Inspiration, Insight and Ideas.
Spring / Summer 2014
Insight
Sleeping on the job, the evolution of office culture, productivity in the workspace, and the future agency. An Insight & Ideas Paper by Form & SB Studio
e r u t u F As the twenty-four hour, seven-day working week spirals, the possibility of achieving a work-life balance is proving an elusive goal for us all.
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Employees are working more, earning less and have less time for family and activities. But, the workplace is still many things to many people, especially for those for whom the 9 to 5 is no longer the standard. The workplace has become a meeting place, a social space, a source of identity, a source of comfort and a second home for some.
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How we work has changed, the places we work in have changed even more. It’s about studio culture, inspiring, informing, living, sharing, breathing, and working all under one roof. It’s about redefining and reimagining the workspace. We are all striving for balance. That is why it is so important to understand the culture of a workplace before deciding on its design, the way it is managed and the specification of the products used to help provide this balance. The evolution of the office has changed our relationship with the workplace. The current workforce is overwhelmed with challenges that continue to threaten work-life balance. As the twenty-four hour, seven-day working week spirals, the possibility of achieving a work-life balance is proving an elusive goal for us all. Some see positive benefits in the blurring boundaries between the office, factory and home life, as new technologies and changes in business structures provide opportunities for greater control over how, when and where our paid work is performed. The struggle is getting employers to see the links between the workplace and the well-being and productivity of the people who work in it and understanding that the relationship between work, rest and play needs to be a focus.
The way we use our offices, the way we choose to interact and share with other colleagues and carve out space to focus alone, is pivotal to design trends in the workplace. It important that companies offer flexibility for when physical and emotional spaces overlap, as it can increase productivity, reduce absenteeism and positively impact a businesses’ bottom-line. The benefits of providing quiet spaces and areas for recreation dedicated to taking a break, can better support the weary worker’s needs for rejuvenation — to unplug and unwind. Such spaces are being designed by offering a cosier environment and to reflect more personal homelike rooms. Like a living room, which benefits from softer tone colours, comfortable furniture with moulded form soft seating that is ergonomically designed and natural light supplemented with ambient lighting in task areas. Other social spaces such as ‘chillout’ zones (ping-pong tables, table football, micro-gyms and yoga areas) are filtering into mainstream office design, as they encourage social interaction and allow us to change our focus, which is essential both visually and emotionally.
To strike the right balance in a well-designed workplace means providing a mixture of spaces in which people can enjoy anything from complete openness to partial or total privacy. Investing in a healthy, happy workforce and personalising the workplace should be a key consideration for companies. An important part of the design process is learning and understanding the culture of the workplace, think of it not like an office, but like a house, where it should be comfortable and livable and where employees can get their job done.
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NASA sleep researchers have found that a power nap of just 26 minutes can boost performance by 34 percent. Another NASA study found that napping significantly increases working memory, the ability to focus attention on one task while holding other tasks in memory, which is critical when performing complex work.
The average employee in the UK spends just 29 minutes eating their food, most often as they work at their desk, so in essence having no break or rest at all. The problem this creates is that our brains are changing in response to the evolution of work patterns and the technological environment around us. We could all benefit from a positive cultural shift in the workplace. A recent report by one of the world’s largest architectural practices, commissioned a survey of 90,000 people to find out what made them most effective at work. Gensler’s report concluded that the most significant factor in workplace effectiveness is staying focused.
Fast Forward Thinking — Productivity in the workspace. We are all living in a workaholic society, logging longer hours than ever before and taking the office home with us. There is also still a huge culture of lunch-break denial in the UK, as many employers think that taking time out from the office is unproductive.
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A further report from CABE, the then Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, found that the ability of employees to carry out their work increases by an average of 38 percent, if they are able to focus on what they are doing. James Maas a sleep expert and social psychologist, consults on workplace sleeping and productivity for Harvard, IBM, Goldman Sachs, and Blackrock. Maas coined the term ‘power nap’ 36 years ago and recommends employees nap for 15-minutes when they feel sluggish to restore a sense of vitality to the workday. Maas highlights that sleep is a ‘necessity, not a ‘luxury’ and adequate sleep is arguably the most important element of productivity and focus. We can underestimate not only our ability to focus on tasks, but also how important it is in terms of doing them well and accomplishing goals.
