Question 4. from the design brief

How does the workplace contribute to the meaning of work?

"The office was once designed as workhouses, reflecting the idea that work was something to be endured rather than enjoyed.Some employees were not even allowed to converse, let alone to flirt or gossip. But, in the people-centred economy of the 21st century, imaginative new offices are emerging in which social interaction is encouraged rather than frowned on. The neighbourly office is designed as a social landscape to bring people together in a community of purpose. It is a complete corporate society and its repertoire of town squares, garden fences, entertainment zones, quiet spaces and lively bars increasingly mirrors the dynamic of the modern city, with its chance encounters its colour and bustle."

-The 21st century office, by Jeremy Myerson and Philip Ross, published by Laurence King publishing in 2003

The workplace should contribute to work in two ways, to make it fun, and to keep it serious and focused. This is a very hard line to divide by.

Maslow's pyramid of needs is a good example of how one need affects the next.

Bibliography:

Noon, M (1997). The realities of work. London: Palgrave McMillan.


Tay, L. (2011). Maslow's pyramid of needs. Available: http://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/maslow.htm. Last accessed 12th November 2011.