About Mark Eltringham

Mark is the publisher of Workplace Insight, IN magazine, Works magazine and is the European Director of Work&Place journal. He has worked in the office design and management sector for over thirty years as a journalist, marketing professional, editor and consultant.

Posts by Mark Eltringham:

The new issue of Works magazine is available for you to read here

The new issue of Works magazine is available for you to read here

by • Premium Content, Workplace design

Bigger and better than ever, the digital edition of the new issue of Works magazine is available for you to read for free.Bigger and better than ever, the digital edition of the new issue of Works magazine is available for you to read for free. Print copies will be in the post soon. In this issue: we speak with Jonathan Hindle and Craig Jones, two stalwarts of the UK office design scene who continue to pioneer new ideas; our round table considers the challenges that arise when projects seem to cross the lines of professional demarcation and what happens when high profile examples such as The Elizabeth Line win awards outside of their supposed domain; we profile two projects that prove there is life in business districts yet; we showcase the latest winners of the Design Guild Mark; look at office trends in the thriving Polish economy; Rob Kirkbride reports from Chicago Design Week, as its two competing centres threaten to tear it apart; look back on Clerkenwell Design Week now the dust has settled; and there are all the regular features, news and commentary you need.

Navel gazing may not be the answer to the challenges facing workplace professions

Navel gazing may not be the answer to the challenges facing workplace professions

by • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace, Workplace design

An adherence to strongly held beliefs can make people think and behave in peculiar ways and get them tangled up in peripheral issues that take on a great deal of significance. Early religious artists, for example, spent centuries wrestling with the seemingly intractable problem of whether to depict Adam and Eve with belly buttons or not. (more…)

The Kafka trap of return to office arguments

The Kafka trap of return to office arguments

by • Comment, Flexible working

This month I witnessed somebody misapplying the work of Kafka in an attempt to make a middlebrow point about the so-called return to officeRecently, I bemoaned how Orwell is often invoked in support of an argument by people who haven’t read him. They are usually drawing on some laundered misperception of his work, and especially Nineteen Eighty-Four. Well, just a few days ago, I witnessed somebody misapplying the work of Kafka in a similar attempt to make a middlebrow point about the so-called return to office. (more…)

The enduring allure of workplace bullshit

The enduring allure of workplace bullshit

by • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

The sleep of reason and workplace bullshitAlthough the legend of Faust is one of the Germanic world’s foundational narratives, its archetypes and themes were already established by the time Goethe codified them in his 1808 play. They have since become universal. The idea that somebody would sell their soul to the Devil to gain something or rid themselves of unhappiness is as resonant now as it was in Renaissance Europe. It has inspired books films and artists to such an extent that its derivatives now have their own Wikipedia page.

(more…)

Moments of wonder can help to fend off depression and stress, research finds

Moments of wonder can help to fend off depression and stress, research finds

by • News, Wellbeing

A new peer-reviewed study published in the Journal Nature suggests that brief moments of wonder and amazement can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and stressThere’s a famously apocryphal story about the making of the 1965 biblical epic The Greatest Story Ever Told. During a rehearsal, John Wayne, playing the Centurion at the Crucifixion, was asked by director George Stevens to deliver his line about Jesus Christ being the Son of God “with awe.” So, in the next take, the actor changed the line from the Bible to: “Awe, truly this man was the son of God.” Turns out that a daily dose of awe may be just what we all need. A new peer-reviewed study published in the Journal Nature suggests that brief moments of wonder and amazement can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and stress, even in individuals coping with persistent physical and mental health challenges. (more…)

The shattering of self-image can be a very serious matter

The shattering of self-image can be a very serious matter

by • Comment

And when it’s information that challenges one of their core beliefs, or some notion they hold about themselves such as their self-image, the multiplying factors of cognitive dissonance can really start to stack up.It’s always fascinating to watch somebody deal with information that challenges their view on an issue. Doubly so when it’s somebody really, really smart. And when it’s information that challenges one of their core beliefs, or some notion they hold about themselves such as their self-image, the multiplying factors of cognitive dissonance can really start to stack up. (more…)

