Making physical changes to enhance communication

Over the next few weeks, there will be some exciting office space changes going on here at Miller Brooks. Part of the first floor (primarily in our PR department) is getting a makeover using some wonderful Kimball® Office products. It is our first “physical” dive into the alternative workplace strategy (AWS) arena.

What is an alternative workplace strategy?

AWS is a fundamental transformation in the way work is organized, managed and performed. Almost 25 years after the first mention of AWS, we are beginning to see it carried out in some of the largest companies around the world. Central to this transformation are technological advancements that allow a highly mobile, agile and widespread workforce to conduct business anywhere at any time. Real estate cost pressures are another force driving AWS. A more remote workforce utilizes less office space, but can accommodate more employees.

Companies are embracing this fundamental shift to completing work, by scaling back on office footprints and demanding flexible, mobile and scalable furniture solutions that can easily be adjusted up, down or reconfigured as needed. The office of the future brings people together, in an effort to foster collaboration and innovation.

Technology is also playing a critical role in enabling people to work from remote locations whenever face-to-face interaction isn’t necessary; even then, new forms of high-tech virtual telecommunication technology is proving to be a great alternative to face-to-face communication.

Latest trends in AWS

One trend related to AWS involves allocating more space for teaming and casual areas: places where people can gather to brainstorm or socialize. A recent Gensler survey found people spend 32 percent of their workdays (more than 2.5 hours per day) collaborating with others. These casual gathering spaces drive demand for more soft seating and marker boards to support team activities.

We’ve also seen an increase in demand for smaller conference rooms that can serve as multifunctional spaces: small team rooms, spaces for private conversations, or areas to focus on work that requires a high level of concentration.

Another offshoot of AWS includes lower panel heights and mobile, flexible furniture. According to research conducted by Judith Heerwagen, a Seattle-based environmental psychologist, 80 percent of office interactions are unplanned and occur as a result of one employee visually monitoring the availability of another employee.

Intrigued? You will be able to see all of these elements in action here at Miller Brooks very soon. Stop by anytime after August 9th and check it out!

Tags: Communication, Design, Miller Brooks, staff
Posted in Communication, Design, Miller Brooks | 3 Comments »

Why the art of design matters

Would Mr. Pollock have been able to survive today’s “office politics” and summon his talent at will?

Was he really the creative genius of his generation, or just some lucky schlub with a lousy temper and a propensity for booze, who simply stumbled upon creative brilliance?

Considering Pollock’s qualifications

Paul Jackson Pollock, an American painter, became a major influence in the abstract expressionist movement of the 1940s and throughout his brief, but brilliant, painting career. A reclusive artist, an alcoholic, and known in most circles to have a volatile personality, Pollock was not born to greatness. Yet still, an unflinching dedication to the exploration of his craft perpetuated Pollock to achieve creative brilliance on the world’s stage.

He established what’s known today as the “drip technique”:  a process of pouring and/or dripping resin-based liquefied paints onto a flat surface, then manipulating the mixture with a stick rather than brush. This technique is widely considered the origin of the term “action painting.”

Pollock’s ingenuity and brilliance quite literally turned the art community upside-down and opened the door to an entirely new method of creating art — as well as viewing it.

Pollock: good candidate for an art director?

Well, we can certainly say that his work inspired our world with creativity and vision. And for what it’s worth, I believe Pollock was the real deal creatively.

If Mr. Pollock were alive today and in search of an Art Director position, I would gladly hire him. Beyond the personal flaws (and yes, we all have a few), his raw talent and unbridled tenacity to push design and technique beyond the norm are attributes that any good Art Director should possess. A willingness to go out into the ether and explore the unexplored is more than daunting, and Pollock did so with both passion and grace.

I believe that if we can understand and capture even a Lilliputian portion of Pollock’s spirit (sans some of his more obvious flaws), it would enlighten and help us all to reach that elusive greatness dwelling deep within.

Do you agree?

Fodder for our next conversation, copywriting: William Faulkner and Jack Kerouac – bloated windbags or advertising prodigies?

Photo above is from http://jacksonpollock.com.

Tags: Advertising, Creative, Design, Marketing
Posted in Advertising, Creative, Design, Marketing | 2 Comments »