To make the most of your nap, experts say, rest in a cool, dark room and limit your nap to 20 or 30 minutes. Cue the Ostrich Pillow — a new product hand-crafted in Spain, that provides the perfect conditions to enable easy power naps anytime, anywhere. The Ostrich Pillow provides a microenvironment in which to take a creative power nap to boost productivity and focus, without needing to leave your desk, chair, bench or wherever you may be. The Ostrich Pillow Family (yes, there’s more of them) was designed by Kawamura-Ganjavian (Studio KG), an architecture and design studio based in Madrid, who drew inspiration from observing lifestyle changes: 30% of us sleep less than 6 hours per night, leading to growing health problems, poor performance and even falling asleep unintentionally in the workplace. “Seeing as we all spend more and more time at work, in front of a computer screen or travelling, we thought why not create something that helps us disconnect and refocus?” explains designer Ali Ganjavian. At FORM, we find that we are happiest and work best when we’re relaxed. Just because we’re relaxed, it doesn’t mean we’re not working hard. To get away from our workplace for a short period of time, means we can positively detach ourselves psychologically as well as physically.
Forward-thinking companies like Google and AOL Huffington Post are realising that sleep is an important pillar of health and if they’re interested in maintaining employee well-being and improving the performance of their knowledge workers, they need to do something to allow people to get rest during office hours. Power naps can boost our brains, including improvements to creative problem solving, verbal memory, perceptual learning, objective learning and statistical learning. They can also help us with analytics, logical reasoning, our reaction times and symbol recognition.
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Quiet Joy: Soundproofing Never Looked So Good Normally, when you think of insulation, you think of ugly pink foam to be hidden in the walls. But today we’re seeing blends of wood, wool, cement and water — as graphic wall art that is also insulating and soundproof.
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Noise and visual distraction can have a direct impact on staff health and productivity. Providing the optimum level of acoustic performance is never an easy challenge which is why it is important to ‘help’ surfaces and spaces in the best way possible to create a pleasant acoustic environment, in which staff can stay both creative and focused. One of our newest obsessions is with Swedish industrial design studio Form Us With Love. Since their creation in 2005, the agency has used design as a catalyst to position the design brands of tomorrow. BAUX, their latest venture, explores two of the world’s oldest building materials, combined to create unique acoustic wall panels. The combination is simple and ingenious, resulting in an environment-friendly, recyclable material made from wood, wool, cement and water. The material structure reduces reflection of sound, absorbs sound, dampens noise and contributes to restful acoustics in residential buildings, industrial premises and public spaces. BAUX Acoustic Panels meet the contemporary expectations of architects, engineers and builders, without compromising on safety and environmental standards and can be combined to create beautiful patterns that can be mounted magnetically or fixed with glue.
The current trend for big, open plan offices and the greater use of mobile phones and other technology in the workplace, has also focussed attention on acoustics
Different room environments also require different types of sound absorbing products. The current trend for big, open plan offices and the greater use of mobile phones and other technology in the workplace, has also focussed attention on acoustics. The lack of privacy, both in terms of hearing what other people are saying and having their own conversations overheard, is often cited as a major frustration at work. The idea for the PhoneBox by PROOFF is the direct result of careful observations made in work and public space. ‘Public and Private’ is the idea in which the PhoneBox offers a quiet space to settle amidst the ‘busying’ situations of an open environment. It opens up a new space within an already existing one and the enclosure creates a muffling effect from the outside noise allowing the user not to be disturbed.
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Form, Function & Fabric We love fabrics, not just any old fabrics, but the most advanced, adventurous, environmentally sensitive fabrics in the world, that celebrate colour, design, technical and environmental innovation.
With such a comprehensive range to choose from, here’s our spotlight on two of Camira’s newest textiles.
