Back in 1968, when Herman Miller designer, Bob Propst, wrote The Office: A Facility Based on Change proposing the first open-plan panel system, he envisioned the possibilities of what an office should and could be. He studied the way people work and noticed that the problem with the traditional office was its inability to handle change. His invention of the Action Office was designed to express the individuality of each worker and the natural changes that inevitably occur over time.
Today, a lot has changed in the way businesses work, and our workspaces have continuously adapted to these changes. Some people like to criticize the cubicle for its lack of space, privacy, or flexibility, but in fact, it was these very details on which Propst grounded his reinvention of the workplace.
If we look at the changes that dominate the modern work environment, it is obvious that assembly lines no longer hold the prominence they once did. Collective intelligence has been credited for the expedited advancement of innovation and knowledge that has marked our generation. The “traditional” ways of conducting business have ceased to exist as workers now communicate across time zones through multiple portals at all different hours of the day. Every day is unpredictable and every industry is complex, and it is for these reasons that the cubicle is now more effective than ever.
The business world has begun embracing the impact of an individual’s work in place of merely the number of hours recorded on their time sheet. The more diverse an organization’s members are, the more opportunity for new ideas and knowledge to grow. Not everyone works in the same way, and even within the same office there may be very different work atmospheres from one department to the next. Each workplace needs to accommodate varying degrees of interaction or formality.
The overwhelming mentality behind criticisms of the office cubicle is based on misconception. People too quickly imagine a conforming office design that doesn’t suit the diverse needs of each employee. But this was the exact motivation behind the type of office Propst had in mind. The real beauty of the cubicle comes in its ability to be customized to fit any work style or space layout. The cubicle has the capability to divide one large space into an innovative work environment where solitude meets collaboration, and where each employee can continuously refashion the way they work.
While the cubicle has benefited businesses that thrive in a communal work environment, Herman Miller Ethospace cubicles can also create a more private space without architecturally secluding workers. Through added controls such as privacy doors, acoustic panels or elevated panels, each person can work amidst their team members while maintaining the option to eliminate distractions. Different employees work well in different environments, but not every department or project calls for the same amount of interaction. It’s structure is designed for mobility and alterations, allowing constant building and rebuilding as a workplace evolves. Organizations are constantly changing in all aspects from their employee size to their business strategy, and the ability of your workspace to adapt to these changes is imperative to their success.
Any negative undertones that the cubicle has adopted reflect only one side of the multiple functionalities it can serve. The ingenuity on which Propst developed the initial open-plan cubicle system have now led to the most innovative workspaces of all time. They accept and acclimate the inevitable change that we as humans owe our continued successes. The cubicle has evolved just as we have, and now, 45 years later, it has become the most dynamic and innovative component in the workplace.