As a start-up growing at hyper speed, Oculus VR recognized
it was at risk of losing its inherent cultural traits: a closely
knit team of equal intellectuals, where constant chatter and
close proximity kept ideas flowing and colliding constantly,
sometimes literally sticking to walls, as new prototypes spilled
continuously out of 3D printers. And all of this happened while
a telepresence robot digitally connected one Oculus engineer
working in Dallas to team members in California.
Their existing space was not working for them. Furnished
with rigid, linear benching, conversations were constrained,
conducted standing up, or leaning over others. Product Lead
Joe Chen was frustrated that it didn’t really foster the right
kind of interaction; “accidental collaborations” that happen
spontaneously were too infrequent. There weren’t enough
spots for quiet conversations, either. He wanted to enhance
the connectivity and impromptu discussions that are inherent
to the company’s success. They also needed more room to
accommodate their rapidly growing work force, but wanted the
space to better support the way they worked, too.
Oculus VR was a perfect candidate to beta test a new product
line that was in development at Herman Miller called Public
Office Landscape. Designed by Yves Béhar and fuseproject,
the line addresses needs uncovered by Herman Miller’s Insight
and Exploration group, which had been studying workplaces
around the world to observe different ways in which
collaborations occur.
Researchers had found that what was once secondary to
work—camaraderie, collaboration, interaction—had increasingly
become primary. By differentiating the subtleties of how,
when, where, and why people connect, the team had explored
collaborative work behaviors and identified 10 Modes of Work,
such as Converse, Chat, Huddle, Co-Create. They then defined
a range of Settings—spaces optimized to support work and
interaction—that enable these Modes of Work and help form
the foundation to a concept called Living Office.
Each Living Office is unique, based on the distinctive purpose,
character, and activities of its inhabitants. It is affected by the
culture of the company or country it’s in, as well as influences
such as the needs and work styles of its workers.
One of the first steps in achieving this goal was for Brian Green,
Research Lead with Herman Miller’s Insight and Exploration
group, to observe people at Oculus VR engaging in the various
Modes of Work. What he saw were “people who interacted
with each other many, many times a day, (exponentially) more
so than any other company I’ve seen,” he notes. “These were
typically short, two-to-three minute conversations about a task
at hand or getting guidance on something.”
Chen says Green’s many observations about their specific work
habits, in addition to Herman Miller’s overall research, helped
them identify “overall topography” that would support both the
functions and culture of the company. “It’s not just the furniture; it’s how you use that furniture to help
people perform better and make them most effective,” he says.
“It’s less about the furniture and more about the layout. We just
want to do the best work possible; we keep what helps us and
get rid of what doesn’t.”
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