Herman Miller
Modes of Work
©Daniel Carlsten
Create
Herman Miller
Modes of Work
©Daniel Carlsten
Process and Respond
Herman Miller
Modes of Work
©Daniel Carlsten
Contemplate
7
Living Office
Create occurs when a person engages with the content
associated with their role and develops deliverables.
Process & Respond occurs in response to the feedback loop
of emails, phone calls, and texts that drives work forward.
Working Alone
Focused activities
performed by individuals
Contemplate is an opportunity for an individual to pause and
reflect on their work—or ignore it momentarily and seek respite.
How You Work
Shapes Where You Work
The ways people work are clearly changing. Today, as companies
grapple with increasingly complex business issues, many
view collaboration as a swift, reliable process for generating
creative solutions.
Herman Miller spent the past two decades studying collaboration
to best understand how working together affects people and
their environments. As our researchers collected data on the
behaviors that drive productive collaboration, we also recognized
the continued importance of solo work—even in the most
collaborative environments.
We synthesized this mountain of data into 10 modes of work—
seven collaborative activities people do in groups of two or
more, and three focused, individual activities. Whether you are a
two-person start-up or a rapidly expanding enterprise with 100
employees and counting, some combination of these 10 modes
makes up every workday for your people. Considering these
needs in the design of your space will help your people and your
business be more effective.
