Innovative workspaces are becoming the norm for many progressive workspaces in America. From New York to Chicago, to San Francisco to Austin, there are plenty of cities with an eye for design and creativity in the work environment.
As technology and business continues to evolve, the word “office” has grown to encompass a much different landscape than it did 50 years ago. Our digital platforms — Zoom, Slack, etc. — have allowed us to collaborate in real-time with individuals across the globe. It might be 6 a.m. in England and your team is preparing to speak with a team in Hong Kong.
For many, these kinds of events have become a common part of the workday. So it’s no surprise that many companies are opting into a more progressive, creative, and energetic office environment. Rest, recovery, work, and play are becoming increasingly essential components of a healthy office. And many companies are even challenging the traditional 9–5 work day.
The Rise of Progressive Workspaces
Large businesses like Google, Lego, Facebook, and Dropbox are forgoing a traditional office space and branching out in creative ways to keep their employees happy and inspired. Creative and progressive workspaces aren’t confined to just design companies—many large tech companies, as well as start-ups, have chosen to pursue a more collaborative, experimental atmosphere. These environments allow employees to set goals for themselves and plan their day according to their own productivity.
Creative Amenities
Some of these major companies have many additional creative amenities in addition to a redesigned, organic workspace. For example, the Lego headquarters boosts a slide; Dropbox features a complete exercise room; other companies have treehouses, nap stations, and much, much more. TBWA, an ad agency in New York, encourages employees to change their desks every day to diversify their workflow, increase cross-collaboration, and ensure that your staff interacts.
The Effects of Innovative Workspaces on Employees
These workspaces allow for a proactive approach from the employees. Not only can they choose the space they want to work in at any time, but their schedules can become more flexible as well.
It might surprise some people but for many companies, the typical 9-5pm job is becoming obsolete. The entire idea of the modern office is to cater to the employees and their natural instincts to work.
Co-Working Spaces
Along with big businesses joining in this modernity change, creative, community office spaces are now emerging. Places like WeWork or The Wing are changing the way of office spaces entirely and catering to the needs of freelancers and remote workers. With a customizable setup allowing for individuals to rent out their own space, these enterprises present a completely new business model for the modern day office.
