The evolution of custom office furniture(2)

Based on these findings, Herman Miller, First Action Office and Second Action Office started two lines of furniture.

Action Office I have different sizes of desks and work areas to suit the uniqueness of the people using them. The downside? The line is expensive, difficult to assemble and not ideal for corporate groups. Is there room for upside? It won the Alcoa Product Design Award.

The second row is the second action office. This row is an introduction to what we call an office cubicle. This moveable wall unit is the opposite of the first attempts to use bespoke furniture. The line is interchangeable, easy to install and assemble and above all versatile, so the company is able to change its floor plan as required.

Let's work together: a shared revolution

The cube eventually becomes a little too quiet. A bit monotonous As companies crammed more and more cubicles into smaller office spaces, thus creating cubicle farms that were too close for comfort.

So as new technology companies began to invade and disrupt everything including office norms, we returned to the open plan office space. The openness and freshness of the walls falling down, wall cooled desks, chairs and other furniture converge with your peers working together on cool projects. The idea is to create an environment that promotes dialogue, transparency, collaboration, innovation and allows employees and employers to sit side-by-side on the same playing field.

Although not technically a new idea, after years of closed multidimensional data sets, the Open Office initiative was a new concept. It worked ...... until distractions increased, work performance dropped, sick days became frequent, and people started complaining about their chatty colleagues always interrupting them, how their bosses were constantly looking over their shoulders, and how they couldn't do it. Don't be left alone for a minute.

Just like cubicles were copied, the open office scheme has been copied by larger companies from their smaller counterparts because it's the popular practice, not because it applies to a specific environment. As every company has a different culture, mission and customs, so should their office space.

Now, let's go back to the collaborative environment where we started. Shared spaces have the upper hand over open plan office schemes in private or corporate offices because they are very similar to the common goal of collaboration, innovation and giving people a sense of belonging, all without a hierarchy.

Let's take this a step further ...... as we can set up office space almost anywhere from a restaurant/bar to a hotel lobby to a YMCA to a 'whole office', so the design of office furniture needs to evolve with the human element in mind.

The furniture needs to be intimate, comfortable, functional and inspiring. It should allow colleagues to collaborate in common areas, work independently in office seating areas, or meet with clients or groups in 'crowded' rooms or spaces. Don't forget areas where people can relax, think and have time before starting work.

The idea is to use contract furniture to create a multifunctional environment that moves beyond time and adapts to the way people work, rather than being an office trend. Whether it's a trend or a timeless one, ask yourself, just because everyone is doing it, is it right for your office?

In the US alone, more than 30 per cent of the more than 4,043 collaborative office spaces and companies that have invested in open plan office floor plans do not have a one-size-fits-all solution.

What's next: the future is office seating pods

The debate continues about abandoning the open-plan office concept and returning to private spaces. But why can't the two co-exist? Sometimes you feel collaborative and social, and sometimes you just want to be left alone to get your work done in an office seating pod without interruption. There is no right or wrong; just personal preference based on the needs of the team. With the development of open plan or private office floor plans comes the design of bulky office furniture.

What are the trends in office furniture? "Hot" desks, "smart" office furniture, dedicated meeting rooms, office pods, "plant" offices and desk tops. Whichever trend you decide is best for your office space, it is certain that it is moving towards the privacy, intimacy and distraction-free nature of office pods.