Over the past several months Bandit and I have written extensively about coworking and what it reflects in the larger economy. Theoretically we are writing a book about it, but that is proving to be rather slow going. Our interest in the topic/movement, though, is not waning.
I wake up this morning, once again, with design on the brain. It is hard not to here in southern France, where nearly every feature of the built environment is beautifully thought out and made both pretty and functional. My sense of the importance of design and the built environment is also being sustained by the current issue of the what is now my FAVORITE magazine- Dwell.
Between reading Bill McKibben’s Deep Economy and Dwell, a certain clarity about the future of work- in terms of space, location, time, etc- is becoming clearer and clearer. Out of necessity, and as a function of sanity, we will work closer to home and family than we do, as a rule, now. The physical environments in which we work will also be more thoughtfully created- to initiate collaboration that taps into greater creativity and problem solving capabilities.
Suburban Coworking
Thus far, many of the coworking spaces we have encountered at NotanMBA are located in densely populated urban spaces (see Indy Hall as one of our very favorites), and are filled in by young creative designers and developers. This demographic is defining the cultural framework for coworking and has put coworking on the map.
Over time, it is likely that there will also be a different breed of coworking space- suburban coworking. Here, independent entrepreneurs and corporates (and their employers) will realize that that 2 hour-each way commute is not only wasteful (in terms of time and energy), it just doesn’t make much sense in any respect. Coworking spaces will eventually dot the perimeter of cities like Atlanta, where commuting from faceless, souless suburbs to downtown offices epitomizes the ingredients of the end of civilization.
Hopefully, soon, there will be more options for workers -independent and corporate- to work closer (to home and family) and smarter. Coworking itself will be somewhat redefined in the process, but in cases such as this, that might be a good thing.
All for now-
The Butcher
Totally right on. Now here’s the interesting question: Who’s going to be building them?
Will it be folks who already own lots of satellite space, like HQ and Regis, or something borne out of the existing coworking spaces, or something else entirely?
We should, of course, before Regis gets wind of it. The challenge, which I try to outline in a post today, is how can the starfish organize on a grand scale without violating the spirit of the starfish? Answer that question and you’ve got it made!!!
Oh there is a lot of buzz about design thinking. I guess there were phases product > service > differentiation > innovation and now design thinking