We live in a world of hyper-personalization. Apps on your phone tailor content to your interests. You can design your own pair of shoes. Even our half-sweet, extra-hot, no whip coffee order is made just the way we like it. We tailor the things we touch and engage with daily. Doesn’t it make sense that the environments we spend most of our time in be personalized too?
Workspaces and learning environments are not so different. K-12 education environments and office design tend to mirror each other in various ways. For instance, K-12 looks to the workplace to see what world they’re preparing their students for. Companies, on the other hand, look to K-12 to see what types of students will soon be in the workplace. So, it’s no shock when both of these environments run parallel trends. One that’s standing out today: more flexibility and choice. Can a work or school day be customized for each person?
People are vastly different. From the way we process and learn new information, to the way we socialize. Different concepts or subjects spark our interest. The methods we use to do our best work are also different.
Yet traditionally, education facilities and workspaces have been designed with a one-size-fits-all approach. With no room for choice or personalization. The same desk for every student. The same cubical for every employee. The setup may work for some of us, but it doesn’t optimize everyone’s effectiveness or ability to perform their best. People like to have choices based on their own personal preferences. Facilities are following suit.
“Activity-based work in the corporate world”
Activity-based work (ABW) is manifested in both workplaces and learning places. The Government of Canada recently adopted this approach from a corporate standpoint in hopes of making work more enjoyable for their employees. And what’s better, it should also increase efficiency1. But what is this approach all about? The Canadian Government defines activity-based working as “a design concept that recognizes that through the course of any day, employees engage in many different activities and that they need and can choose different types of work settings to accommodate these activities.”1
While concepts like “hot-desking” or “hoteling” strip employees of their assigned seat, giving them freedom of choice, activity-based work takes this even further. It lets employees choose what kind of environment they want to be in, based on the task at hand. It’s about providing flexible workspace options and empowering employees to make a choice. This type of design leaves it up to the user, for what they feel will be most effective at that moment. What do these environments look like? The Government of Canada has identified four different types of areas that should be included in a space. They should cater to the following tasks: learning, focusing, collaborating and socializing.