The Vanishing 9-to-5 Job

July 14th, 2010 in Trends    No Comments

One in five Americans now work non-standard hours and the trend is expected to grow. Factors such as globalization, the movement toward more knowledge-based industries, and the current recession have contributed to the growth of flex schedules.

Momentum Resources, a staffing company in the Washington, D.C. area that focuses on placing management professionals in positions with flexible hours has seen demand grow over the past several years. The company also practices what it preaches: the director schedules her day around her three sons and oversees employees with irregular schedules as well. (more…)

Fabric of the Future: Innovative Design Materials to Come

July 14th, 2010 in Green, Trends    No Comments

These eleven new materials and technologies offer a glimpse into where innovation is taking us, both in terms of sustainability and simply as cool ideas:

• Metal Architectural Surfaces – low-cost, lightweight sheet metal that is die-cut and processed to create the representation of textures, patterns and images
• Xylogramm – CNC routed decorative panels for high-end interior design, wall paneling, and furniture construction
• CFS (Carbon Fiber Stone) – Composite material made of stone and encased in carbon for an inexpensive and extremely strong material
• UltraCanvas Backlite U280 – Coated woven polyester backlit textile for use as indoor or outdoor signage, displays, etc.

(more…)

Creating Inspiring Learning Spaces

July 2nd, 2010 in Furniture, Trends    No Comments

Where learning takes place can have a big impact on how it happens … and the result. Today, learning and teaching styles are collaborative, and technology is everywhere.

There’s a whole new set of expectations for learning environments. They need to be adaptable. Smart. Comfortable. Appealing. And support a broad range of user needs. (more…)

Notes from NeoCon 2010

June 21st, 2010 in Design, Furniture, Trends    1 Comment

At NeoCon World’s Trade Fair, visitors can preview thousands of the latest designs from more than 700 exhibitors.

The first of two Silver awards went to FlexFrame™ workwall by Steelcase in the Files & Storage category. FlexFrame workwall is a wall-mounted, frame-based system that can be used in any space plan.

The product “activates” vertical spaces for high-performance, tailored applications of storage, information display and technology integration.

Topo by Coalesse, Steelcase’s premium life/work furnishings division, won the second Silver award for Steelcase in the Furniture Systems: Enhancements category.

With a new series of freestanding components, the award-winning Topo collection is uniquely clean-lined and easy to install while providing designers with a fresh palette of space-conserving options.

View our NeoCon2010 photo album

(more…)

Beyond The Cube

June 7th, 2010 in Trends    No Comments

Beyond the cube, workplace design now embraces such lofty concepts as enhancing communication, facilitating work-in-process, managing technology and providing an up-to-date alternative to “cube life”. Sound too easy? Let’s break it down.

• Planning principals begin with storage and work surfaces, not cubicle panels.
• Natural light is shared and collaboration is enhanced.
• Work in Progress is displayed & organized as the user wants it.
• Wires, cords and connections are smartly managed and easily accessible.

Access to natural light can be increased by lowering panel height. If privacy is then an issue, incorporate translucent privacy screens. (more…)

A paperless office may hinder knowledge transfer

December 21st, 2009 in Trends    1 Comment

The paperless office is a work-in–progress. Today’s worker is performing more tasks on the computer, and storing more information in the cloud. The growth in data centers in the past decade offers some insight. According to the EPA, “The energy use of the nation’s servers and data centers in 2006 is estimated to be more than double the electricity that was consumed for this purpose in 2000.” So, the migration toward a paperless office is about increasing efficiency and effectiveness of content generation and exploitation, as well as reducing paper usage and preserving natural resources. (more…)

A Glimpse At Tomorrow’s Technologies

September 28th, 2009 in Technology, Trends    No Comments

In this article various industry experts are asked to predict how the technologies they use will change over the next several decades. Among the more interesting predictions:

• Flexible Circuit Boards (FCBs) – Roll to roll ink processing will increasingly be used to make PCBs until they can make every circuit feature, not just the smaller ones. This will lead to inexpensive devices that can make almost every electronic product “smart”, inexpensive and disposable. Some future products could include eyeglasses that provide global audio and visual communications, night vision and toxic sensors, wallpaper that changes color, self-cleaning ovens and self-cooking entrees, and a host of disposable green devices.
• Wireless Tech – The technologies that affect wireless networking, power and sensing will soon combine to create sensors “that allow us to monitor critical aspects of machines and factories to radically boost productivity and extend the lifespan of equipment.” Interesting applications expected include sensors on mobile equipment like cranes and forklifts as well as on large stationary molding and assembly machines. These wireless sensors will harvest all the energy they need from the thermal or vibrational energy of their environment, allowing machine components to become as wireless as laptops are today.
• Collaboration and Sustainability – Soon industries will be able to refine concurrent-design collaboration between customers and suppliers so they will work together in purely virtual space.

Additional areas discussed range from the future of CAD to the emergence of “optimization with low-cost customization.”

Source: Stephen J. Mraz, Machine Design (Cleveland); Sep 10, 2009

The End of Commuting?

August 24th, 2009 in Technology, Trends    No Comments

This article notes that telecommuting is increasing this year in companies of all sizes, with more than 90 percent of organizations now considering themselves “virtual.” The author manages a global team of engineers via broadband, messaging, conferencing and presence. Her entire company is virtual, meeting in presence every six months. She sees a leap coming when virtual working expands beyond knowledge workers to many jobs that historically always required a physical presence. The author notes that even now we are seeing telemedicine in which doctors diagnose and even conduct surgeries remotely. With the right robotics the same situation may emerge for police, nurses and even factory workers. (more…)