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Continued from part 1…

Robert Propst, an architect, is credited with designing the Action Office in 1964. He had the help of legendary designer George Nelson, mainly responsible for the desk design. Propst worked for furniture magnate Herman Miller. The Action Office was designed and driven by the economics of the 1960s. During the 1960s the treasury set up new rules incentives for stimulating business. (Today companies can depreciate office furniture in seven years, whereas permanent structures–that is, offices with walls–are assigned a 39.5-year rate.) The Action Office kept shrinking until it became the cubicle.

4) Spend some money. Being cheap and buying the cheapest cubicle and cheapest cubicle accessories means you get a cheap looking and feeling cubicle. Do your research on the companies that are making the best looking stuff. Find out who is making the coolest walls and the best looking doors and the most sound friendly walls. This information is crucial to making the best office space for the employees and as the executives find themselves in those same cubicles/

3) Don’t just rely on the company. If you just sit back and wait for your company to hand over improvements or urge you to personalize then maybe you deserve to be in a boring cubicle. Face it, the company is going to do the bare minimum without prodding of some kind. On the other hand, if you are a producer, a mover and a shaker, then you’re more likely to be able to make some demands – and get them. Perhaps you need some higher walls, or a door, or in some cases just some cabinets for storage. On the wilder side you might ask for a budget to decorate and go out to buy some items (tasteful items) that you can display that will brighten up the place and clearly say this is you. If you are making profitable contribution then this is certainly a bargaining chip you need to push on.

2) Be your own janitor and know who has access. No one will take care of your space like you will. The most common statement from cubies is that people have gone through their stuff or worse, that someone has stolen something. Keep your area organized, labeled and clear of clutter and people won’t have to rifle through your stuff to find that report. Your area has to be clean for others’ sake as well as your own. As for stealing, you must have some lockable areas in your cubicle. A locked filing cabinet or overhead shelf with locking door will keep the lurkers away. However, if you have your prized G.I. Joe or your collection of 1977 Star Wars figures on display then they might draw some unwanted attention. Unless you have a lockable door then you are vulnerable to theft. Don’t put anything on display that you can’t afford to lose. I had a friend that worked for Comedy Central in a cube farm and everyone had things on display. In fact, it was encouraged by the management for the farm to look like Comedy Central had exploded. Everyone seemed to have issues with items going missing. They were displaying cool stuff and it was no wonder that stuff went missing. That is going to happen almost anywhere. Take precautions, put away your toys, act as your own janitor and you’ll be better off.

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Side note: If you are in a creative environment then you may also be susceptible to cubicle pranks. The pranks can be small like messing with a computer mouse to make it stick or not work or playing with a monitor so it won’t come on. The most dastardly is usually the vacation prank. While you’re on vacation people have time to plan and scheme. Don’t be shocked if you’re witness to everything glued to a desk or the more famous of filling their cube with packing peanuts or covered in tin foil. Co-workers will come up with all types of gimmicks and pranks that can be fun or time consuming upon your return. Feel lucky if you’re the victim of Post-It notes on everything, better yet make it multi-colored Post-It notes covering everything. Not so lucky if you return to find that you have a Chia-Pet covering your keyboard or perhaps the screws in your chair have been unscrewed or everything in your cubical has been packed in boxes and placed in their normal spot for you to unpack. As you can guess, the list is endless.

1) Negotiate. In the good ol’ days the goal was to get the office with a window or get the corner office. Now in today’s world of job negotiation you have to worry whether you have an open cubicle, shared, single or double-wide cubicle. Just as you negotiate your salary and health insurance you need to include your office surroundings and that definitely means your cubicle. Often times items like parking, vacation time, and spending accounts are not the only items up for discussion when it comes to hiring or raises. Don’t be afraid to ask for some cubicle perks. Companies will gladly do some office beautification for you since that means you are a stable player in the company and not looking to jump. Believe it or not, companies do want their employees to be comfortable. If you can present solid ideas that matches the style that the company wants to be known for they will write the check that continues or helps them look good. Do it and you’ll be a more productive worker and a happier employee.

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The idea of the cubicle is really firmly planted in our little heads from youth. Often it is introduced or reenforced during your college dorm lifestyle. Dorm rooms are just a couple of feet bigger than a prison cell. In college when you hear peers talking about their loft you can bet it is not an apartment but more of the 4×4 cubicle we know today. Usually the partitions run and average of five feet tall. Cubicles are often seen as being symbolic of the human condition of working in a modern office setting due to their uniformity and blandness.

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If you have never had a cubicle office space then you’re no doubt familiar with it through comic strips like Dilbert (and his Ultimate Cubicle), television shows like The Office and movies like Office Space, Tron and The Matrix. The invention of the cubicle is now over 40 years old. It has brought us terms like “cube farm,” “cube mate,” “cube monkey,” and even “cubi-kill.” The term cubicle comes from the Latin cubiculum, for bed chamber.
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Some sources attribute the introduction of the cubicle desk to Intel Inc. during the 1960s. Its creation is generally attributed to Robert Propst (pictured above), a designer from Colorado who worked for Herman Miller Inc., a manufacturer of office furniture. It was based on a 1965 prototype and named the Action Office, composed of modular units with an open plan, a novel system at the time. Douglas Coupland, famous for his novel Generation X has coined the phrase “veal-fattening pen.”

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10) Customize. In the days of old it was mandatory that cubicles be the same. That was the very idea. Now cubes are not only for the drones and the workers but also house the managers and executives and other hosts of the corner office-type people. It is this kind of reach into customization that has led to more privacy and cubicle acceptance.

9) Glass. Any time some glass can be added it will seem to open up the cube of the cubicle. Of course having your cube next to a window is the best. It might be a simple glass vase or glass cabinet doors. If you’re really lucky you can negotiate a glass panel, some glass panels even slide. Go with the frosted look and you add a whole new level of privacy.

8)Stay away from clutter. If you let the clutter overwhelm your space it will seem to take over like an ivy or kudzu and it will be hard to contain. Having a cubicle really demands organization because the clutter can cause you to be inefficient and make your space look closed in.

7) Keep accessories small. Don’t try to add a sofa into an already cramped space. Add one or two wiry and light stacking chairs. Keep your collectibles tidy and on the small side. The more space you take up the less you have to use.

6) Design your cubicle like you would an office. Sit down with a piece of paper and sketch out the placement of each object you have. At least draw out the major items including computer and monitor placement. Remember having your back to the opening will get old with people sneaking up on you.

5) Get some green. Having a green plant will add some personality but it will also add some life to your area. Plus you don’t want to have all of you oxygen sucked out of your space by other less living employees.

to be continued…