SHAPING WORKSPACES a design proposal and research for a senior capstone project by Thuy Tran
Teleworking has revolutionized the immediate identification of the work place in the office to any space providing wireless connection. Our work activity occupies many different physical and virtual spheres, but how can we ensure our privacy is not invaded in these public workspaces?
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Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1: WHY
Primary Research: User profiles & Interviews Secondary Research: Understanding Space Tertiary Research: Project Precedents
Chapter II: HOW Project Statement Project Strategy Prototypes/ Feedback
Chapter III: WHAT Final direction & model
Toast Cafe Spruce Street, Philadelphia
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INTRODUCTION How do we create a space conducive to our needs? What is the function of the space? How do people want to be received/interact in these spaces? With wireless Internet available in almost every location; department stores, food courts, cafes, the general workspace has evolved outside of the office or classroom setting Any place can be a workspace now, BUT how do we modify the space we work in to fit our needs? How can we increase productivity?
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Chapter 1: WHY PRIMARY RESEARCH: USER PROFILES & INTERVIEWS SECONDARY RESEARCH: UNDERSTANDING SPACE TERTIARY RESEARCH: PROJECT PRECEDENTS
= electronic device = 1 Person = 1 Table
Windows
Entrance
About 24 people working in a cafe Approx. 1/2 people were work-
CAFE
“ I spend about half of my time working in public and I love it because there is more freedom giving me clarity of thought since I’m not confined to a small space in the office or distracted in the home.” -Jonathan
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“ Sometimes people forget that they’re in a public workspace even though it may be a cafe, it’s hard to let someone know that they are distracting without trying to be rude.” -Hannah
PRIMARY RESEARCH I started my research by observing people work in public spaces to get an idea of what “working in public� meant. About 1/2 of the people at the cafe were working on an electronic device: laptop, phone, tablet, etc and many situated themselves against the walls or at positions that would give them some sort of privacy to work. The information gathered from this mapping allowed me to understand that there are opportunities to organize the space with indicators to label the area as public or private or by designing a physical object to distinguish the space. Labeling could potentially increase productivity and reduce disturbances for people who want to work quietly.
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User profiles:
Students/ professionals who want to work outside of their usual environment in the home or office. Ages range from 18-40
Marlon- student
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Interviews:
After conducting interviews with people working at cafes, libraries, restaurants, and on the bus, I’ve learned that people enjoy working in public because of the potential engagements with others. This allows for people to have the option to talk and make connections with others, while not confined in a single space
Cassady- accountant
Andy- business consultant
QUOTATIONS “I work anywhere I have connection.”- Eric
“I’m really motivated by the environment, I sway with the crowd.” - Andy “Productivity increases when more people are around, you also get social interaction.” - Marlon
“It’s beneficial to work in a public space because you can get feedback from a variety of people specializing in different fields; usually you have to pay for their thoughts.” -Jonathan “Meeting of the minds”- Jimmy
“Working together is like the yawning effect, if you see one person working, everyone else will follow.”- Brian
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SECONDARY RESEARCH Understanding of intimate, personal, and social space were informed through my interviews with people in public working environments. I learn that people like to control their environments and when they cannot do this, working in public becomes uncomfortable. Where you position yourself has an impact on how you are perceived, the position or structure you are trying to portray, as well as territorial aspects you may be trying to convey with your physical positioning.
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“Workspaces must be free flowing, because you will be there to work with other people. America will be knowledge-based, and the only reason you will go to an office to interact,” Meckley says. “For this reason, we will see the demise of the cubicle.” “Continuing improvements in connectivity will enable incredibly fast and most importantly, simpler communication in coming years. Increased opportunities to plug into a network from anywhere at anytime in any number of ways will further free up workers from the constraints of an actual physical office in its traditional sense, allowing workers more mobility than ever before.” Davy, Jo Ann The Office of the Future This article confirms that connectivity is everywhere, making opportunities available for networking and productivity levels to increase.
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TERTIARY RESEARCH I continued my research by looking at existing precedents to understand how designers are already theorizing better uses for office furniture. LEFT: WorKit by Vitra This is a simple, logical and extremely flexible solution conveying a subtle impression for communicative office areas. WorKit can be easily reconfigured to meet changing requirements.
Joon Soo Kim “Hands on Chair” This accentuates the idea of private space. Having seating arrangements that are modular and fit together, allows people to control their particular environment. dna. Designed by Teknion The collection is comprised of interchangeable square seating units, movable backs or “bolsters,”
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An estimated 30 million Americans, or roughly one-fifth of the nation’s workforce, are part of the so-called Kinko’s generation, employees who spend significant hours each month working outside of a traditional office. “With technology what it is, it’s far easier to bring the work to the people than the people to the work,” says Jim Ware of the Future of Work “We now live in a society where cubicles are considered the corporate equivalent of a tenement,” says CEO Shaich. “What’s most efficient for business and employee alike is a measure of flexibility.” “Here, I get the stimulation of being with others who are working, but not the distraction,” he says. You’ve surely seen this crowd while popping in for that morning macchiato. They claim prime tabletops and battle for electrical outlets, all with the zombie-like gaze of people who physically are there but mentally are engaged with phantoms at the other end of a wireless signal. The real lure are stiff wooden benches, behind which are tucked dozens of precious outlets.
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Chapter II: HOW PROJECT STATEMENT PROJECT STRATEGY PROTOTYPES/FEEDBACK
PROJECT STATEMENT While working in the confines of your home is comfortable and relaxing, there are too many distractions that will deter you from being productive. At the same time, working in cafes will not give you ownership of your workspace. My capstone addresses the need for temporary privacy in nomadic workspaces for people who want it and conversation for those who are looking for the synergy of like minded individuals. I am designing a divider that will allow people to conducively shape their space. This exhibit showcases an idea of privacy in a public space.
