Search Results for: interaction

The Sustainable Design Forum returns

The Sustainable Design Forum returns

The Sustainable Design Forum - a one-day interactive event designed specifically for workplace designers and specifiers – is returningThe Sustainable Design Forum – a one-day interactive event designed specifically for workplace designers and specifiers – is returning to the Crypt on the Green in Clerkenwell, London for its third year on Thursday 25th April 2025. With a focus on ‘People and Planet’, this year’s event has been expanded to include additional workplace topics. (more…)

Measuring and rewarding what people do at work? It’s a rat trap, baby, and you’ve been caught

Measuring and rewarding what people do at work? It’s a rat trap, baby, and you’ve been caught

 

Life imitates art. Scientists have discovered that lab mice may be conducting their own experiments on us. A paper published in the journal Current Biology speculates that mice seem to be testing their testers. They do this by deviating from simple behaviours such as responding to rewards to work out what might happen. “These mice have a richer internal life than we probably give them credit for,” explained Kishore Kuchibhotla, senior study author and an assistant professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University. “They are not just stimulus response machines. They may have things like strategies.” (more…)

Search begins for Britain’s best office dog

Search begins for Britain’s best office dog

The aim of the competition to find Britain's best office dog is to highlight the important role that dogs play in workplace wellbeingBath-based workplace design firm  Interaction is inviting dog owners across the UK to nominate their canine colleagues and share a photo of their pets at work. The aim of the competition to find Britain’s best office dog is to highlight the important role that dogs play in workplace wellbeing. In the UK, households bought 3.2 million pets during lockdown – that’s a lot of new dogs for employees to consider. By supporting dog-friendly policies, the firm believes businesses can encourage these employees back into the office, whilst also reducing stress and improving engagement. (more…)

Poor job quality leaves people exhausted and at risk of ill health

Poor job quality leaves people exhausted and at risk of ill health

A new report from the Institute for Employment Studies warns that poor job quality is significantly affecting people's health and wellbeingA new report from the Institute for Employment Studies warns that poor job quality is significantly affecting worker health, with 1.7 million people in Great Britain reporting work-related ill health in the last year. The research reveals that half of all workers report having to work more hours than contracted or expected – the highest rate in Europe. Rising work intensity and job strain have left around half of the UK workforce regularly exhausted. The impact of ill-health on spiralling economic inactivity is a focus of an anticipated government White Paper looking to tackle the ‘greatest employment challenge for a generation’ and support more people into good work. (more…)

Life science interiors: here’s how to create a petri dish for scientific breakthroughs

Life science interiors: here’s how to create a petri dish for scientific breakthroughs

The design of life science interiors is crucial for fostering scientific breakthroughs by balancing precision, functionality, and collaboration. Life science research has grown exponentially in recent years, driving an increasing demand for specialised laboratory spaces. These facilities – including wet labs, dry labs, and their supporting infrastructure – all serve a unique purpose. Like a Petri dish providing the perfect environment for scientific experiments, life science interiors need to balance precision with functionality. When designed well, they create the ideal conditions for innovation, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas. (more…)

University staff love to connect on campus, but also value time working from home

University staff love to connect on campus, but also value time working from home

A new survey reveals distinct trends in campus work culture and the growing preference for in-person interactions among academic staff, coupled with a desire to continue working from home when needed.A new report from Hassell, the 2024 Education Futures Survey, explores how hybrid working is reshaping the needs and expectations of Australian university staff. Based on responses from 300 university employees and a benchmark group of 500 office workers, the survey reveals distinct trends in campus work culture and the growing preference for in-person interactions among academic staff, coupled with a desire to continue working from home when needed. (more…)

First impressions count, and they’re harder to achieve through a screen

First impressions count, and they’re harder to achieve through a screen

It appears to be more difficult to form accurate first impressions of a person’s personality during a videoconference compared with a face-to-face encounterAccording to an oft-cited study by psychologists at Princeton, we more or less make our minds about other people within one tenth of a second of meeting them. Experience suggests first impressions are often wrong, or at least incomplete, but at least we can correct ourselves. According to a new study in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, many people says that it’s even harder to form an accurate impression of someone they meet through a screen. Marie-Catherine Mignault and colleagues at Cornell University questioned whether this perception was valid. Specifically, they wanted to know if it was actually more difficult to form accurate first impressions of a person’s personality during a videoconference compared with a face-to-face encounter. (more…)