First up is Silk, a beautifully constructed dobby weave fabric created with a three-tone tweed effect, rich in colour and dimension. Made from a blend of three natural fibres, silk, flax and wool, it is luxuriously tactile and is inherently flame retardant. The silk element is recycled content derived from ‘noils’, which are the short fibre waste remnants from the combing process before spinning. Century is our second pick for the pioneering design and production and ground-breaking eco-story. Not one to rest on their laurels, Camira is leading the way in upcycling the cloth sacks into a higher value designer upholstery fabric with a unique story. Fuelled by the desire to create a fabric from both rapidly renewable and recycled raw materials, Century is an industry first fabric made from recycled jute from coffee sacks blended with natural wool.
Today’s coffee culture means that millions of coffee sacks are used by retail chains every year, with many ending up either in landfill or down-cycled into low value materials. Taking empty hessian sacks used to transport cocoa and coffee beans, processing them through rag pulling machines to turn the sack back into jute fibre for upcycling into yarn and fabric. This fibre is blended with wool and spun into yarn before being woven into fabric, with spinning and weaving carried out at our own facilities. The end product is a traditional ‘houndstooth’ check, woven in a robust double cloth and softened with a natural twist. The design draws on Camira’s rich heritage to create a modern interpretation of a textile classic with unique environmental positioning.
Textiles should be celebrated for their innovation & sheer beauty.
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The Future Agency Our competitors are our new collaborators, and customers the new designers, marketers and retailers. Benji Holroyd, Creative Director of SB Studio, talks to Insight about his agency, collaboration, and investing in your brand.
“In cities like Liverpool, we are beginning to rely on collaboration as an answer to our problems, microbusinesses are springing out of the environment harmoniously.”
Brands once had to rely on themselves to create products, and on customers to buy them, they could also rely on competitors to do the same. Now we’re seeing a web of interdependency emerging in which a brand’s competitors are its new collaborators, and customers are the new designers, marketers and retailers. Until recently, these relationships have been novel and voluntary, but today they are essential for survival. And as more independents emerge we see ourselves in an era of symbiotic branding. Fast becoming the natural state for brands of all sizes that are eager to maximise the benefits of appeal to a customer base that is increasingly open. We’re seeing more and more brands that continue to operate with a silo mentality, being left behind by competitors that are maximising the creativity, draw and customer base of their network. This push towards a more symbiotic approach to doing business and designing brands is underpinned by interdependent factors. In cities like Liverpool, we are beginning to rely on collaboration as an answer to our problems, microbusinesses are springing out of the environment harmoniously.
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It’s prompting a revolution in studios and behaviour, as agencies like ours converge and assimilate further with peers and customers. This offers rich opportunities for brands willing to relinquish the traditional agency and converge with others. At SB we work hard to form new platforms, networks and communities for our clients that deliver a longer term value. It’s a refreshing and exciting way of working that enhances creativity in the workspace. The studio ethos is to look for new opportunities, we make design tools work harder for the client, new ideas, and new ways of working. Our clients, come in all shapes and sizes — from start-ups to international corporates. The size of a brand, you might say, is less important than what you do with it. And we get excited about what you can do with brands. We’re regularly approached by start-ups in need of branding but often held back a lack of funds available to take the business to the next level or even get off the ground. We offer our clients an option of partnering with us — instead of charging a fee we’ve worked for equity and a share of profit. It’s SB’s way of putting our money where our mouth is we get to prove our cause for great branding and design. Our business is built on results and effectiveness is something we pride ourselves on. The prospect might be a small business now, but we look at the longer term vision, whatever that is, it’s unlikely to be a one-off. Building a brand is a long-term process. Each project is a chapter in the story. A step along the journey. A small thing, perhaps, but one that appreciates the larger vision, and plays a vital role in bringing it to life. Small, but big. A bit like us, really.
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SB Studio is an ideas agency. Delivering creative solutions with meaningful results for ambitious forward thinking brands. Tel 0151 709 5635 hello@sb-studio.co.uk sb-studio.co.uk
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Our consultative approach is hands on and personal, overseeing all elements of project management, delivery and installation. We are passionate about good design and are driven to curate a constantly evolving collection of contemporary contract furniture, lighting and accessories from around the world.
