and try and visualize what they’d look like in your workspace. Then, contact us and we will help you put your vision into practice.