Alexander Girard's contribution to Herman Miller is legendary and so is his fascination with folk art.   Reflecting on his love of folk art, Girard once said:  “I think that I saw it as a way to recapture all the wonderful enthusiasm and the spirit of discovery that we experience as children but generally lose as we grow older".  Girard's iconic wooden dolls are a unique mix of decorative object and colourful toy.  Originally designed for Girard's own Sata Fe home, they draw their aesthetic from Central American, Italian and Eastern European Culture.  They may have been designed to be distributed through the Herman Miller Textile & Objects shop in New York, which he ran at the time. Today they stand as a testament to his playful spirit representing as he said "a microcosm of man's world and dreams; they exhibit fantasy, imagination, humor and love."

We love this image of them, watching over a team in their office in Shanghai and reminding us that playfulness is a central part of life - even at work.

Part four from Album One: Extracts from Independent Thoughts. Our contributor today is a member of the Herman Miller team, Samantha Giam. Samantha is the Head of Marketing and Product Management for the Asia-Pacific region and is passionate about designing adaptable workspace solutions for the constantly evolving workplace environment, as she explains in the following extract from her article for Album One.

A Facility for Change

When I joined the strangely fascinating industry of office furniture, my first client was a semiconductor manufacturer based in Singapore. I was told to understand what additional furniture components the client needed to purchase for an extended space. The facility manager then proudly showed me their Action Office installation – an installation that was first purchased from Herman Miller in 1972. This was 2002. The client had been happily using the product for more than 20 years.

Since Robert Propst’s Action Office, the world of office furniture has quickly progressed from panels to frames and tiles; through pole systems to dematerialised bench solutions.

Footprints have shrunk from serious U-shaped real estate, to 1800, 1600, then 1400mm linear solutions, and many companies have started thinking about spaces that are more activity-based and human-centred.

So this begs the question: How many times have you disposed of your office furniture in the past ten years?

Often management want to use a dramatic change in the physical workspace as a visible lever to define organisational design and culture. Let’s throw out those clunky old panels; those bench systems you bought 2 years are too outdated, the fabric too old, the colour passé; Three-tier lateral files and swing doors cabinets should disappear with the arrival of cloud computing…Too quickly companies are throwing out the furniture they bought just a couple of years ago.

It’s now time to consider investing in infrastructure that allows you to change your mind tomorrow, next year or 5 years later.

Flexibility and elasticity are key in designing a facility for change. Like an evolving city, workspace solutions need to allow active preservation and demolition of spaces. We need to invest in designs that are future proof and will be able to support constant reinvention. The best thing we can do is to avoid disposal, that has the biggest impact on the environment.

Part three from Album One: extracts from Independent thoughts.  Today's contributor is Andrew Schunke.  As Senior Associate and Interior Design Discipline Leader at Hassell, Andrew has a breadth of experience and wide ranging skills from education, to corporate, hospitality and retail fitouts, furniture design and detailing. He is a fellow of the Design Institute of Australia, ensuring up to date knowledge on market trends and design theory. We talked to Andrew about how he got started in design and what element of design he couldn't do without:

What led you to pursue a career in design? During my senior schooling I had a wonderful teacher in drawing that inspired and encouraged me to pursue design based study.

How do you approach a design brief or new project? The client is always central to any solution. Each design is approached from first principles with no preconceived ideas to allow fresh and exciting design outcomes. It is important to discover the core drivers that are often below the surface of the functional briefing. Once this is established we use spatial, colour and material references to assist visualisation and to create a sense of place.

What element of design could you not live without? The smartphone that allows me to stay connected, research, review, draw, learn, explore, capture and talk. 

What is your favourite Herman Miller design? The Eames Lounge and Ottoman

Enjoy this extract from Andrew's article for Album One below:

Making connections: Learning and workplace environments (abridged)

As we work across new workplace and educational environments, teaching and learning appear to be more aligned than ever before. In the shared areas where spatial variation and adaptation is encouraged, we see many similarities in the ideas guiding the formation of these places.

The employees of the near future are the current tertiary students. Many of them are already global citizens studying away from home, and thus embedded in their working process is the ability to study and work anywhere. Pervasive technologies enhance their connectedness, and spaces simply support their ability to focus, swarm and huddle. Skype booths, tablet tables, touch screen walls and three-dimensional projections sit alongside personal devices, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.  The ability to shape their surroundings to support ‘what they are doing right now’ requires spaces, furniture and products that are fluid and adaptable. The ideal outcomes are achieved when the spaces are created or at least informed by the users.

