cubicle17

My employer is considering reworking the office’s floor plan soon, and the more I think about it, the more I realize that office floor plans are tricky. On the one hand, open floor plans are attractive and modern, but they practically invite interruption. On the other hand, cubicles are just rows upon rows of the same boring, uninspired modularity. Surely there’s some kind of middle ground, right? Is there a perfect way to setup an office? Perfection is subjective, but in this case, I think there’s something pretty close to it.

Let’s start with drawbacks. As I mentioned, open layouts can be a breeding ground for interruption. I firmly believe there’s a direct correlation between the size of the barrier between you and the person next to you and the inertia to asking a “quick question.” And no matter how “minor” these interruptions, they bring your focus to a screeching halt. This means that open floor plans, although attractive, aren’t always a good place to get things done. Cubicles, although modular, rarely live up to their original intent. My work area is exactly the same as the one next to me and the one next to that and so on, and the monotony literally kills my creativity. So this means that cubicles, although an “efficient” use of space, don’t come without side effects.

There are upsides, though. Open layouts are undeniably inviting; they’re less confined, they allow for more creative thinking, and they look good. I personally think open layouts feel more relaxed and less stable-like, but open layouts often lack what is the best thing about cubicles: privacy. The walls of the cubicle provide privacy because they are the physical barrier necessary to deter interruption, and fewer interruptions are a good thing.

So neither layout is perfect, but I think a compromise can be found. I think cubicles force too much rigor into an environment, so they’re out. In completely open layouts, no one has an assigned work area and that devolves into chaos, so they’re out as well. So we’re looking for something that isn’t a cube farm, but still has some structure. I think an quasi-open layout is perfect. In such a layout, people don’t face each other and are far enough apart to discourage unnecessary interruption, all while maintaining the open-layout appeal. Throw in a relaxed work-from-home policy, and I think this is an ideal work environment. It has enough structure for privacy and enough space to not feel confined—perfect. Now if I can just get my boss on board with this…