"This study examined the independent and joint influences of stimulus screening, inhibitory ability, perceived privacy and task complexity on the satisfaction and performance of employees working in open-plan offices."
"The goal of this study was to identify the moderating effects of inhibitory ability, stimulus screening, perceived privacy, and task complexity on the satisfaction and performance of employees working in open-plan work environments."
This studies work found inconsistencies in their results of job satisfaction relevance to the inhibitory ability, stimulus screening, perceived privacy and task complexity evaluators. the basic results were as followed (based on my interpretations of the findings, which is like reading advanced statics). Seems that individuals that have a hard time concentrating against outside stimulus, like the distractions occurring in open-plan offices, found their jobs less satisfying. The study showed that sound distractions could be worse than visual ones to these individuals with limited stimulus screening abilities. Basically stating that employees react negatively to open-plan office environments.
"In conclusion, this study has identified the importance of employee perceptions, task characteristics, and the ability to inhibit distractions in enabling an individual to cope with the overstimulation inherit to the open-plan workplace. Inhibitory processes are acknowledged as playing a fundamental role in an individual's ability to effectively function in their environment, and appear to influence employee' affective response to their workplace."
Why is this important?
The open-plan office has been one of many studies since its development and incorporation into the American workplace in the 1970's. It started as a way to fit as many people into one large space as possible, spending as little as possible. Then people noticed that productivity was going down. Well the open-plan "systems furniture manufacturers started spending money on how to improve their products to increase productivity. This research, biased of course, sought ways to provide subtle changes of neutral color palettes, "acoustical" privacy panels, and other added features. Did anyone ever think of finding another alternative? Of course, but then the large furniture manufacturers would push that research side to continue selling their products that increases the number of people in a space, while minimizing costs of operations. We need more research on the true costs these open-plan offices really cost when factoring in human and even ecological factors.
Why is this important to me?
Two of my former jobs were office furniture dealerships (Steelcase, Knoll / Kimball). My job was to layout the systems furniture for the client. I was always butting heads with sales people, and clients due to some issues involving stupid things life life safety codes and ADA (being sarcastic here). I was always having to step forward with questions about the users' choices. It was to the point that I was just another arm of the machine that placed people in these rows and rows of boring, dreaded cubicles. The problem was I had other answers, and could use the systems furniture to produce designs that would work for the users. Yet, the might dollar and the one paying always had final say. Great design for offices will never happen as long as the purse string is carried only by a select few. That is my two cents on the matter.
Spend it wisely.
Author(s): Alena Maher and Courtney von Hippel, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Article Title:Individual Differences in Employee Reactions to Open-Plan Offices
Publisher: Elsevier Science
Publication: Journal of Environmental Psychology
Publication Type: Refereed Journal
Date of Publication: 2005
ISSN: 0272-4944
Volume: 25
Issue: 5
Pages: 219-229
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Newsbrief # 2: Age-Related Changes in the Social, Psychological, and Temporal Influences on Food Intake in Free-Living, Healty, Adult Humans
"There does not appear to be a decline with age in the ability of non physiological factors to influence the nutrient intakes of the elderly, but they may not have as great an influence due to lower absolute levels. This suggests that the deficient intakes in the elderly might be corrected or ameliorated by manipulation of non psychological factors, such as the number of other people present at meals, the palatability of meals, and the time of day and the location of meals."
This article discussed how the elderly community compared to younger adults in regards to food intake. There was prove given that elderly have a more suppressed appetite than the younger adults. This suppression causes many elderly to become malnutritioned and developed health issues. The author studied how non psychological factors could be used to increase the intake of food amount the elderly group. His study compared 762 broken down into four age groups for 7 days of dietary eating habits. The results showed that the elderly were as responsive to social facilitation, palatability, cognitive restraint, time of day, day of week, and location. The author discussed how hunger could be a psychological as well as a physiological feeling. He then discussed how environmental stimuli could increase the intake among the elderly. He claims that the elderly could be more enticed to frequent restaurants with music in the back ground, and will do so earlier in the day than the younger adults.
What is the relevance of this topic:
We as designers will be facing a rise in the population that will be meeting the elderly age group. Their health is vital to us in many ways. Simple one would be basic caring for their livelyhood. Yet other major thoughts would be in terms of prevention of medical problems and stopping malnutrition of the elderly which could cause major medical problems for the elderly. Designers carry a huge responsibility for designing resturants (fine dining or even fast food), community dining facilities, etc, that would stimulate the appitties of the eldely. This author provided clues to what designers need to do to engage and interact the elderly in a dining experience.
