September 11, 2018 by CallisonRTKL

The End of the Desk

Bonnie Toland explores how the traditional desk may be holding us back and a vision for the future.

Centuries of conditioning have led us to an unhealthy relationship with the desk. The desk, although pervasive, is not historically universal. Many societies found a variety of ways to read, write, and create without desks. The modern international work model physically put the desk at the heart of the work environment; furniture companies have formed around the design, promotion and sale of desks. But, the desk may soon become obsolete as the goals and tools of work evolve.

Living in the Past

Our attachment to the desk recalls a bygone era of clerks slouched over handwritten documents with feather quills and ink blotters. Individuals and companies have spent millions to correct the toll this relationship has had on spines, shoulders, and egos, and even ergonomic task chairs, sit-stand desks, chiropractors, personal trainers and massage therapists have not remedied the situation.

The desk job was once idealized as a stable job, but it also became a term to describe an uneventful, isolated, static job that limits the human spirit. The desk carries both stigma and status; it symbolizes a foothold in the upwardly mobile corporate world, but also the entrapment of a stressful and sedentary life. With all its underlying significance, moving beyond the desk proves challenging, even when we sense that it holds us back.

In a management structure that relies on tracking employees’ locations and time, losing the designated desk feels like a loss of control, but assigned desks also make it easier for teammates to find each other so they can meet and collaborate. Providing alternatives to desks wouldn’t have to result in the dispersion of teams; people would need to find new ways of defining space and holding each other accountable.

The Way Forward

The modern international work model, based on American and British concepts of time and labor, has spread globally bringing with it a knapsack of questionable work habits and lifestyle adjustments. And while most people embrace the opportunity to partake in the global economy, many also perceive its shortcomings. During a recent client visit to India, a young man reflected, “if we aren’t using our monitors or our desk phones, what’s the point of a desk?” In societies that do not carry the same psychological baggage around the desk and the desk job, a transition to work spaces without them may be easier. Could designers and companies explore new models of potentially healthier and more versatile work habits? Will the near obsolescence of the desk reveal itself more immediately than in societies with longer historic and psychological ties to it? Like automotive infrastructure, the desk ties us to an older and less efficient version of ourselves. We continue with it because of its familiarity, not because it best addresses our working needs.

Watching people work today, I see papers spread on large tables or posted on walls, I see post-it-notes and writing on windows, I see people nestled in lounge chairs or cubbies with laptops or huddled around a kitchen table. I see people seeking the environments that best suit their needs, whether in a café with a view or a closet with thermostat control. I see people retreat when they need focus and reemerge when they need input or collaboration. I notice people taking walks, changing vantage points, and organizing their days more fluidly than the traditional desk job allows. When people have a variety of seating postures and work surfaces, a spectrum of spaces that allow for focus and interaction, or reconfigurable classroom-like team spaces that provide tools and resources, the opportunities for creativity, productivity and work satisfaction are infinite. And this is the tip of the iceberg; once the pandora’s box is open, new visions for what work can look like emerge.

People will increasingly flex workspaces in new directions, borrowing from the comfort and scale of home, the experiential journey of retail, the supported exploration of schools, and the warm reception of hospitality; workplaces promise to become more supportive of the whole person. In countries where the desk has reigned since the industrial revolution, people may resist a transition as they hold on to what has become familiar and an important social symbol. Potentially, societies with a less entrenched attachment to the desk may lead the way to new ways of working and understanding the work environment.

Bio
Latest Posts

CallisonRTKL

For more than five decades, Callison and RTKL have created some of the world’s most memorable and successful environments for developers, retailers, investors, institutions and public entities. In 2015, our two practices came together under the Arcadis umbrella, expanding our sphere of influence and the depth and breadth of our resources. Our team is comprised of nearly 2,000 creative, innovative professionals throughout the world who are committed to advancing our client’s businesses and enhancing quality of life.