New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 33/04C | Page 64

from all corners of the globe. He says that despite
the vast array of tech solutions for communication
at their fingertips – Slack, Skype, Google Hangouts,
Cisco’s web conferencing and even the old-fash-
ioned phone call – it can’t replace “serendipitous
bumping into each other” for sparking new ideas.
“We may have video calling on almost every
messaging service today, but it doesn’t replace
face-to-face conversations,” Rathi says. “The
subtle expressions on someone’s face or their body
language, which are often missed on a Skype chat,
add a crucial layer of unspoken communication.
That’s why such chats are critical for building trust
between members of a team.”
What we are witnessing isn’t the death of the
office, but its latest evolution. The construction of a
new $5 billion headquarters by Apple in California is
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a monumental example of one of the world’s most
innovative technology companies demonstrating its
investment in the bricks-and-mortar office.
It shows how businesses are moving towards
a more fluid working environment that enhances
professional life – where employees still have an
assigned desk, but can move freely between quiet
workspaces and informal communal areas, cafés
and terraces.
Futuristic designs like these show how compa-
nies are betting on a future which harnesses the
power of these impromptu encounters between
employees and their creative collaborations. After
all, they might just kick-start the next big idea.
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Below:Despite remote workers
having access to an array of tech
solutions for communication
at their fingertips, these can’t
replace serendipitous bump
meetings for sparking new
ideas. Shown here is Spaces,
Herengracht, Amsterdam.