Students want links to home, connections to the outdoors, memories of childhood and ties to culture. They crave spaces that are visible and allow social interactions, but may have depth and variation to support group work and personal study.These learning and working hubs are generally ‘of the moment’ and fashionable in their aesthetic expression. The spaces also present as tactile and graphically enhanced, almost as an antidote to the sometimes overwhelming technology.

The furniture often has multiple uses, although not always as intended, such as ‘chair as bed’. The pieces allow sitting and standing to work, encourage private or group activities and support positive ergonomic use where possible. They support flexible working styles, hours of use and environments. This last statement is reflective of the core aspirations of activity based working, and marks the clear connection between learning and workplace environments.

We have found the best outcomes are always produced in partnerships with the users, not simply as part of a briefing process, but by defining the core objectives and shaping the key outcomes. Our most successful design solutions are those that encourage ownership, support fluidity and deliver real benefits.

Today we bring you the fourth extract from the Independent thoughts section of Album One from Heidi Stowers, Partner at Gray Puksand. With over 20 years experience in architecture and interior design, Heidi leads the national interior design team at the company and her unique skill set and knowledge ensures a thorough understanding of interior design from a holistic standpoint.  As a nine-year member of the Gray Puksand team, Heidi’s projects have included government and corporate organisations, with her work represented in all Capital cities. Specialising in workspace design, Heidi has completed successful and innovative projects with Amcor, Baulderstone, FleetPartners, Middletons, Australian Bureau of Statistics and City West Water. Heidi is a member of the Design Institute of Australia, and a committee member at the Property Council of Victoria.  Through actively researching new methods and advancements in workspace design, culture and management styles, Heidi demonstrates a genuine curiosity, and a passion for creativity.  We spoke to Heidi about how she started in design and what she couldn't do without:

What led you to pursue a career in design? I took an interesting path via architectural drafting, construction and business management. Passion and hard work drove me to find a place where I could develop my design vision. My broad background has enhanced my ability to design inspiring spaces in which people thrive and work, and I love what I do.

How do you approach a design brief or new project? Connection with the client is the most important part of my design process. Through in-depth workshops I ensuring an thorough understanding of my client’s culture; armed with that knowledge I am able to respond with a design to support and enhance their aspiration.

What element of design could you not live without? Colour theory; I love the challenge of gathering colours together to create an emotional response, or to enhance an experience. I enjoy finding balance; a harmony, and that special touch to make a colour scheme sing.

What is your favourite Herman Miller design? Noguchi table. I love the fluid design; the way the glass hovers above the timber structure. A perfect balance between sculpture and function.

An extract from Heidi's article is below:

Bandwagon On The Run: The truth behind successful ABW (abridged)

Activity Based Working (ABW) is a misused label plastered onto any shiny new workspace design. As companies jump on the bandwagon to embrace this new trend, the fundamentals that hold it up are being lost. Companies risk investing in a new fit-­out that fails them from day one. The principles of ABW address the way a company goes about its business. If creativity, collaboration and communication are your company’s goals, then ABW may be the solution for you.

Plan for Performance

People are more productive, work more innovatively, and have a greater sense of wellbeing in an environment that encourages trust, allows flexibility and supports self-­management. This environment includes:

·         Choice around when people work, and from which location (home, office or park);

·         How people want to approach the task at hand to ensure the best outcome;

·         Opportunities to easily pull the best teams together;

·         To encourage more innovative responses to challenges; and

·         To embrace a truly agile workforce.

An ABW workspace, when and only when supported by a genuine culture change, can achieve improved performance of a workforce.

Design for Performance

Space planning is the most important element of the design response. How the workspace is laid out; how the internal spaces, and therefore the people, interact with each other; how people move and flow through the environment; how connections are made; how to make a space feel comfortable and individual, whilst still being transparent – solving these challenges provides for the true success of the ABW physical space. An ABW workspace will include various home bases, with some allocated seating, often for administration and support staff. This creates a hub and a focus for each team; a location where one can find a place to belong. The workspace plan will include areas such as library spaces and focus rooms for quiet individual work, large open and formal meeting spaces for team collaboration, and cafes and communal squares for incidental collaboration and knowledge sharing. The finishes, furniture selections, and look and feel, whilst important design elements, are a more individual choice. It is easy to jump on the bandwagon, and commission a new trendy workspace immediately. However, ABW is not merely a flashy interior design, or the current trend for workspace design. ABW is a holistic working environment, with quality and performance at its core.

