Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams, Third Edition

13. Taking Umbrella Steps

For this final chapter on the office environment, we look into characteristics of an ideal workplace, trying to shed some light on concerns such as these:

• What kind of space would support your workers best to make them comfortable, happy, and productive?

• What form of work space would make these workers feel best about themselves and about their work?

If you work in a typical, noisy, and dreadfully uniform corporate space, such questions may seem almost cruel. But thinking about ideal space is worthwhile. Someday, you may be in a position to make it happen. Even today, you may be called upon to provide some input to the process of workspace improvement. It’s sensible to indulge yourself a bit on the subject of space, ...