We, as designers, can make our dining environment designs promote group dining, good lighting, pleasent conversation with the proper accustical control, comformt, and stimulation of the senses in ways that provide the needed motivation of elderly individuals to want to eat. If we have control over the non psycholoigal parts of the dining experience, then we need to know how to properly design for this aging community.
How I feel about it:
This topic is one that designers will face as the population is aging. If we are to truly provide better quality of life for these individuals, then we must think of preventive measures to health concerns and not wait until problems have developed. Since nutritional issues are concerns with the elderly, can we not take a proactive approach and design dining facilities that encourage and promote food consumption for the elderly and others? I think it sould be viewed as a part of good logical design that is inclusive of all individuals.
Article: Age-Related Changes in the Social, Psychological, and Temporal Influences on Food Intake in Free-Living, Healthy, Adult Humans
Author: John M. de Castro
Publication: The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 57:M368-M377 (2002).
This article discussed how the elderly community compared to younger adults in regards to food intake. There was prove given that elderly have a more suppressed appetite than the younger adults. This suppression causes many elderly to become malnutritioned and developed health issues. The author studied how non psychological factors could be used to increase the intake of food amount the elderly group. His study compared 762 broken down into four age groups for 7 days of dietary eating habits. The results showed that the elderly were as responsive to social facilitation, palatability, cognitive restraint, time of day, day of week, and location. The author discussed how hunger could be a psychological as well as a physiological feeling. He then discussed how environmental stimuli could increase the intake among the elderly. He claims that the elderly could be more enticed to frequent restaurants with music in the back ground, and will do so earlier in the day than the younger adults.
What is the relevance of this topic:
We as designers will be facing a rise in the population that will be meeting the elderly age group. Their health is vital to us in many ways. Simple one would be basic caring for their livelyhood. Yet other major thoughts would be in terms of prevention of medical problems and stopping malnutrition of the elderly which could cause major medical problems for the elderly. Designers carry a huge responsibility for designing resturants (fine dining or even fast food), community dining facilities, etc, that would stimulate the appitties of the eldely. This author provided clues to what designers need to do to engage and interact the elderly in a dining experience.
We, as designers, can make our dining environment designs promote group dining, good lighting, pleasent conversation with the proper accustical control, comformt, and stimulation of the senses in ways that provide the needed motivation of elderly individuals to want to eat. If we have control over the non psycholoigal parts of the dining experience, then we need to know how to properly design for this aging community.
How I feel about it:
This topic is one that designers will face as the population is aging. If we are to truly provide better quality of life for these individuals, then we must think of preventive measures to health concerns and not wait until problems have developed. Since nutritional issues are concerns with the elderly, can we not take a proactive approach and design dining facilities that encourage and promote food consumption for the elderly and others? I think it sould be viewed as a part of good logical design that is inclusive of all individuals.
Article: Age-Related Changes in the Social, Psychological, and Temporal Influences on Food Intake in Free-Living, Healthy, Adult Humans
Author: John M. de Castro
Publication: The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 57:M368-M377 (2002).
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Newbrief #1 Why Design Environmentally Responsible Interior Environments?
"Green design is often used to refer to people's health, safety, and welfare, whereas sustainable design is often used to refer to the health, safety and welfare of the planet." Ultimately both follow the same concepts for what is health for the planet is health for people.
The built environment (consisting of the construction, operating, and equipping) according to the World Watch Institute (US DOE 2003) accounts for 10% of the world's economy and utilizes between 17% to 50% of the world's natural resources and causing major damage to the planet.
Interior designers that design interiors around the world's ecology and the quality of life to users, "by identifying and analyzing the raw materials, manufacturing methods, transportation, use, maintenance, and disposal of all furnishings, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) specified for an interior." Significant studies have been generated on sustainable building and construction systems, yet very few have been conducted to define the role interior designers play on the environmental responsible built environment.
Why is this noteworthy:
This article touched on something that I really would like to see happen. The true aspect of researching the FF&E of a job. This should be just basic design sense and not a green or non-green issue. Great design demands that it's designers be knowledgeable of all products and finishes applies to a job. This article's seemed to be describing sustainable design as a speciality within design. Is this what sustainable design will become, then next niche option for designers?
What this means to me:
As many of you know, my thesis topic is the incorporating sustainable design practices into an interior design curriculum. This topic of the interior designer's role in the sustainable built environment is one of great concern for me. A great foundation of strong, powerful concepts and theories on what sustainable or green design means to the built interior is greatly needed. This can be achieved through education. Once a design student, understands all aspects of a material specified , including its ecological impact on the environment, then the student is ready for design today and the many tomorrows to come. Let designers not have to make the choice of doing green design or not, let them be empowered with the knowledge of how to find the best solution for the job. This includes taking into account the ecological impact of the product specified. Is it to much to ask that good design be green without out a lot of added effort on the part of the designer? Can interior design educators provide the guidance and mentoring to the students of design about what sustainable design is and its importance?