Herman Miller China is currently running a “Design for You” campaign around the theme “Better World”, following in the footsteps of successful campaigns by Herman Miller USA and Japan.

“Design for You” is a campaign that unlocks prizes as more people enter.  Among the prizes on offer include the Hang-it-All by Charles and Ray Eames, and the SAYL chair by Yves Béhar covered in fabric by the late Aboriginal artist Minnie Pwerle. The ultimate prizes are three Eames Rockers translated into pieces of art by three influential Chinese artists. Each Eames Rocker has been hand-painted in a different style: elegant Haipai style, conceptualized industrial design and urban illustration.

Shoubai Li is a Chinese contemporary heavy colour painter and paper sculpture master.  His piece is called Flowing Memories and is inspired by traditional Chinese paper sculpture elements.

In this artwork, Shoubai presents his impression of an elegant and harmonious Shanghainese traditional wedding costumes in a modern context and highlights human relationships in connection with urbanisation.   Shoubai has applied paper cutting contours and modern painting on a new medium: the Eames Rocker.

Raymond Choy is the founder of Toy2R, and as such he is passionate about applying toys into art.

Dr Choy’s piece is titled Qee Elemental + Miller.  In this piece, he has used the image of popular toy “Qee” on the chair.  The aim was to promote the idea of respecting nature through a combination of hand painting with natural elements and the Qee toy. The style of urbanization illustration reflects the inner hope of a better environment leading to a better world.

Wei Jia, is the founder of LKK Innovation, and widely regarded as the most talented commercial artist in China. As president of Design Committee, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Wei Jia blends  Chinese culture ZEN, design trends and commercial value into his work. Wei Jia’s piece is titled Dialogue.  In this piece he has incorporated elements of furniture from the Ming dynasty on the Eames chair. The mix-and-match of design and culture calls for a better way of inclusiveness and embracing all in society.

Keep an eye on Herman Miller China as new products are unlocked and stay tuned for news of the winners of these unique pieces of art. And of course, if you are based in China, join the competition for your chance to win iconic prizes from Herman Miller.

Part three in our extract from Album One: Independent Thoughts comes from James Calder.  James is a practitioner, facilitator, author and part-time educator interested in all facets of the strategy, design and use of the workplace. As founder of Calder Consultants he operates as a specialist independent advisor.  James has extensive global experience across most business sectors from finance to media and technology, law to retail banks, government departments and universities.   We asked James for some background on his work in this area:

What led you to pursue a career in design? I have a 50/50 left/right brain so after a few years in engineering I found architecture suited me better.  Then I got lucky and was introduced to brief writing and design strategy as a career.

How do you approach a design brief or new project? With a deliberate open mind and understanding of the creative process: preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification, and a complete focus on the long term needs of the client.

What element of design could you not live without? Cubic capacity

What is your favourite Herman Miller design? The next one, it’s boring to stand still (Ed's note: We have taken this to mean our fantastic new product: Arras Spine! - image below)

When it Comes to Workspace, There is no ‘I’ in ‘Team’ (abridged)

There is an old saying in team sports that there is no ‘I’ in ‘team’ (the joke goes that there is in ‘win’ though, but I digress). Much of the discussion around the workplace has focused on the individual, whereas it is teams that drive organisational performance.

The new workers do not have the opportunities to collaborate that we had a decade ago. Many can work in an office producing their work and communicating solely by email. We need to change the balance of space to support much more face-to-face time, or we will grow a disengaged generation that will begin to threaten the future viability of many organisations.

The physical space (perhaps surprisingly to business leaders, but not designers) has a significant role to play in supporting and embedding this change. There are three key aspects that stand out as making the next generation workspace important to business:

Firstly, there is the business commitment to engage with people in an authentic way. We are seeing new, more open buildings that sit above a public concourse, where the tenant is, in effect, paying rent to create public space, and the passing foot traffic is encouraged to come in.

Secondly, with the number of people owning a desk reducing perhaps to around 25%, space is increasingly allocated to a diverse range of worksettings. Combined with new building services that create natural environmental microclimates, people are more likely to move around the space and experience knowledge exchange, chance encounters, social opportunities and moments of serendipity.

Lastly, the move from Industrial Age to Information Age work and lifestyles is speeding up. The new buildings designed around flexible project team space, where information is placed in the hubs of these teams for easy communication, make it easier for business leaders to move around the workspace and achieve a far greater understanding of what people are doing, and in ‘real time.’

