February 11, 2013

Leading architect appointed to new Obama administration

by Sara Bean • Architecture, News, Public Sector, Workplace design

graves

Leading architect and designer Michael Graves has joined President Obama’s new administration. Graves, who is a wheelchair user, has been appointed to the United States’ Access Board, an independent Federal agency that provides leadership in accessible design. He said: “I am honoured to have been appointed to the United States Access Board by President Obama. When I became paralyzed, I realized that as an architect and designer, and then a patient, I had a unique perspective. As a result, I became passionate about using this perspective to improve healthcare and accessibility through design projects.” More →

February 11, 2013

Plenty of innovation in Stockholm. Just ignore the price of beer.

by David Fox • Comment, Events, Facilities management, Furniture, Lighting, Products, Workplace design

They say first impressions count so after landing in Stockholm it was a shame that mine veered towards a personal negative rather than a positive when I discovered that my hotel room interior was purer in design than a polar bear’s coat. To a problem solving mind like mine, this didn’t add up. Surely the cold climate would venture towards a more luxurious, cosy and comforting aesthetic. My second impression inevitably arrived courtesy of a local bar. I could have sworn I’d ordered a 40cl beer rather than the bottle of Bolly the bill suggested. So with those problems dismissed from my mind, it was heartening that the rest of the trip to the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair was roundly positive.

February 8, 2013

What Ronald McDonald can teach us about office design

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Furniture, Workplace design

As the UK continues to agonise over the potentially equine provenance of many of its beef products, one firm that has managed to stay above it all is McDonald’s. While rivals Burger King quickly became embroiled in the scandal after traces of horsemeat were found in its Burgers, McDonalds ramped up its claims in the national media that it only uses 100 per cent beef. McDonald’s has had a pretty good couple of years, and not all of it is down to the food. During 2012, the company spent $1.45bn this year on giving 2,400 stores a makeover. It claims that it has now revamped 90 per cent of its UK stores. More →

February 6, 2013

Video: A new kind of job market, or the commoditisation of work?

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Workplace

At a TED talk delivered in London at the end of 2012, Wingham Rowan, project director of Slivers-of-Time, a ‘work marketplace’, says that websites such as his are thriving by bringing together what he terms ultra-flexible workers with employers to deliver short periods of work on specific tasks. The question is: whether this is a valuable tool in providing flexible work opportunities for appropriate people or the most advanced example we yet have of how labour is increasingly commoditised, casualised and disposable?

February 5, 2013

‘Affinity for nature’ design competition launched

by Sara Bean • Architecture, Environment, News, Workplace design

Reconnect Your Space

Science suggests that all of us may be hard-wired to love the natural world, and now a global competition named Reconnect Your Space is calling for architectural, interior or urban landscape design entries that put this affinity for nature, or “biophilia”, at the forefront. The competition, launched by carpet tile manufacturer Interface, invites architects, designers and students of these disciplines to submit their visions for how biophilia can influence the design of a new or existing space, either inside within built environments or outside in cities. More →

February 4, 2013

Sit-stand chair on Ergonomics Design Award shortlist

by Sara Bean • Furniture, News, Products, Technology, Workplace design

muvman shortlisted

A sit-stand seat allowing workers more freedom of movement is amongst the designs shortlisted for the fourth IEHF Ergonomics Design Award. Other shortlisted entries include, a new type of protective hood, a mobile app and a 3D foot scanner. Said John Wood Executive Chairman of CCD Design and Ergonomics and chair of judges: “We’re very pleased to see the extensive range of projects that have again been entered for the award this year; it’s a sign of the continuing and growing recognition of the importance of ergonomics in society and business today.” More →

February 4, 2013

Teams perform better when bosses pick favourites

by Sara Bean • News, Workplace

Bosses favourites

Bosses should pick favourites if they want top performing teams, a new study from the University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business reveals. “Conventional wisdom tells us that we should treat everyone the same to create a collegial and productive work atmosphere,” says Sauder Professor Karl Aquino, who co-authored the forthcoming study for the Journal of Business Ethics. “But our research shows this can be a disincentive for workers who would otherwise go above and beyond on behalf of the team with a little bit of extra attention.” More →

February 1, 2013

Ban team building exercises for a feel good Friday

by Sara Bean • News, Workplace

workplace relationships

Anyone who hates team building exercises will welcome a survey published by Samaritans and Simplyhealth today, which reveals that at 4%, the least popular option for making people feel good at work is team activities, including away days. When asked to select their top two factors, 42% of workers felt that positive relationships helped them to feel good at work, compared with a mere 14% for hitting their targets. The poll of more than 1,400 workers found having a good work-life balance was the second (40%) most common reason for feeling good at work followed by receiving praise (26%).

February 1, 2013

We shape the World’s cities, then they shape us

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Environment, Knowledge, Property

The story of the world’s cities is often told not in words but in numbers. This is especially the case with the megacities – those with a population in excess of 10 million – which obtain enough critical mass not only to produce eye boggling statistics but also to distort the fabric of whole regions and change the way people live and behave. This is true for the established megacities of London, New York and Tokyo as well as the emerging global metropolises in Sao Paolo, Beijing, Mumbai, Shanghai, Cairo and Istanbul.

January 31, 2013

A Field Guide to Workplace Terminology

by Simon Heath • Comment, Facilities management, News, Property, Technology, Workplace design

As the ecosystem around the workplace industry grows ever more complex, so too does the language we use to describe it. In an attempt to bring order to chaos, guest writer Simon Heath presents here a glossary of terms, acronyms and abbreviations to help you navigate these linguistic waters. (For example Business Intelligence – A commonly used oxymoron.) For more of Simon’s worldly, wise and witty writing on all things work and workplace related, visit his blog at https://workmusing.wordpress.com.

January 31, 2013

Workers fear social media leads to loss of privacy

by Mark Eltringham • Knowledge, News, Technology, Workplace

According to a new report from AVG Technologies, more than half of adults believe that their privacy is being eroded at work because of the proliferation of social media. The Digital Work Life survey asked 4,000 people in ten countries about the experiences of and beliefs about issues such as cyberbullying, privacy and their approach to creating a better balance between their private and working lives. One in ten respondents had discovered secret discussions about themselves and 11 percent had embarrassing photos or videos taken at a work event and uploaded onto social media sites.

January 31, 2013

Apple achieves trademark for store designs

by Mark Eltringham • Legal news, News, Technology, Workplace design

It has long been a complaint of designers and marketers that courts do not understand design. For the most part this has made it difficult for them to trademark things like packaging designs and colours leaving them open to copycat designs which can seriously undermine a brand and make merchandising more difficult than it need be. Now Apple – who else? – has taken things to a whole new level by officially trademarking its distinctive shopping centre store design in the US.