Workplace Innovation

WORKPLACE + INNOVATION = ?

We have had some recent projects with larger companies and the subject of Workplace Innovation inevitably arises. We are doing some more comprehensive research on the subject, but here are some practical thoughts on this timely topic.

The study of workplace innovation has kept designers and furniture companies alive for over 50 years. As we emerged from the industrial age and wartime production, a new era of work began. We were generating content in new ways. Largely paperwork that required sedentary but efficient activity. We created the office.

This spawned the birth of office systems and space planning. Paired with the modernism mantra of 'a house is a machine for living' the workplace became 'a machine for economic prosperity'. Early design in this marketplace was innovative but clumsy. Military-like regimen that worked so well in factory production lines was reinterpreted as the office workplace with the expectation of similar outcomes. 

In General

Over a few generations of design evolution, patterns have begun to appear that challenge the aspiration of precision workplace engineering design.

Professional workplaces are not intellectual factories. Meaning, what works so well in product production line design does not correlate to intellectual production design. One is linear, the other dynamic. One requires isolation of activity, the other collaboration. One rejects human subjectivity and intuition, the other relies on it.   

We are not machines. Regardless of our setting- factory or professional office. While we embrace the systems created to make our work easier and efficient, we don't aspire to to structure our lives similarly. Beauty, joy and romance are wildly inefficient and subjective, and that is a good thing.

The workplace is more than a vessel for commerce. It is the physical manifestation of a companies vision, culture and value proposition. It speaks volumes.

So what does that mean in 2015? 

The design of the workplace is part of your competitive distinction. Companies typically think of competitive distinction externally. But if you want to attract the best and brightest, you'd better offer a great place to spend the day. Your business will do better, its a fact.

The workplace is becoming increasingly more dynamic. Our culture is moving away from static office environments. The ability to work where you want  with no loss in connectivity or effectiveness is still relatively new, but significant. This simple shift has been the awakening of the entrepreneurial community, and will soon define the traditional office environment.

The next generation thinks, acts and works quite differently. This is not an evolutionary development, its revolutionary. Leadership in the current workplace is well advised to narrow the chasm and seek to understand the opportunities here.

Strategy and Tactics.

Here are some of the things we do for our clients when designing workplaces. 

Build a diverse team. If you are designing new workspace, engage associates from across the spectrum in your organization. Its a little more work, but you get surprising insight. let your designer be the referee, have them work to filter the input so you have the tools to make good decisions.

Consider the entire workplace ecosystem. Space planning in a vacuum may be efficient, but will result in narrow uninformed results. Similarly, your marketing platform or human resources policies may not seem relevant, but a careful designer will see these types of things are part of the workplace experience and want to build around these

Engineer around What you do, Design around Why you do. This aims squarely at the next generation. Many competent designers can engineer your workplace to high levels of efficiency. But a true designer will manifest and articulate your core tenets- the WHY in your company and share it with customers, employees and candidates. Your workplace will develop a culture and brand that is honest and consistent with the vision of the leadership.

What's next

We keep up with innovation, the old guard and the next generation. Here's what we see:

Speed vs. Quality- I carry the complete library of data for all my projects in the palm of my hand. Generating content, sharing it, and making decisions is no longer restricted by time or place. We will need to adapt to make sure this ease and speed is leveraged, but does not come at the expense of thought and consideration. Hurry up and wait.

The narrowing gap between commodity and experience. Walmart told us that you must exchange experience and design quality for economy. Target says not so fast. Zappos just wants you to be happy, but still get your stuff fast and easy. Boutique brands that are difficult and overpriced are losing. We can design a beautiful experience, we can deliver efficiently too. We can be crafted and authentic, and we can be competitive with anyone. Raise the bars- all of them. 

Laggards and Innovators- Much of the leadership in our economy are laggards- flip phones and aol email addresses. Much of the next generation are innovators- Facebook is already last week and Apple is falling behind. We'll look to pair these- because the depth of experience of the leadership is profound and the nimble disposition next generation is too. Effective partnering can make really great work.  

   

Environment does not play the lead: #4 of 4 in the VIBE series

This graphic a map of the Fairmount neighborhood in Philadelphia, where I grew up. This environment had profound influence on me in a variety of ways: 

I saw the built environment as a cultural vehicle. And a machine. And a tool. And Fabulous.

I learned an environment is a very complex construct.

I was thrilled by the prospect of shaping and influencing the human experience.

Fabulous- Walking through the studios of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, into Foodstuffs Grocery just down the street, or strolling through the iconic John Wanamaker department store. These are just a few of the thousands of environments that shaped my world view. Each distinct, each designed with purpose. 

Complex- I stand in the reading Terminal Market. What is happening. Everything, all at once. The amount of energy is phenomenal, and contagious. I used to stand still there and try and observe everything- the sounds, smells and sights- and the character of each. Sensory overload in the best way

Thrill- To dance in that place where your role is integral to that complex, fabulous experience is a unique combination of opportunity, responsibility, authenticity and innovation. A lot all at once. 

Consider:

Your environment can have positive, neutral or negative effect on your brand. When designing, consider this at every point. Different points will have varying degrees of impact- but everything has some impact. Avoid anything in the negative category.

