Office Redesign

Following a link from Stack Overflow's blog on Microsoft's new research lab got me thinking more about how important it is for developers and the rest of the business world really, to have offices designed to help them be more productive.

I work for IBM and I can attest to how drab, corporate office designs can start to get to you after a while. While my office building is no Intel office layout, it was definitely designed with space efficiency in mind, not for those who are going to be working there.

I first read about how important office design is from Peopleware back in school and it has really stuck with me. Peopleware suggests that its more important that offices are designed for the developers than for space efficiency. Programming is a creative effort and it is very important to create an environment that caters to the developers. After reading Peopleware I have become much more aware of the change major companies such as Google, Intel, and Microsoft have begun to take heed of their developers and actually design spaces to spur creativity and team building.

A few changes I've begun to see in modern office designs:

• Open Space
• Individual Offices
  
• Whiteboards everywhere
• Reconfigurable spaces
• Natural Lighting
• Collaborative Spaces
  

It is really exciting to see that large software companies begin to design offices with actual human being in mind instead of mindless corporate drones of years prior. This isn't just for crazy smaller sized companies with office fetishes anymore. I hope to see more design that focuses on attention to detail that Microsoft's new office design and Joel Spolsky's Fog Creek office design.

After watching the Microsoft research office video, I feel like I might have some more energy talking about office layout. So this is it for now, but keep your eyes out for more articles on office layout and design in the future.

Office Design

While I haven't worked in a real office for even a year yet, there are some things I've become acutely aware of regarding my office space. Office design and layout is incredibly important to everyone and can have a large impact on how I work. While I'm glad I'm not stuck in a cube farm and actually have an office where I can shut my door, there are still some things I think all offices should have. Here are just a few of the things I would like to see in my office.

1. Ergonomic Chair


Image by: Crouching Donkey

I had the opportunity to use a nice ergonomic chair a few weeks ago and now I'm wondering how I still sit in a regular, barely adjustable chair. I was much more comfortable in the ergonomic chair and that allowed me to focus on my work better and for a longer period of time. My only problem with an ergonomic chair? They are pretty pricey, hopefully you can convince your work that you should be using an ergonomic chair.

2. Adjustable Desk


Biomorph Maxo

I like having a nice big desk like I do at work, but what I don't like is that its one huge hunk of desk. My desk also lacks the under-desk keyboard and mouse tray, this has been making me keep my arms in a much more uncomfortable position and it has been making my shoulders ache. I've also been interested in sit-to-stand desks lately because I get tired of sitting all day at work and standing for a while would also help me make sure I'm taking regular breaks to reduce fatigue.


3. Multiple Monitors


Image by: Alastair Tse

Right now I use my Lenovo T60p as my main computer, but I have two other desktops that are also being used. One of them runs without a monitor via VNC and the other uses a crappy old Dell CRT. As a developer, I would be so much more productive with at least two monitors, the studies, and developers using multiple monitors can't be wrong.

Those for me, are the most important changes I would like to see in my office. Hopefully I can start working towards a more ergonomic, and productive office space.