Article source:
Author's title: Why Design Environmentally Responsible Interior Environments?
Author's name: Dr. Louise Jones
Year of publication: 2007
Article found in: Implications a newsletter by InformeDesign. Vol 01, issue 06
The built environment (consisting of the construction, operating, and equipping) according to the World Watch Institute (US DOE 2003) accounts for 10% of the world's economy and utilizes between 17% to 50% of the world's natural resources and causing major damage to the planet.
Interior designers that design interiors around the world's ecology and the quality of life to users, "by identifying and analyzing the raw materials, manufacturing methods, transportation, use, maintenance, and disposal of all furnishings, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) specified for an interior." Significant studies have been generated on sustainable building and construction systems, yet very few have been conducted to define the role interior designers play on the environmental responsible built environment.
Why is this noteworthy:
This article touched on something that I really would like to see happen. The true aspect of researching the FF&E of a job. This should be just basic design sense and not a green or non-green issue. Great design demands that it's designers be knowledgeable of all products and finishes applies to a job. This article's seemed to be describing sustainable design as a speciality within design. Is this what sustainable design will become, then next niche option for designers?
What this means to me:
As many of you know, my thesis topic is the incorporating sustainable design practices into an interior design curriculum. This topic of the interior designer's role in the sustainable built environment is one of great concern for me. A great foundation of strong, powerful concepts and theories on what sustainable or green design means to the built interior is greatly needed. This can be achieved through education. Once a design student, understands all aspects of a material specified , including its ecological impact on the environment, then the student is ready for design today and the many tomorrows to come. Let designers not have to make the choice of doing green design or not, let them be empowered with the knowledge of how to find the best solution for the job. This includes taking into account the ecological impact of the product specified. Is it to much to ask that good design be green without out a lot of added effort on the part of the designer? Can interior design educators provide the guidance and mentoring to the students of design about what sustainable design is and its importance?
Article source:
Author's title: Why Design Environmentally Responsible Interior Environments?
Author's name: Dr. Louise Jones
Year of publication: 2007
Article found in: Implications a newsletter by InformeDesign. Vol 01, issue 06
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
A little piece of green (Me)
Hello everyone,
I am Tommy Crane. I am a 5th semester MFA post professional student in the Interior Design department here at Florida State University. I am hoping that May of 2008 I will be finished and moving on to teach. My thesis topic is Incorporating Sustainable Design into an Interior Design Curriculum. I am looking forward to taking the things I am learning about sustainable design and to teach others about it.
A little about me. Well I am a native to central Mississippi. I lived there my entire 31 years, until moving here to Tallahassee, FL. I enjoy living in the South, but I am looking forward to experiencing more. I am currently thinking about Washington State as a future home.
I graduate with a degree in Interior Design from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS in 1999. I worked for 4+ years for a Steelcase office furniture dealership in Jackson, MS, before attempting to get my masters degree in 2002. I attended the Spring 2002 semester. All was going well until I was told that I had thyroid cancer. I finished out that semester and returned to MS for treatment. Shortly after my battle and recovery, my father was stricken with lung cancer and died very shortly there after. I am now cancer free and doing great in my health. I am also getting to learn more about my sister that I just discovered I have a few years ago. My brother and I were adopted when we were very young. He and I are working our way into allowing her into our lives.
Well that is a little about me. Stay alert for I will keep you posted on more interesting things as they develop.
I am Tommy Crane. I am a 5th semester MFA post professional student in the Interior Design department here at Florida State University. I am hoping that May of 2008 I will be finished and moving on to teach. My thesis topic is Incorporating Sustainable Design into an Interior Design Curriculum. I am looking forward to taking the things I am learning about sustainable design and to teach others about it.
A little about me. Well I am a native to central Mississippi. I lived there my entire 31 years, until moving here to Tallahassee, FL. I enjoy living in the South, but I am looking forward to experiencing more. I am currently thinking about Washington State as a future home.
I graduate with a degree in Interior Design from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS in 1999. I worked for 4+ years for a Steelcase office furniture dealership in Jackson, MS, before attempting to get my masters degree in 2002. I attended the Spring 2002 semester. All was going well until I was told that I had thyroid cancer. I finished out that semester and returned to MS for treatment. Shortly after my battle and recovery, my father was stricken with lung cancer and died very shortly there after. I am now cancer free and doing great in my health. I am also getting to learn more about my sister that I just discovered I have a few years ago. My brother and I were adopted when we were very young. He and I are working our way into allowing her into our lives.
Well that is a little about me. Stay alert for I will keep you posted on more interesting things as they develop.
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