The connection between your environment and brand is direct- both internally and externally. The stronger the tie, the better. 

People are visual, and while we filter a good amount of 'noise' it still gets registered at some level. Appearance matters. 

Genuine trumps facade. You environment should speak to your core values, when it works, it reinforces the other key aspects of your organization. The Wizard of Oz approach is tantamount to lying, and people will see through it. It's especially toxic to your internal culture.

Ultimately your environment is just a part of the entire equation- and it does not play the lead. Architects and Interior Designers pretend the building or space define the tenor of the experience. No. Culture, engagement, service, and product win every time. The environment is merely a vessel in service to this larger objective.

Action

If you are launching an idea, its a great time to lay the perfect canvas from which to grow. Determine the basics, get them right and fill it out over time.

If you have an existing organization, assess your current environment and honestly review it relative to your brand. You might also ask a friend or peers to do the same, they will see it with fresh eyes. If your place needs work, make a list of these things in hierarchy. Many substantive improvements need not be very disruptive or expensive. If it is a total mess, make a plan to move on. 

Hire a design professional. We do a fantastic job with this kind of work, but so do many others. A great designer will read you well, and design a place that is an honest extension of you, your brand and your aspirations.   

Who are you? IDENTITY The second in the VIBE series

IDENTITY

As a father of three teenagers, I see my children's identity develop over the course of years. But really, their identity was authored long ago, in their early years. It's in their teen years that it begins to be articulated and expressed outwardly. 

Companies and organizations are remarkably similar. New organizations establish their identity almost immediately, and mature ones merely need to look deeply to see their true core that has been lost in the layers of time. 

Here's the hard part- like the awkward teenage years can be. The outward expression and articulation that is authentic and individual. Connecting the dots of your new Vision or restoring life to the core tenets that started it all. This is a wonderful creative opportunity, and we enjoy walking our clients through the process.  There are dozens of ways to get to a Identity design, here are some things we do in the process:

We ask character questions- like are you song, or dance? or both?? Order or chaos? Tucked or untucked?  These seek to get to the familiar character- what would your organization be like among friends.

We ask benchmarking questions- like what kind of watch are you (Timex or Rolex, or maybe Swatch?) How about a car, or a chair? These are things that have broad, common outward definition in the marketplace. They are not prescriptive, but certainly descriptive.

Last (sort of) we ask energy questions- balanced or dynamic? Walking, running or sprinting? A ball of energy or a measured dose? These start to give clues to the internal culture and how that might lend to the design.

Last, (really) we get subjective. Cruise the interwebs, places like Pinterest. Find stuff you love, for whatever reason. There is a lot out there- some of it is really good, most is marginal. But its worth spending time there.

With all that in our hands, we go to work. The process is chaotic by design, with an overlay of system. Studies range in media, color, character and form. Trying to describe how we get across the chasm to a solution would be impractical, it just happens. Maybe it's magic.

Final notes: be adventurous, rigorous and engaged in the design process. You'll wear your identity everyday, it's got to be right.

Here is some process work we have in the studio right now. 

Have Fun!

Design is fun. Really. We forget that simple notion sometimes. The joy on a clients face, people smiling as they experience your work, and making good things. So fun. And while we are pretty serious at times, and invest ourselves to an absurd degree in our work- we dance, sing and smile too.

News and Interesting Stuff

Vision, Identity, Brand, Environment. A case study of The Charles Luck Stone Center

This morning we gave a presentation for the Creative Change Center Breakfast Club.

We began the (very early) morning by giving the talk some context- our presentation is relevant to the current economic challenges we all face. The best strategy right now is to think creatively, to embrace a strong vision, develop tactical and strategic paths to both manage through the current climate and to prepare to emerge in recovery. If businesses are not in some dimension of reinvention, they will fail.

It is fair to say 'recovery' will have us all working in many different ways. There is significant cultural change afoot and to some extent for all of us, the nature of our product or service business will change.

The Charles Luck study is a great example of Vision, Creativity and a Distinctive approach.

In the beginning, there was a clear and audacious vision- Charles Luck will redefine the nature of commerce in the stone industry. This was the message from Mark Fernandes, the company president. This is What he wanted to do. The Where, Why and How were yet to be determined.

We mapped the process- word, sketches, connectivity diagrams, touchpoints. All of the contributing components of articulating a vision. This point is crucial- we conducted a charrette that engages the owners and their representatives- from executives to front line. We create and objective forum that facilitates the creation of a design language- authored primarily by the owners.

The Conceptual Master Plan- Defining the Brand Environment- We work in the cross section of Architectural and Brand 'Master Planning' because it is the careful integration of these perspectives that makes strong work. The resulting Master Plan becomes a tool for the Design Team, Owner and other consultants to refer back to during the entire project

To wrap it up we displayed a wall of touchpoints- all the ways you might encounter the brand

Like a our communication diagram we posted a while back- these points are interconnected, and there is no clear hierarchy. With a strong base in your vision and strategy, the path to defining these touchpoints will be clear(er).

To bring it full circle- we encourage everyone to assess their unique irreducible assets- something you own and own alone. Consider your marketplace- how can you redefine the paradigms in your industry to expand and grow your work in ways previously considered impossible. It's this kind of activity that will keep your business relevant and positioned for future success.