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Research: Cubicles Are the Absolute Worst

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Re: Research: Cubicles Are the Absolute Worst

#31

Post by pnathan »

toddmorey wrote: post #17

This fascinates me. I find open-plan offices really hard to work in. Meanwhile—perhaps surprisingly—my favorite places to work are coffee houses or college libraries. I'm surrounded by strangers, but their anonymous presence starves off the feelings of loneliness that I can get working from home. I think the difference between a public place and an office is that it's really unlikely for any of those strangers outsid…

Agreed. I am working in an open-plan area right now and it is deeply & subtly uncomfortable in all sorts of ways.

Re: Research: Cubicles Are the Absolute Worst

#32

Post by d3gamer »

Symmetry wrote: post #6

I don't think you can meaningfully compare open workspaces to cubicles without talking about how densely people are packed. I really like the open plan office at my last job, but that was because people were spread far enough apart. And we had side rooms for taking phone calls, having discussions, etc.

This is a very good point.

I've been in an open workspace that had three or four people to a desk and it was a nightmare. Now I work at an open workspace where everyone is spread out and it is much better. The closest person to me is ~2 meters away.

Re: Research: Cubicles Are the Absolute Worst

#33

Post by lawnchair_larry »

Nicholas_C wrote: post #18

I currently work in an open office space and I enjoy it. I love being able to ask the analyst across from me how s/he goes about doing something without having to get up and peer over a cubicle wall or walk into an office. Bouncing ideas off people and getting an immediate response is great. I could see it being more distracting than a cubicle or a real office. I've never worked in a place with those so I can't compa…

Yeah, it's great for the person bugging everybody. That's the problem.

Re: Research: Cubicles Are the Absolute Worst

#34

Post by com2kid »

Open spaces are interesting.

Some problems get solved really quickly because of them. The number of times the person who knows the solution overhears others having a problem is astounding.

But then there are problems that just cannot be solved due to the level of noise. Especially some collaborative problems, where a problem requires two people to focus on it really carefully. Distractions just from hearing others talking can interrupt lines of thought and beyond a certain point limit mental ability.

Re: Research: Cubicles Are the Absolute Worst

#35

Post by d3gamer »

Nicholas_C wrote: post #18

I currently work in an open office space and I enjoy it. I love being able to ask the analyst across from me how s/he goes about doing something without having to get up and peer over a cubicle wall or walk into an office. Bouncing ideas off people and getting an immediate response is great. I could see it being more distracting than a cubicle or a real office. I've never worked in a place with those so I can't compa…

It works for you but you were most likely interrupting the people around you.

I really hate it when I'm deep into coding up something and someone just starts throwing questions at me.

I much would rather prefer an IM if someone wants to bounce ideas. If needed, putting down something on my calendar for a quick meeting works too.

Re: Research: Cubicles Are the Absolute Worst

#36

Post by voidlogic »

Nicholas_C wrote: post #18

I currently work in an open office space and I enjoy it. I love being able to ask the analyst across from me how s/he goes about doing something without having to get up and peer over a cubicle wall or walk into an office. Bouncing ideas off people and getting an immediate response is great. I could see it being more distracting than a cubicle or a real office. I've never worked in a place with those so I can't compa…

>I love being able to ask the analyst across from me how s/he goes about doing something without having to get up and peer over a cubicle wall or walk into an office.

So now it takes less effort to interrupt another persons work-flow and potentially make them restart a long train of thought. http://ubuntuone.com/27zU9Q5Tlqkoohp6cO4sF2

Re: Research: Cubicles Are the Absolute Worst

#37

Post by sgsz101 »

rayiner wrote: post #24

Unsurprisingly, private offices score the best, by a huge margin. Right now, I've got a huge office to myself (separate from a two-person office next to me by an open passageway). It's super quiet because there are bookshelves full of books to absorb any noise, as well as thick 1970-era carpeting. It's the most productive place I've ever worked. I have no idea why tech companies would pay engineers gobs of money,[1]…

...your point still stands, but with regards to Apple - many engineers actually have offices, rather than cubicles or open-plan. You can be pretty sure they'll be staying at the new campus, or there would be an outright revolt.

Re: Research: Cubicles Are the Absolute Worst

#38

Post by throwaway1460 »

rayiner wrote: post #24

Unsurprisingly, private offices score the best, by a huge margin. Right now, I've got a huge office to myself (separate from a two-person office next to me by an open passageway). It's super quiet because there are bookshelves full of books to absorb any noise, as well as thick 1970-era carpeting. It's the most productive place I've ever worked. I have no idea why tech companies would pay engineers gobs of money,[1]…

    > Apple's new spaceship building (in the middle of a faceless suburb)
    > will cost $5 billion and have 2.8 million square feet of space
… that no employee below VP level can afford to live near. It's OK, though; Apple doesn't have to pay them for the tenth of their lives they waste commuting.

And above the entrance these words appear: “My name is Jobs, CEO of CEOs: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair.”

Re: Research: Cubicles Are the Absolute Worst

#39

Post by humanrebar »

Nicholas_C wrote: post #18

I currently work in an open office space and I enjoy it. I love being able to ask the analyst across from me how s/he goes about doing something without having to get up and peer over a cubicle wall or walk into an office. Bouncing ideas off people and getting an immediate response is great. I could see it being more distracting than a cubicle or a real office. I've never worked in a place with those so I can't compa…

> I could see it being more distracting than a cubicle or a real office.

Exactly. The problem is when the guy beside you is trying to focus. Your ideas bounce off the analyst, but they also bounce off your neighbor whether he likes it or not.

There are technologies that allow you to get immediate responses like instant messengers and email. If you absolutely want an audio or video conversation, a better place for that would be in an isolated area (like an enclosed room) where you won't disturb anyone else.

Re: Research: Cubicles Are the Absolute Worst

#40

Post by humanrebar »

001sky wrote: post #29
rayiner wrote: post #24

Unsurprisingly, private offices score the best, by a huge margin. Right now, I've got a huge office to myself (separate from a two-person office next to me by an open passageway). It's super quiet because there are bookshelves full of books to absorb any noise, as well as thick 1970-era carpeting. It's the most productive place I've ever worked. I have no idea why tech companies would pay engineers gobs of money,[1]…

I have no idea why tech companies would pay engineers gobs of money, spend gobs of money on huge office campuses, then inflict open plan or cubicles on said engineers. A firm is a hierarchy, and this is a form of social control.

As a counterpoint, there are companies that have open floor plans or cubes for everyone all the way up to the C*Os.
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