07 February 2015

The Economist: “Inside the box”

Best, Propst believed, would be to join the panels at 120º angles. But his customers realised that they could squeeze more people in if they constructed cubes. A rigid 90º connector was therefore designed to join a panel to one, two or three more. Thus was born the cubicle, and Propst came to be known as its creator. He was horrified.


What workers need from their offices has long been clear. A flexible workspace that encourages movement, combined with mobile technology, could finally liberate them from the cubicle farm—but only if employers pay heed to the evidence, rather than the short-term savings. Even cubicles were Utopian before the accountants took over.

The Economist

Another piece on the ‘open office’, from its origins and downsides to new models for future offices. Worth a read, even if only for the funny cartoons.

Cubicles by Christopher Weyant
I don’t mind the whip. It’s the cubicles I find demoralizing. - New Yorker Cartoon by Christopher Weyant

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