It is no secret that the way in which we work has been changing. We are working from more locations, on more projects, and in more collaborative ways. However, there is room for improvement as a more personal, human-centered approach to the design of workplace settings and/or services could render working from remote locations more enjoyable. These locations comprise the ‘alternative workplace’ that is gaining in popularity as numerous trends shape the future of work, of workers, and of workspaces.

This is an important area of investigation as we attempt to transition our society towards more efficient, engaging, and flexible ways of working. The research question this project explores is, “how might we better design workplace settings to best support the needs of current and future remote workers?” The research aims to uncover existing frustrations associated with the alternative workplace experience by way of survey, cultural probe, and observations. These findings are used to inform a range of opportunity areas and inform a designed concept briefly described as an example solution. The research looks at the past, present, and potential futures of the workplace in order to understand ways in which our workplace settings and/or services might be made more suitable to the changing workplace demands and our human needs and desires.