Output details
34 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
Royal College of Art
New Demographics, New Workspace: Office Design for the Changing Workforce
Management publisher Gower commissioned Myerson to write a 150-page book on global changes in workspace design in response to the needs of growing numbers of older workers in the knowledge economy. The work was based on in-depth discussion of the Welcoming Workplace research (EPSRC-AHRC, Designing for the 21st Century Research Programme, 2006–8), for which Myerson was principal investigator. Co-authors Bichard (an anthropologist) and Erlich (a psychologist) were senior researchers on the study. The research makes a rigorous critique of the shortcomings of open-plan offices and presents a new model of space planning for older knowledge workers – based on providing dedicated settings for Concentration, Collaboration and Contemplation (the ‘3 Cs’ model). The research extends Myerson’s long-term focus on a people-centred approach to office design. It develops themes from Space to Work (Myerson and Ross 2006), which presented the first international survey of offices for knowledge workers, and its three-part structure (Reviewing the context, Rethinking the culture, Redesigning the environment) deliberately echoes New Workspace New Culture: Office Design As A Catalyst for Change (Myerson and Turner 1998).
The book presents an alternative and actionable workspace strategy. Its significance can be measured by its impact on policymakers and practitioners. Findings from the book were referenced in a guidance note from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (Department of Work and Pensions, 2011) and a number of global companies, including GlaxoSmithKline and Plantronics, re-planned workspace in line with the research’s 3Cs model.
Myerson spoke on the book at the ‘WorkTech New York’ and ‘WorkTech Amsterdam’ conferences in 2010. He also addressed its themes for RSA America as part of New York Design Week (2010). In June 2011 the book was cited when Myerson was named by Wired magazine as one of Britain's 100 most influential people in digital technology.