We have known for many years that staff performance is a factor of motivation and ability, but it is now time to add environment to the equation. The ability to integrate real estate, technology and human resources in a way that creates invigorating places will create significant business value, and is fast becoming an essential component of business success.

Design Camp is a Better World Initiative by Herman Miller Japan and Meguro Museum of Art Tokyo, which gives the public unique opportunities to interact with established designers in a workshop setting.  Now in its second year, Design Camp took place in March over two days at both the Herman Miller store and Art Museum.  This session’s workshops were led by DRILL DESIGN, an established Japanese design duo whose work has achieved international fame.  

After the workshops we had a chance to catch up with Yusuke Hayashi and Yoko Yasunishi from DRILL DESIGN which they founded in 2000. Their work spans many fields from product to interiors and graphics and has been internationally recognised including Red Dot and Good Design awards, exhibited widely and sold globally. 

(Above: DRILL DESIGN)

Thank you for joining with us on Design Camp 2.  What was it about the project that interested you? Through the experience of making things, we are able to think with the participants about our everyday question; "what is design?". I also think it was a good system in that it enabled us to make things step by step in the one-week interval between two consecutive sessions.

(Design Camp)

How did you come to found DRILL DESIGN? Yusuke studied economics and I studied sociology at university. After university, we studied design and founded DRILL DESIGN.

Describe a typical day at the office. In the morning, we clean up first. Then we make delicious coffee and have a project meeting. What we do varies from day to day, i.e., make models, draw designs or do research, but as we are a small office, we proceed with several projects simultaneously while always communicating with one another. It would be healthier for us if we could finish work a bit earlier at night.

Your work is globally recognized and sold around the world.  Tell us how it felt when your first product was picked up internationally? Our first Paper-Wood project that we exhibited in Milan was not as glamorous as other furniture that were exhibited at the Milan Furniture Fair. But overseas media quite acurately comprehended our challenge and heaped lavish praise. We could not imagine what it was like to be internationally praised until then, but it literally felt as though the doors to the world had been opened.

(Above: Paper Wood Stools)

(Design Camp)

How has your approach evolved over the years, do you have any rituals or routines you follow before embarking on project? In the beginning, I think we had the tendency to evolve a design along a logical and objective concept. It was the basics of design of translating function into form. These days, we are able to link "new possibilities" that are gained through repeated independent experiments with design. With most projects, we make life-size models wherever possible.

What element of design could you not live without? Necessity and creative ideas.

How has technology changed your work if at all? It has become easier to communicate but essentially it is not that different.

What advice would you give to aspiring designers? There is not one meaningless experience. Every experience can be applied to design. Knowledge other than design would become very useful later.

What have been your most rewarding achievements? Every project is worth doing, but I feel that all projects are still in progress.

What’s next? To meet those that need us and put our heads together.

Our thanks to Meguro Museum of Art, DRILL DESIGN, FULL SWING and Herman Miller Japan.

Today we have the second extract from our Independent Thoughts section in Album One, from Amanda Stanaway.  

Amanda sits at the forefront of workplace design and has been instrumental in creating some of the most cutting edge workplaces in Australia, delivering real business advantages and change for organisations. As a principal in the Woods Bagot Sydney Studio, Amanda's role spans strategy and interior design allowing her to work across a broad spectrum of projects. She played a pivotal role in the multi-disciplinary team responsible for One Shelley Street, the first activity based working environment in Australia and the project credited with shifting the corporate landscape in Australia.  Since the implementation of this benchmark project in 2009, Amanda has been working with a variety of other corporate clients to tailor unique solutions which respond to their business needs and the changing market trends including projects for GPT, Westfield, Singtel, Deloitte and Mastercard.  We talked a little to Amanda about her love of design:

What led you to pursue a career in design? I was a meticulous child.  During high school I had several exceptional art and graphics teachers, who encouraged me to explore my creative side: whilst acknowledging my aptitude for math and science.  Architecture and design was the logical outlet to combine left and right brain attributes into a career.

How do you approach a design brief or new project? A new project is always a chance to reinvent: explore new ideas and take another client on a journey through the creative process.  I love all stages of the design process and the brief is the opportunity to lay the foundations for a ‘great design’.  I have learned over the years to enjoy the journey of the creation and negotiation that is the design process, rather than just wanting ‘it built’. 

What element of design could you not live without? Light.  In its natural and artificial forms. Gorgeous morning light: harsh midday sun. Long afternoon shadows. Dappled light. The most delicate of candle light. Uplight. Simple, elegant exposed bulbs. Table and floor lamps.

