Commercial real estate and architectural design firms are all buzzing about the latest article from Steelcase. The office furniture manufacturer is making some bold predictions about upcoming trends that will affect everything from space management to furniture purchases. Many of these trends will mesh well with the use of cubicle extenders, desktop mounted privacy panels, and other cube accessories. For example:

1. The trend toward moving cubicles into a “wagon train” circle around a central conference area will mean employees are breathing down each other’s necks more than ever. They’ll need a higher panel in back or in front to feel like they have some visual privacy. Steelcase suggests that workstations will need to have a door as well. There are several sliding and rolling cubicle screen accessories on the market that fit the bill from manufacturers such as Quartet and Teknion.
2. Shared private enclaves (created out of space saved with smaller and more efficiently spaced cubicles) will also need to be shielded from surrounding areas. High acoustic panels can help bring the noise down a little in these areas. Since they can be mounted to any standard table, desk, workstation, or bench surface with our universal mounting hardware, creating an impromptu privacy pod will be simple.
3. Employees who are in the office more might get more perks such as bigger cubicles. Since these non-mobile workers are stuck in the middle of the buzzing office all day, some will probably also crave cubicle panel extenders. These can be added based on job type, location, and employee preference.
4. Finally, as more and more high-level workers with traditional offices are moved out in the open to conserve space, they won’t want to give up all the privacy they once enjoyed. Our panel products can help ease the transition for these employees. The culture shock of moving from a private office into a cubicle can be mitigated by creating a more secluded atmosphere within the workstation.