PROJECT STRATEGY I will engage in rapid prototyping to further my research and discovery. This will inform me if having a physical object is more or less successful than having re configurable furniture. I am going to test to see success/failures of this idea that people will respect their space and that of others. I will give them ownership of their space and record the behaviors before and after testing.
PROTOTYPING Is the design a part of the space OR is it something that people carry with them? Figure something that will be there when needed and stores itself in another place when not in use
Explore collapsibility: Space saving and size reduction = redistribution of an object’s volume in order to reduce the practical space that it occupies They are functional doubles with two opposite states, one folded and passive, one unfolded and active. They grow and shrink, expand, and contract, according to functional need.
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“ The world is in flux. Life is a voyage. The circumstances under which man lives change, and so do his needs and wants. Collapsibles are a man’s adaptation to that changing world. Their elegant efficiency enhances his life-- your life-- on the move. Bon voyage!” -Per Mollerup
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Assembling Table Top Comprised of incremented slots which allow various sized divider combs to intersect and stand up to provide privacy for the user from their surroundings. The table is re configurable by the user, giving control and ownership of the space Feedback: Laser cut file was a bit off in measurements Asking too much of the user- people do not want to have to build Layout looks complicated, deterring the user from wanting to play
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Fan Box Portable, light, and practical, this is a masonite box with a series of folds with wooden slats for structure resembling a fan. The fabric blocks your neighbor but allows light to pass through without being completely disconnected from your surrounding Feedback: Although light, it was too bulky to carry. What lighter materials can be used for the exterior box? There should be a way for it to lock
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Folded stand A folded sheet that can stand freely and collapses for a neater appearance. Portable or can be something that is provided for users in that particular space Feedback: The leg base was not sturdy enough to stay balanced for a period of time. New materials needed. This isn’t small enough to be portable so where would this stay at the cafe?
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Fanning A large divider that is a part of the space. It does not completely disconnect people in public. Allows some visibility in between the wooden panels. Very minimal in design, it collapses completely when not in use and can be easily put away. Feedback: Where can it stay without being in the walkway? The base would have to be much heavier and more durable so that kids and adults cannot knock it over. How can the function be more intuitive?
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Next step Choose a direction with the most potential to model full scale
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Chapter II: WHAT FINAL DIRECTION & MODEL
FINAL DIRECTION The assembly table top had the most potential to turn into a bigger project because of the way in which it gave the user ownership of their space in public. There was more of a positive response to this concept because it eliminates the conflicting debate on whether the divider is a part of the space or if it is something that is portable. In this case, I propose to design a table that integrates the divider into the design by giving it the function to disappear when you do not need it, and to reappear when you want to allocate your space amongst others.
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PROTOTYPING Tabletop #1: A divider slides on all sides of the table. The tracks are underneath the table and allow the divider to slide in and out easily.
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PROTOTYPING Tabletop #2: A divider also slides through the center of the table and nests into the table top when it is not needed.
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TABLETOP #2 The sliding mechanism and storing system made this concept more promising. I decided to further develop this concept as my final prototype.
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SKETCHING In order to have the storing capabilities from tabletop #2, I need to design a full table. This table includes hollow panel legs, a divider, and the table top. I also want to provide sliding so I will need to design hardware that would allow the divider to easily slide on the underside of the table as it does in tabletop #1.
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TABLETOP Comprised of 4 layers of 1/2� birch ply, the tabletop has an H-cut in the center, providing space for the divider to slide down the middle and be stored on either of the shorter bars. In future models, I would like to utilize the CNC machine to make these complex cuts and engravings.
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PANEL LEGS Double layered panel legs have cavities inside to store the divider. The divider is connected to a piece of the table top that has finger holes to indicate that it can be played with. The inner layer of the panel leg is raised by an inch to allow the table top to snuggly fit and connect with the legs.
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DIVIDER & HARDWARE Originally, I was thinking to use U-bolts and alter them to be able to slide along T-tracks. I intend on using T- tracks and place them on the underside of the table so that it can be hidden and provide a more minimalistic look. The U-bolts would have hex bolts on the threaded part so that it can tighten and lock the divider in place. I cut half of the U-bolt to create a “J “ where one end meets the track and the other end is screwed into the bottom of the divider.
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HARDWARE After testing the J shaped hardware, I found that it was not stable enough and was definitely problematic so I redesigned the hardware. This time, I used flat bar, square rod, and a corner rod and welded them together to create a stronger looking “J “. The “curve” of the J is more rectangular now with a threaded hex bolt that catches the T-track. Now, the hardware is much stronger and more stable than before.
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FINAL PROTOTYPE Though the prototype was successful in providing a partition for public workspaces, it also provides a more complicated way to divide space amongst individuals. Due to time constraints, utilization of the CNC machine did not make it to this project, though I would definitely try to make it work in the future. That would reduce the amount of time spent on making the table top by hand. Later iterations of this concept would make certain things more visible such as the way in which the hex bolts catch onto the T-tracks. The hardware for the tracks can also use more work to make it stay perpendicular without use of an added piece. Overall, the table encompasses the criteria I set which are that: it will collapse and is stored away when not in use, the divider will be able to slide by using T- tracks, all the while retaining a minimalistic aesthetic.
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Many thanks to my family, friends, and instructors for the never ending love, support, and guidance.