Recharge Technology is a subject that not only has profound implications for the way we work, but is also redefining our relationship with the way we design and interact with our surroundings.
As well as presenting designers with the challenge of visual privacy and acoustics, emerging technologies also present the opportunity to design for the use of third spaces, break out areas and public/private environments that people can move to with their mobile devices. The consumerisation of IT in the workplace is also a factor driving change, with the rise of BYOD (bring your own device) encouraging employees to use their personal technology within the workplace to improve productivity and satisfaction.
The versatility and convenience of the Aircharge product range allows designers to create environments anywhere to ensure users of the space never have to worry about losing power again. Creating ‘charge venues’ anywhere from VIP suites, catering and break-out points, to media hubs and press offices is easy, providing the ultimate convenience in wireless device charging.
Wireless or induction charging is an emerging trend that is helping to connect people, technology and spaces, presenting unlimited possibilities for the future of business and communication. This technology, called Qi, enables users to charge devices at their desk, during a meeting, or in a cafÂŽ, without the need for using cables or hunting around for power sockets.
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The New Nordic
More Beautiful Things for Everyday Use (or Vackrare Vardagsvara) is the phrase that Gregor Paulsson, then Director of the Swedish Design Council in 1919, summed up what he thought Scandinavian Design was all about. This term has since come to define a design aesthetic, a quality, an approach to life and style that is once again enjoying a revival internationally. From everything to detective fiction, cooking, fashion, art, architecture and design, the new Nordic way is winning over fans and followers everywhere. New Nordic might have become a bit of a slogan, but what exactly does it mean? The new Nordic generation (both makers and designers) are global, high-tech, lateralthinking people, with one eye on the commercial, and the other focused on their craft.
An obsession with quality and simplicity is evident in the working methods of the manufacturers — Scandinavians want to use what they have around them, in very honest ways.
An obsession with quality and simplicity is evident in the working methods of the manufacturers – Scandinavians want to use what they have around them, in very honest ways.
Which leads us to Stockholm Design Week, the world’s largest showroom for Scandinavian design, for both home and public environments. Every February, Stockholm turns into this great meeting place for designers, architects, specifiers and retailers to get a fresh fix of Scandinavian design. FORM got the chance to travel to studios, showrooms and the show floor of the fair to seek out the ideas, prototypes and products that will be making their way into our portfolio.
Here’s our round up of the beautiful things in lighting, furniture, interior objects and accessories that caught our eye: Hood, is an ideal solution for open plan environments, functioning both as a light source and a sound barrier, helping to create a more intimate space in the contemporary office landscape. It’s modular structure means that Hood can grow according to need. Clever stuff by the team at Form Us With Love for lighting company atelje Lyktan. All the products in newcomer One Nordic’s collection have been designed for the world we live in today — the space-saving items have been adjusted to
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pack flat, so they unpack and assemble with minimal effort and can easily be stored away. For example, the Bento chair comes as a kit and is fixed together with just one clamp. RBM’s Noor chair might not be new on the design scene, but we still love their sled base model, which has been awarded the highest Red Dot Design Award ‘Best of the Best’ in the category of ‘Product Design’. And last, but not least, little Sol by Norwegian manufacturer LK Hjelle, is a versatile stool with enough space for two people. Sol can easily can be a part of any room or space, stand freely, or decorate a wall or floor when not in use.
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New Ways of Working The world is constantly evolving – politically, economically, socially, technologically, and demographically – and the landscape of today’s workplace must adapt and transform to support these changes.