What is your favourite Herman Miller design? My favourite design is the Eames Mesh Aluminium chair – high back  (I can’t shake my minimalist teachings) although after owning the all black Limited Edition Eames Lounge & Ottoman- this comes a close second.  I love comfort and adaptability of the design and that every visitor in my house (young or old) needs and loves to sit in the chair.  

Here is an extract from Amanda's article for Album One:

Syncing organisational design and management (abridged)

In the 21^st century, businesses operate in increasingly competitive markets, yet most operate with 20^th century processes, mindsets and leaderships. These factors, rather than organisational structure, are critical as we attempt to revolutionise the workplace with ‘activity based working’ and other physical changes. Radical shifts – in mobility, technology and flexible work practices – demand equivalent changes in how people are managed and rewarded.

Mindset Shift This is a radical shift for both managers and employers, many of whom have been raised in a culture of ‘presentism’, and ‘I am not working unless I am at my desk’. A recently published Harvard survey outlined that remote employees were more satisfied than those with their boss in proximity, as employees felt interactions were more structured, focused and outcome-driven. Paramount to success is management by output or KPIs, versus management by presence or by proximity. 

Engagement Leadership engenders employee engagement with trust, open communication, clearly articulated goals, values, reward and learning systems. Although the workplace is vastly critical to engagement, it is a critical ‘business lever’ and manifestation of brand that many companies fail to take advantage of.  Take a look at Google, which is consistently named in the top 5 employers. Googlers take their identity from their ‘quirky’ spaces – just one small part of a comprehensive employee engagement plan. 

100% Collaboration Although designers have started integrating ‘collaboration’ into environments, there remains a tension between those who believe an office should be quiet and focused as ‘people are working’, in lieu of a buzz with people ‘making it happen’, learning, sharing and solving problems.  Most activity based working environments take this further by increasing the number and types of collaboration spaces and how they are enabled. Campus MLC, as part of NAB’s workplace transformation program, adopted a tempered approach by providing ‘consolidated’ collaborative areas on every floor, including one-on-one spaces, informal meeting spaces, technology booths and tables, and larger group forums for creative brainstorming and problem solving. These environments prioritise collaboration and realign and redistribute the office space to align with changes in behaviour.

The challenge for all organisations is not just ‘collaboration’, but truly effective collaboration – where people come together to problem solve and get an outcome, rather than the collaboration being didactic.

Takahashi Hiroko is an artist pushing the boundaries in Japan. After graduating with an MFA Fine Arts from Tokyo National University, Hiroko worked as a designer in the apparel industry before returning to study to major in textile crafts. While a student Takahashi was invited to study in Paris and on return to Japan has worked on pushing the boundaries of textile design.

Tell us a little about yourself?

I work as an artist. I want to overturn familiar stereotypes and create opportunities to prompt people to turn their thoughts to a whole variety of things. Right now I’m working on eight of my own projects. One of these is a series of portraits to encourage people to confront the issues they face with a fresh perspective. Another is “HIROCOLEDGE”, my project to build things in collaboration with a wide variety of artisans and producing regions. I’m also involved in enterprise branding and artistic direction.

How did you become an artist?

My father was a plasterer. When I was a little girl, I watched him building houses, which is how I learned that people could build things even as big as that. I came to realize how all of the things around me were created by people, and that my ability to live was supported by the efforts of others. I wanted everyone to be aware of people like my father, who supported the world we live in by building things. That was the starting point for the activities I’m involved in today.

Describe a typical day at the office?

My home is close to the office, so in the morning I check my e-mail, check some proofs, then head to the office around 10 o’clock. Lunch is always late, around two. If I don’t have any meetings or visits from customers, basically I spend the whole day in production. Mostly I do my work on my Mac, but some days I work on product prototypes.

How has your approach evolved over the years, do you have any rituals or routines you follow before embarking on project?

I’ve come to realize that expression comes in many forms. It’s not just the things people can see or hold in their hands. It’s also the words we utter, our actions, all of the things that make up being alive. All of these things are forms of expression. When I start a new project, I make a point of visiting the producing region or the plant. I meet face-to-face with all of the people involved, with the aim of getting everybody focused positively on the project. In the past, I deliberately involved myself in a wide range of projects, but more recently I avoid getting involved in projects that are contrary to my activity policy. Even with my own projects, I try to establish clear and optimal targets for each.

What element of design could you not live without?

Sense of purpose. And love.

How has technology changed your work if at all?

