Search Results for: interaction

People spending more time in offices in search of social interaction

People spending more time in offices in search of social interaction

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Office workers now spend more time in the office, with the average creeping up to three and a half days per week compared to three days in 2022, according to a new report from international law firm, Gowling WLG. The report, titled Strategic moves: why the office is now a business-critical decision [registration], surveyed senior representatives responsible for making office lease decisions in companies, and a selection of office workers. It identifies that a more permanent approach to office usage is now emerging, as the shadow of the pandemic recedes, as well as demonstrating the changing metrics being applied by occupiers to decisions relating to premises requirements and the more complex environment for landlord asset management. (more…)

Graduates alienated by remote working, with majority wanting social interaction

Graduates alienated by remote working, with majority wanting social interaction

by • Business, News, Working culture

graduates and remote workingGen Z is the largest generation in human history, and over the next 10 years, 1.3 billion of its members will enter the global workforce. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has meant that this new generation of graduates is entering one of the toughest job markets in decades. (more…)

Wellbeing nosedives as people miss interactions with colleagues

Wellbeing nosedives as people miss interactions with colleagues

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

wellbeingWellbeing amongst professionals has taken a dive since lockdown restrictions were enforced in March, according to a new survey by recruiting firm Hays.  From a survey of over 16,200 professionals, close to two thirds (61 percent) rated their wellbeing as positive before restrictions were put in place, but only 35 percent said it remained positive since lockdown. Those who rated their wellbeing as negative rose from 7 percent to 23 percent. (more…)

Office design should take account of the quality of interactions as well as quantity

Office design should take account of the quality of interactions as well as quantity

by • Comment, Workplace design

People in the sort of office design that encourages communication and better working relationshipsEver since technology first made it possible for people to work remotely from their colleagues, there has been speculation not only that office design should change but even that the physical office could be dispensed with entirely, and with it the idea that people should come together to work in the same place at the same time to achieve common goals and to share in a common identity.

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White Paper: intuitive design and the changing face of workplace interactions

by • Briefing, Features, Premium Content, Workplace design

In his famous 1988 book The Design of Everyday Things, the cognitive scientist Donald Norman suggests that the way we interact with objects and our surroundings is determined almost entirely by their design. People cannot be the primary reason things succeed or fail, because they are constant, while the design of the object itself is the variable. People can expect to learn how to use things better, but without an underlying people-centric and intuitive approach to design, the design will fail to some degree or other. He concludes that the designer should focus their attention on the interaction between people and the design of objects and surroundings. This principle becomes more relevant with each passing day, as the number of interactions we have with designed objects increases. This is most obvious with regard to our interactions with technology, but it is also apparent across our entire lives.

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Interaction completes transformation of Grade II listed Victorian castle into new office

Interaction completes transformation of Grade II listed Victorian castle into new office 0

by • Case studies, Company news, Workplace design

Design and build firm Interaction, has completed the design and fit out of a Grade II listed Victorian ‘castle’ in Cirencester as the new head office of financial comparison website money.co.uk. In 2015 the firm was ranked the second fastest growing business in the UK by The Sunday Times and needed its workplace to reflect this growth, convey its culture and attract new talent. The core concept was a juxtaposition of the traditional architecture of The Castle with a contemporary interior. The design features include a bespoke Star Wars themed cinema complete with popcorn machine, two gyms, hand painted suits of armour as well as ‘Rolling Stones’ and ‘Steam Punk’ themed bathrooms. The new office incorporates a number of settings for informal meetings, private work, training, relaxing or socialising. This includes an ‘ice cave’ which can be used for an informal meeting, or to eat and socialise. There is also a ‘ski lodge’, which can be accessed through a secret door. (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

by • Features, Wellbeing

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…)

Redefining the modern workplace: flexibility, zoning, and employee wellbeing

Redefining the modern workplace: flexibility, zoning, and employee wellbeing

by • News

The modern workplace is evolving faster than ever. Traditional layouts of rows of desks and enclosed cubicles are giving way to offices designed around flexibility, collaboration, and employee wellbeingThe modern workplace is evolving faster than ever. Traditional layouts of rows of desks and enclosed cubicles are giving way to offices designed around flexibility, collaboration, and employee wellbeing. For organisations seeking to stay ahead, the key lies in thoughtful workspace zoning—creating adaptable environments that respond to how people actually work today. One of the most significant trends shaping office design is flexibility. Work patterns have changed: teams collaborate in bursts, focus deeply in concentrated periods, and switch between in-person and digital modes throughout the day. Workspaces that can transform to meet these changing needs without major disruption are becoming essential. Mobile partitions and modular systems allow offices to create temporary or permanent zones that can adapt in real time, supporting a mix of focused work, collaboration, and social interaction. (more…)

Younger people want more office time as remote work leaves many feeling isolated

Younger people want more office time as remote work leaves many feeling isolated

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

A new poll suggests that younger people are increasingly seeking a return to office working, as large numbers report that remote work has left them feeling lonely and disconnected. The survey from Bupa, based on responses from employees aged between 16 and 24, found that around 40 percent say they feel lonely when working from home. Many of those in this group began their careers during the pandemic, with limited experience of office-based work and the informal social interactions that accompany it. (more…)

Microsoft study reveals which jobs have been most affected by Generative AI

Microsoft study reveals which jobs have been most affected by Generative AI

by • AI, News

Which jobs are most affected by Generative AI?A new large scale study from Microsoft has offered what its authors claim is one of the clearest pictures yet of how Generative AI is being used in real workplaces and which jobs are most exposed to its growing influence. Researchers from Microsoft analysed 200,000 anonymised user conversations with Bing Copilot, Microsoft’s publicly available AI assistant, to determine how AI is assisting or performing work tasks. The study focused on the types of activities people use GenAI for, how successfully AI completes them, and how these activities align with those performed across hundreds of occupations. (more…)

Better offices for all as occupiers shift focus away from cost cutting

Better offices for all as occupiers shift focus away from cost cutting

by • Flexible working, News, Property, Workplace design

New research suggests a worldwide shift in workplace strategy, with portfolio optimisation (better offices basically) now the top priority for corporate real estate leaders, overtaking cost reduction for the first time.New research suggests a worldwide shift in workplace strategy, with portfolio optimisation and better offices now the top priorities for corporate real estate leaders, overtaking cost reduction for the first time. JLL’s 2025 Occupancy Planning Benchmark Report found that 73 percent of respondents identified portfolio optimisation as their main focus, compared with 70 percent who cited cost reduction and improved reporting. (more…)

Commercial property growth in regional cities driven by financial services firms

Commercial property growth in regional cities driven by financial services firms

by • News, Property

Commercial property markets in regional UK cities are seeing significant growth as major financial institutions reconfigure their office strategiesCommercial property markets in regional UK cities are seeing significant growth as major financial institutions rethink their office strategies to focus on high-value client interactions in London while relocating support functions elsewhere. New research from JLL suggests that financial services firms have accounted for more than 440,000 square feet of inward investment in office space across Glasgow, Leeds, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham over the last decade. This is more than the space acquired by manufacturing (238,822 sq. ft) and service industries (224,813 sq. ft), though still behind technology, media and telecoms (TMT) and flexible workspace sectors. (more…)

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