Cozy in Your Cubicle? An Office Design Alternative May Improve Efficiency

In 1993, Jay Chiat had an epiphany while skiing in Telluride, Colo. The adman who created Apple’s memorable “1984” TV commercial thought it was time to “think different” about his own office: Chiat believed the workplace had become as static as an elementary school, with people only leaving their desks for lunch and for trips to the bathroom. He wanted his office to be more like a university campus.

When he returned to his agency, Chiat/Day, in Los Angeles, Chiat announced he was banishing job titles, workstations, landlines, and desktop computers. Employees could work from home, visiting the office anytime for client and team meetings. But when they did come, they’d have to store their personal items in a locker and sign out company-owned laptops and cell phones.