One of the characteristics of my expressions is the creation of patterns solely from circles and straight lines. Technology has made it easy to draw perfect circles and straight lines and line them up evenly. Past techniques are a part of my heritage, but I don’t allow myself to be limited by them. I make extensive use of technology, because I believe that the first step toward creating a new tradition is to create expressions that are only possible in our age.

What advice would you give to aspiring designers?

Free your mind of stereotypes. Have a sense of purpose beyond the scope of your imagination.

What have been your most rewarding achievements?

My current project, 3120, is a project that uses minowashi, a paper produced in Gifu Prefecture. Various products made of this paper are currently available for sale, particularly in Europe. A noteworthy feature of the project is the use of watermarked paper using a new technique.

What’s next?

I’ll be displaying my work at an exhibition in Paris for two months starting in September. A few other exhibitions are in the offing here in Japan, so I’ll be focusing on production for the next little while.

Over the next few weeks we will be sharing with you excepts from a soon to be released Herman Miller publication: Album One.  Album One talks about the changes affecting workplace design and we will bring you sneak peeks from some of the thought leaders we spoke to when compiling our book.

Today we speak to Luc Kamperman, Partner at Veldhoen + Company, the Dutch consultancy that originally developed the Activity Based Working (ABW) philosophy in the Netherlands in the early 1990's.  Luc has worked on the largest ABW implementations globally from Rabobank in the Netherlands to  Macquarie Bank (Sydney 2007-2009), Commonwealth Bank (Sydney), Medibank (Melbourne) and PwC Australia (Perth and Sydney) to name just a few.

We talked a little to Luc on how he came to be involved in workplace design and what his favourite Herman Miller product is (of course!)

How did you come to be involved in workplace design?  I hold a master in Business Management and actually didn’t know anything about workplace design initially. In 2002 I joined Veldhoen + Company who are strategic workstyle consultants. Looking at improving the way people and companies work. This includes IT and work environments. As a result I became very fascinated by the impact different environments have on people. Many people do not enjoy work while being productive at the same time.

How do you approach a brief or new project? By challenging the status quo and focusing on the future. You can’t resolve problems with the same mind-set that created it. If you build for the future, your thinking has to be revolutionary.

What inspires you in this field? People. The impact that a change of work style has on them. I love the experience of people working in a dramatically different way and enjoying it.

What is your favourite Herman Miller design? I personally love design but as an important aspect in the whole loop of changes that is needed to make work effective and joyful. Functionality is most important. And design needs to inspire people. If I have to pick one Herman Miller design I like it’s the Eames Lounge and Ottoman as it supports thinking and reflection time. Crucial for creating the future.

Read below an except from Luc's article for Album One: Independent Thoughts.

It’s not about the building: Introduction to activity based working (abridged)

Today our economies are based on innovation and change. Organisations cannot move forward by standing still. One of the key challenges of management is to design flexible organisations that replace vertical hierarchies with horizontal networks, linking traditional functions and forming strategic partnerships with suppliers, clients and even competitors. The tools of this age give us nearly limitless flexibility and mobility. As a result we are no longer tied to a desk, an office, or indeed regular office hours to acquire, process and distribute information. This ability to work anywhere begs the question: what is the office for?

The primary function of an office is shifting from a factory where we process information, to a hub where we collaborate, share and learn. The philosophy of activity based working (ABW) is to give every employee the freedom to work in the most natural way to produce quality outcomes for their clients, and their organisation. In doing so, work becomes more enjoyable, more efficient, and more effective, benefitting one and all. It might sound simple, but the impact and consequences for our working behaviours are enormous.

ABW challenges unnecessary rules and procedures, permanent workplaces, and regular working hours. It promotes knowledge sharing, more pervasive collaboration, personal accountability, and entrepreneurship. From this, we see increased engagement and cross functional collaboration that breaks down silos and unifies organisations, improves employee satisfaction and therefore increases productivity. In contrast to Europe, the ABW concept is relatively new in Asia Pacific. In 2008, Macquarie Bank and Commonwealth Bank were the first companies to successfully implement activity based working in Sydney, Australia. However the success of these projects has lead to a buzz around ABW that risks reducing ABW to mere hype, drawing parallels between ABW and hot-desking.

ABW is much more than this, and the real benefits can only be assured when ABW is implemented in an integrated way with the right focus on the virtual environment (technology and information management), the physical environment (the physical fit-out) and the so called behavioural environment (people and culture). All of this needs to be supported by a change management program that ensures it’s not a hollow and intellectual change, but is truly embedded in how we work and lead differently in the future. Implemented effectively, ABW is truly a workstyle for today.