How acoustic work pods afford two vital kinds of movement — triggering cross-pollination and engendering a more active, inspired office.
People tend to think of 'privacy' and 'quiet' when they think of work pods. Well-designed and well-made models certainly do provide both. But they also unlock an incredible but overlooked ergonomic benefit: the freedom to move. An office fit with a variety of pods or working spaces gives employees the freedom to move through spaces each day, reaping the innumerable benefits of movement.
In this light, work pods are an affordance for movement — and can play a crucial role in a manager's strategy to create a more active office.
Work pods allow and catalyze two vital kinds of movement
Raising one leg at a time on your footrest to shift postures, alternating between a standing and sitting posture, bouncing, rocking, swaying on an active seat, or enjoying micro-movement as facilitated by an anti-fatigue mat… These are all the subtle movements you can perform while 'sedentary' at your desk. The goal is to build more opportunities for these kinds of movement into the design of the workstation itself.
Below are some of the design features within Boostcubes work pods that provide employees this opportunity for more movement while working.
- Sit-stand adjustability – BoostcubesPhone has a built-in fold-out standing-height table, and BoostcubesWork has a manual height-adjustment system — both allow for a smooth transition between desk heights without interrupting workflow
- Comfortable, support standing – BoostcubesMeet pods are built with an ergonomic armrest for users to lean on in a supported and relaxed standing posture
- Room for ergonomic accessories there is ample room within solo pods to add footrests, active chairs, or anti-fatigue mats that bring more movement to the desk
Don't forget that ergonomics seeks more than movement — it also looks at environmental conditions like light, sound, temperature, and smell and assesses how well these conditions support comfort and performance. Which is why users can adjust lighting, ventilation, and acoustics in each Boostcubes pod.
The hidden ergonomic benefit of work pods
". . . whether we are aware of it or not, we are constantly organizing and re-organizing our workplace to enhance performance. Space is a resource that must be managed, much like time, memory, and energy. When we use space well we can often bring the time and memory demands of our tasks down to workable levels. We can increase the reliability of execution, and the number of jobs we can handle at once."-David Kirsh, cognitive scientist, professor, University of California
When we talk about movement at work, we are referring to two kinds of movement that are equally important for well-being, comfort, and productivity. Work pods catalyze both.
Movement #1: Movement at the desk (or while working)
Movement #2: "In-office mobility"
"Workspaces that provide variety and encourage in-office mobility have higher effectiveness and experience scores."- Gensler's U.S. Workplace Survey 2019
Short strolls between pods, brisk walks around the office building, stretching sessions, and walking meetings… these actions all represent the second vital kind of movement an office space should facilitate: in-office mobility.
The key here is first to provide a variety of work environments, giving employees options. Because each kind of work environment (or pod, in our case), provides an environment suitable for a unique task, the user is empowered to match the task to the pod and
move through pods each day — maintaining total flow. From this angle, work pods not only encourage but catalyze movement as the employee maintains flow. The beautiful thing about in-office mobility is that movement welcomes more movement. Objects in motion do tend to stay in motion, after all. So in time, your team will become more and more active each day.
"By incorporating Active Design strategies into office environments, employers stand to benefit from employees' increased productivity and improved quality of life."-The Center for Active Design
"Affordances" is an interior design concept valuable to understand when looking at how Boostcubes pods catalyze movement. And it's quite simple. Working and living in the built environment as designers, managers, and employees, we perceive the elements in our environment in terms of what functions these elements afford us. A keyboard affords typing. A chair affords sitting. And a mouse affords mousing. Because we create opportunities for movement through the implementation of work pods, Boostcubes work pods afford movement.
And if we adhere to careful, strategic planning in the placement of our pods, we can afford maximum movement. Well-thought-out affordances such as work pods serve as a cornerstone for a more active office. In fact, creating a variety of workspace, encouraging movement, and incorporating height-adjustable work surfaces are three of the nine principles of Active Design. All three of which principles are fulfilled by Boostcubes.
Boostcubes pods "afford" movement, creating an active office
The collision factor: the dynamite of an active office rich with movement
Have you ever been too deep in the weeds of a problem? You racked your brain and approached the problem from different angles, but you couldn't seem to crack it. So you took a break. You moseyed to the work cafe. On the way, you ran into an old colleague and struck up a conversation. Mid-conversion, it clicked: the solution revealed itself. This, in a nutshell, is the collision factor at work.
The collision factor refers to how well the office design supports these kinds of spontaneous meetings with colleagues. Organic conversations are sparked, and the ideas flow. Because serendipity gets a person out of their head and into the of the moment, inspiration strikes. Inspiration, which, of course, leads to innovation. And innovation, of course, is the name of the game.
Not only does the collision factor 'hack' innovation. It also improves morale. Because connection strengthens relationships and enlivens one's sense of alignment with organizational goals.
3 Tips: a Boostcubes pod layout that catalyzes movem