If firms want people to ‘return to office’, they should offer a better experience

If firms want people to ‘return to office’, they should offer a better experience

A new report from the British Council for Offices (BCO) argues that if employers want their staff to 'return to office', they need to approach the workplace in the same way they would their customers by creating spaces that offer experiences workers actively seek outA new report from the British Council for Offices (BCO) argues that if employers want their staff to ‘return to office’, they need to approach the workplace in the same way they would their customers by creating spaces that offer experiences workers actively seek out. The report, titled Towards Experience Utopia, claims to serve as a comprehensive guide for creating optimal working environments that integrate the best aspects of both remote and in-office work. Commissioned by the BCO Occupiers Group, which includes major employers like NatWest, PwC, Deloitte, and Goldman Sachs, the report highlights how the shift towards hybrid working has transformed the expectations of employees. (more…)

Two students just proved that Meta’s new smart glasses are not rose-tinted

Two students just proved that Meta’s new smart glasses are not rose-tinted

By combining smart glasses with AI and face recognition software, two students have exposed something troublingBe honest, did you smirk a little when everyone was posting their ‘legal’ message to Instagram? You probably saw it doing the rounds, after all it was one of the most viral trends ever posted on the app. Stories were flooded with a message reading “Goodbye Meta Al. Please note an attorney has advised us to put this on, failure to do so may result in legal consequences. As Meta is now a public entity all members must post a similar statement. If you do not post at least once it will be assumed you are okay with them using your information and photos. I do not give Meta or anyone else permission to use any of my personal data, profile information or photos”. (more…)

UK’s best workplaces honoured at BCO Awards. And the winner isn’t an office

UK’s best workplaces honoured at BCO Awards. And the winner isn’t an office

The BCO has announced what it says is a list of the UK's best workplaces this year, with eight projects receiving accolades at its National AwardsThe British Council for Offices (BCO) has announced what it says are the UK’s most exceptional workplaces this year, with eight projects receiving accolades at its National Awards. The TTP Campus, a life sciences facility in Cambridgeshire, was the standout winner, claiming both the Best of the Best and Corporate Workplace awards. The awards, held at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London, celebrate excellence in office design, operation, sustainability, and community engagement. The event, attended by over 1,200 industry leaders and featuring guest speaker Clare Balding, highlighted the best workplaces that inspire creativity and positively impact local communities. (more…)

Finger on the pulse: Is biometrics the future of workplace wellbeing?

Finger on the pulse: Is biometrics the future of workplace wellbeing?

For architects and designers, the trend to use wearable devices to track wellbeing in the workplace is a giftAround a third of companies already use wearables to track their team’s activity and better gauge their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, according to Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends Report. Deloitte predicts that usage will increase to two thirds by 2027. Neurotechnology, which uses electronics to read brain activity and can contextualise employee behaviour and interactions, is also anticipated to ramp up dramatically in use in that timeframe, from 3 percent to 31 percent. (more…)

You get what you give at the CoreNet Global Summit 2024 in Berlin

You get what you give at the CoreNet Global Summit 2024 in Berlin

CoreNet truly embraced its theme of ‘People Power’, emphasising the vital but often overlooked aspect of workplace strategy: connectionHave you ever attended a conference and been asked to gaze deeply into a stranger’s eyes for several minutes, standing just a metre apart in silence? No? Neither have I – until this September at the CoreNet Global Summit in Berlin. Gone are the days of handshakes and small talk. Today, it’s all about relationality, empathy, and hugging it out. For some, the summit’s emphasis on fostering human connections was a joyful opportunity to bond and share meaningful moments with fellow professionals. For others, it felt like being trapped in a never-ending therapy session nobody signed up for. (more…)