Office design and the office market are not what you might be led to believe

Office design and the office market are not what you might be led to believe

by • Comment, Workplace design

The future of office design is that the physical workplace will resemble nothing so much as an upscale hotel, right? Right?Over the weekend The Times published an article headlined “The ‘super-prime’ offices designed to lure WFH staff back in”. It described how firms are reshaping offices in the image of upmarket hotels, with enticing features such as gyms, childcare, cinemas, climbing walls, lounges and restaurants (run by Gordon Ramsay natch). These are luxury spaces to make the office worth the commute, as the cliché goes. Although the author concedes that this is largely a London phenomenon in the UK, the implication is that offices everywhere must ape this office design approach to some degree to meet the demands of the post-covid workforce. This is compelling stuff and not the first time you will have heard the argument. But, is it true? (more…)

Come fly with me. The new digital issue of IN magazine is here for you

Come fly with me. The new digital issue of IN magazine is here for you

by • IN Magazine, News, Premium Content

The digital edition of IN magazine 23 is now out and available for you here.The digital edition of IN magazine 23 is now out and available for you here. In this issue: why we act up at airports and what designers can do about it; the datacentre market is struggling to keep up with AI’s rapacious demand for resources; a review of the Workspace Design Show which keeps getting better; what a new generation of buildings can tell us about how to balance ethical goals with organisational strategy; the headquarters of Italy’s largest co-op; the difficulties of keeping up with developments in AI and why we need to keep trying; and a book that sets out the research based business case for the office. Plus loads of great commentary and our regular round up of product and business news and events. (more…)

British workers now entirely unproductive, claims report

British workers now entirely unproductive, claims report

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

The overwhelming majority of UK workers don’t do anything productive at all, according to a new report published today. The study of available research into the illnesses, injuries, distractions, wastes of time, procrastinations, productivity drains and paralyses that afflict British workers found that the annual cost to the British economy is around £1.8 trillion, equivalent to 98.9 percent of GDP.

(more…)

The full stop emerges as a major point of contention in the workplace

The full stop emerges as a major point of contention in the workplace

by • News, Workplace

The humble full stop has emerged as one of the major sources of friction when people communicate in the workplaceA new poll from The Adaptavist Group claims that there is a growing generational divide in workplace communication, with emojis, punctuation, and AI use emerging as key areas of contention. The study, which surveyed 1,000 UK knowledge workers, reveals how different age groups interpret digital communication tools in the workplace, affecting collaboration and productivity. The Workplace Communication Atlas suggests that nearly half of workers (46 percent) struggle with misinterpreting tone or phrasing, making it the most significant communication challenge. Differences in response time expectations (also 46 percent) and lack of context (31 percent) were also cited as common issues. The findings build on previous research from The Adaptavist Group, which showed that 56 percent of workers find generational collaboration difficult. (more…)

Our happiness depends on kindness and connections with other people

Our happiness depends on kindness and connections with other people

by • News, Wellbeing

Our happiness is determined by kindness and our connections with other people, claims the latest World Happiness Index reportThe World Happiness Report 2025, released today to coincide with the UN’s International Day of Happiness, reveals that people are generally kinder than commonly perceived, and that social connections play a pivotal role in determining how happy we are. The report highlights a significant disparity between perceived and actual acts of kindness within communities. Global studies on the return of lost wallets indicate that actual return rates are approximately double what people anticipate. This suggests that communities are more benevolent than individuals often believe, and recognising this kindness is strongly associated with higher happiness levels. (more…)

Brain rot is the word of the year and we only have ourselves to blame

Brain rot is the word of the year and we only have ourselves to blame

by • AI, Comment

In December, ‘brain rot’ was announced as the word or phrase of the year 2024 according to the Oxford University Press. And right on time, we had the viral story of the hawk tuah girl meme coin rug pull to prove it. If you don’t know what any of that means, then do yourself a favour by not finding out. I do know and feel as if something meaningful and important has been cauterized from my brain for ever to make way for it. (more…)

1 2 3 4 5 >»