The Open Office Doesn’t Have to be the End of Privacy
Despite the fact that over 70% of employees in the US work in an open office environment, there seem to be many more critics than fans. It’s important to remember that privacy doesn’t always mean four walls and a door. Our research pointed to five privacy strategies that people use, sometimes unconsciously, to control their experiences.
360 Research
Open image tooltip Zuckerberg, Gates, Bezos: Why Privacy Matters
What’s driving the privacy crisis? Donna Flynn, director of WorkSpace Futures for Steelcase, explains why privacy and collaboration can get along. Plus, what neuroscience tells us about our need for privacy in the workplace.
Open image tooltip 3 Reasons for the Privacy Crisis at Work
There are five personal privacy strategies we can all use at work. Melanie Redman, a senior design researcher for WorkSpace Futures at Steelcase, describes these five strategies derived from her team’s research project.
Open image tooltip The Privacy Crisis
Although workplaces today make it seemingly easy for people to collaborate, most leaders remain dissatisfied with the pace and frequency of breakthroughs.Design for Privacy
Open image tooltip V.I.A.
V.I.A. creates intelligent rooms, designed to augment human interaction by providing true acoustical privacy and hosting technology. It provides a sense of permanence with the speed and design flexibility of a relocatable wall.
Open image tooltip Campfire Screen – Culled
Enclosed in mesh, Campfire Screen by Turnstone creates an office oasis by providing semi-private boundaries.
Open image tooltip Divisio
Divisio side screen allows workers to adapt their space instantly without tools: they can remove the screen to facilitate collaboration or add it on any work surface to create privacy.
Open image tooltip B-Free Collection
B-Free furniture forms neighborhoods within the workplace. Seating, desk, tables, and screens create spaces where people easily connect and collaborate.Privacy Planning Ideas
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A freestanding desk and chair with more residential appeal can be easily added to existing spaces.
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Design Intent: Small home office can be added to an existing living room. Look for unused corners that can be
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Small rooms make great home office. Add a lounge chair with a tablet arm and a height adjustable desk accessory
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Small rooms make great home office. Add a lounge chair with a tablet arm and a height adjustable desk accessory
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This high performance executive private office supports varied work modes. The focus area offers ample storage, guest seating, and inspiring
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A setting designed for leaders who spend a portion of their time performing focused work. An intimate, media-enabled breakout area
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Create a resident executive office that communicates status and hierarchy but solves for contemporary users needs. Connectivity to utilities happensEmpowering Introverts
Susan Cain Quiet Spaces by Steelcase offer five ways to empower introverts at work. Each space supports specific postures, work modes, and expectations for quiet and privacy.
Start a Project
At Steelcase, we've learned that providing an ecosystem of workspaces that provide employees with choice and control over how and where they work is imperative. We invite you to contact our sales team or a dealer to learn how to design for privacy in the open office.