Working Al Fresco

In mid-August, we opened an experimental outdoor workspace in Sunnyvale, CA that’s different from any we’ve ever built before. Rather than traditional outside lounge and dining areas, this is actually designed for people to get heads-down work done.  

It’s adjacent to our LinkedIn Workplace Design Lab - a tangible extension of it.   A 17 foot-long central, shared worktable (think modern, oversized picnic table) anchors the space and there are permanent no-glare monitors, adjustable height chairs and retractable overhead shades. It’s surrounded by planters with five-foot tall Carolina Cherry Laurels. 

We located the test space in an area with high campus foot traffic to learn how important things like sound masking and visual privacy are in an outdoor environment. 

And you know what? It’s been incredibly popular. Some people work there for hours, whereas others pop in, between meetings. I see people working in the space, shoulders relaxed, focused. It’s possible that it’s just an end-of-summer novelty, but when you consider that Americans spend 90% of their time indoors, maybe just maybe, people are looking to get out! 

At the LinkedIn Design Lab, we research alternate workspaces to find and develop environments where employees are inspired and can be the best versions of themselves. Testing outside workspaces is one of our experiments. It is the realization of an idea I told you about in my January post, We’re Taking the Office Outdoors.  

 Here’s what we’re looking for as this experiment rolls on. 

1. We want to understand if working outside is a better experience for individuals. All things being equal, are people more effective and focused, and do they feel better in fresh air than inside a building? 
2. It’s one thing if you have predictable good weather, but what about those parts of the world that don’t? When you have a momentary flash of good weather you want to take advantage of it. What is the kit of parts you need to store to be able to quickly deploy for a pop-up outdoor solution? 
3. Does meeting outside stimulate more creative thinking? Consider a formal meeting room -- everyone might be glued to a screen or have tight shoulders because that’s what the space usually elicits. Take the team outside, there might be more eye contact, people may connect better, let their guard down and ideas out. Does this alternate space allow people to think about their problems differently? 

To methodically test our space, we’re tracking utilization with occupancy sensors, collecting real time user feedback on whiteboards and developing a volunteer focus group of employees who will meet regularly to discuss the difference between their indoor and outdoor experience. We will continue to refine and edit the installation based on user feedback and our own observation. (One thing that’s already popped up – unanticipated? Ants and other bugs – prepare for that even in environments where bugs aren't usually an issue!)  

People have been sitting at picnic tables outside of offices since suburban offices have existed. These days, it’s increasingly popular to take walking meetings. At the LinkedIn Workplace Design Lab we are exploring formalizing it – legitimizing the value in outside space.  

What would it take for you to work outside? 

Thanks to Francesca Segre for editorial support.