The changing workplace

By Kindra Christensen, Angie Nees, Abbey Huppenbauer, and Brad Leeper

February 18, 2021
The year 2020 showed us many things, including a new way to work. It forced us to implement change faster than we anticipated, and more successfully than we imagined it could have been. It also caused us to pause, step back, and reassess what the future might hold.

While we’ve seen many changes in how we do business, one thing that hasn’t changed is that the office culture is still vital for both productivity and employee happiness. Thanks to technology, in the past year we learned there are some tasks we can do at home and still remain productive, if not more so. Plus, virtual meetings can be just as effective, and at times more efficient, than face-to-face meetings. But there’s still something about a face-to-face interaction that creates a personal connection we strive for as human beings. These changes have altered our long-established office culture and have given us the implicit permission to move things to digital.

So, what comes next? Will the office as we know it disappear? What are we not willing to give up? How will the office footprint change? As designers, how will we design for the new workplace? How will these changes effect our office culture? With the past year behind us and the future ahead, these questions will guide us in reimagining our workplace.

TUNE INTO OUR PODCAST to hear the answers to these questions as our studio talks about discovering our greatest post-pandemic opportunities.