For the first time in the history, five generations are working side by side in the office and companies are faced with managing multi-generational working, each with their own style and requirements for their environment. When speaking about new working environments, the term Generation Y is one of the latest industry catchwords. Defined as those people born between the early 1980s to the early 2000s, Generation Y is the driving force in the on-going development of flexible working. Within the workplace their influence is felt in designs that are more open, relaxed and collaborative. We can expect a transformation of working practices over the next 20 years as Gen Y gain more influence over decision making within organisations and develop into the next generation of managers. Technology is also redefining our relationship with the idea of ‘space’ as it presents us with an opportunity to design for and manage them better. In the past, an employee might have just used a computer, but now there is the addition of a tablet and a smartphone too. Whether on a break, eating lunch or waiting in a lobby, employees are plugged in and switched on and therefore need to be able to answer a call, check e-mail or browse the Internet at any given moment. A recent study by Manchester Business School found that ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) is on the rise and companies need to ensure they are flexible enough to match this dynamic working style.
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There are solutions we can apply in the workplace that are based partly on culture and partly on design, with the provision of third spaces, acoustic break out areas and private work that people can move to with their mobile devices. Whilst technology is having a positive effect on workspaces, it is also the workplace environments’ least effectively supported activity in many companies. The physical environment plays a vital role and it falls down to both the design and culture of the workplace to offer an efficient way of working for employees. A Deloitte report on Global Human Capital Trends surveyed 2,500 organisations from around the world, to provide a broad and comprehensive look at the major challenges facing employers as they seek to attract and retain employees, engage with them, their work and organization and enable them to be happy and productive in their work. Results reported that two-thirds of those employees felt ‘overwhelmed’ at work with the need to create time and space to focus. There are signs that employers are increasingly aware of these issues and forward-thinking companies are understanding they need to strike a better balance between offering an open plan working environment and spaces that provide a better focus for employees to work productively. Booth and individual workstations enclosed by acoustic screens, can offer the perfect way of providing people with the acoustic and visual privacy they need, whilst remaining in an open plan office.
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From treehouses and sheds, indoor gardens, labs and adventure playgrounds. The workplace is changing. There is now a need to keep our spaces dynamic, active and engaging.
Google for example, employs a team to manage the process of creating the ‘perfect environment’, so their employees’ career remains productive from the day they start, to the day they finally decide to leave. David Radcliffe is Vice President of Google’s Real Estate and Workplace Services, a team that tests everything interior based from floor to ceiling, in what they call their “living lab”. The ability for individuals and teams to connect and communicate across the workspace, and for companies to easily reshape teams, workgroups and processes within the business, is calling for a greater need for agile ‘knowledge-based sharing’ that combines personal focus with group collaboration. Agile working is about bringing people, processes, connectivity and technology, time and place together to find the most appropriate and effective way of working to carry out a particular task. As more businesses encourage collaboration and creativity, there is more emphasis on employees working together, giving rise to the trend of the ‘third space’. Third spaces act as ‘destination’ areas accessible to everyone for everything from focused, individual work through to large community gatherings for co-working and knowledge sharing. As a result, office furniture is being designed for more casual and serendipitous opportunities for creative people to come together to connect, collaborate and create. Such spaces that Google has created for their creative people include ski gondolas in the Zurich office, a pub-like meeting room in Dublin and sidewalk cafe in Istanbul. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the office of the future. The design approach to any new office space should be purpose-led and always take into account function, brand and cultural requirements. The British Council of Offices highlights that organisations need to ensure that they adopt an office design, which is specific to their workforce and business needs. A design which can be tailored to individual preferences within the same space, in order to ensure that meets the expectations of their employees, but also works hard to ensure the organisation is as productive as possible.
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Form is an independent furniture consultancy and supplier for commercial spaces and workplaces. We work alongside occupiers, architects, developers, property agents, interior designers and specifiers, delivering furniture solutions for spaces, places, people and brands that are more considered in design.
Contract Furniture and Lighting ↓ Form Liverpool ↓ 48 Dunes Way Liverpool L5 9RJ London ↓ 5 St Johns Lane London EC1M 4BH
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Connect ↓ t. 0800 783 1550 hello @ by-form.net www.by-form.net
Design and Art Direction ↓ SB Studio Liverpool ↓ 31 Duke Street Ropewalks Liverpool L1 5AP
Connect ↓ t. 0151 709 5635 hello @ sb-studio.co.uk www.sb-studio.co.uk