Page 141 - The Design Thinking Playbook

EXPERT TIP

Design not only spaces
but also the work environment

We need an environment that is familiar to us and with which we can identify and in which we feel com-
fortable. The designing of such an environment is essentially about four elements: the place, the people,
the process, and the meaningfulness of the work. The work environment has become one of the most
important instruments for a company to retain the best talents and high performers. Does anybody today
want to work in an office that radiates the faded charm of bygone days and was probably squeezed down
to the last square foot?

Companies like Google or IDEO are good examples of shaped work environments; Apple’s new headquar-
ters in Cupertino, California, initiated by Steve Jobs in 2011, is very inspiring. The building was consciously
planned in a natural environment, surrounded by a forest. Jobs’ vision was to create the best company
building in the world. The building stands for the future and resembles a spaceship. The new headquarters
was to take into account all sorts of desirable things for people.

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