As a child, my mother would tell me, “Finish your work first, then you can play.” The idea that work is a task to complete before life can happen has colored my academic and professional life. It’s a widespread concept that cripples creativity and drains the joy from work by severing the connection between passion and productivity. As we design for the workplace, we begin to question the concept of work, as well as our attitudes and beliefs about it. To continue to evolve workplace design, we must return to the core of our practice, with a willingness to examine, challenge, redefine and broaden our perceptions of work.

While there is general consensus that the most successful people love what they do, it’s easy to fall into the trap of designing for single-purpose, machine-like employees. I have had clients who monitor employee trips to the restroom because they see it as lost productivity. I have had clients who are more concerned about maintaining their hierarchy than elevating their people.

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