-by Tim Bailey
How important are employee demographics when designing your new workplace? The answer is simple, it is very important. Not only does one need to know how people are working based on the product being created, but studies into the various generational traits are also an effective way to pinpoint which design philosophies can make a positive impact on your space. Let me give you a few examples.
Example 1- You are a new startup company, and most people that work there are 24-40 years old. In this case, you would look at the generational traits for Gen-X and Gen-Y (Millennials). In searching the core values for Gen-X and Gen-Y, the following adjectives surface:
- Gen-X
- Diversity
- Independent
- Self-reliant
- Suspicious of Baby boomer values
- Gen-Y
- Fun
- Optimistic
- Self confident
- Hotly competitive
That said, when looking at your office space, you aren’t likely to start with 30% of your space being closed office, nor would you start with high paneled workstations. These traits scream for open, fun, collaborative space to meet the needs of those Millennials. While the Gen-X crowd would be on board with many of these spaces, it might be good to have a few offices, and plenty of huddle rooms to choose from for when these independent Gen-X folks need their own space and privacy.
There are so many more ways to analyze your demographics and what those traits mean for the design of your space. At Margulies Perruzzi Architects, we help you to do just that, creating a workspace that fits your needs, and is a ‘Design for the way you work”.