Steelcase researchers studied the process and the role space plays in innovation that led to the development of design criteria.

Research and Synthesis

 

Design Criteria

The team identified a number of tensions and complexities the space needed to address. They asked themselves a series of strategic questions that would steer their design direction:

An Innovation Center Typology

As a result a new typology focusing on individual and collaborative work was developed which clearly communicated the expected behaviors.

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Technical Professional Hub

Benching workstations provide a shared home for engineers, many of whom are assigned to multiple project teams. Having a setting where it’s easy to exchange technical information and knowledge with others in the same profession allow workers to drill deep into each other’s expertise, increasing the likelihood that specialized insights get applied broadly across multiple projects in different product categories.

Strategy Rooms

The design and marketing teams each have a strategy room that functions a lot like a clubhouse or den. It’s an intimate, shared place to meet and keep information that’s particular to each discipline. These rooms are well equipped for whiteboarding, information displays and videoconferencing.

Mobile Neighborhoods & Enclaves

Open-plan neighborhoods and 16 enclosed enclaves, all conveniently adjacent to project studios, provide individual or small group spaces for workers away from the activity of the project studios. Each enclave is equipped for collaboration via videoconferencing, online chats and digital file sharing. The behavioral prototype proved that enclaves without these tools simply don’t get used.

Exploration Shop & Prototype Studio

Because rapid iteration of ideas is fundamental to innovation, product prototyping areas are directly adjacent to the product studios and visible through glass walls. This is where early concepts can be quickly roughed out from scratch. In the adjacent prototyping studio, ideas are turned into models. Transparency and proximity help teams develop trust and early alignment.

Guest Interaction Rooms

Separate, closed rooms, right outside the innovation center, allow teams to host external partners, customers and designers and engage them in the innovation process. This allows ideas to incubate inside the innovation center, and then be shared externally when appropriate. These spaces can be adapted to support a range of experiences. These rooms also have videoconferencing capabilities to support virtual presence of remote teammates.

Front Porch

Just outside the project studios , front porches serve as touchdown spots where small groups or individuals can step away for focused work, while still being visually accessible to the team. A technology screen integrated in each front porch provides constantly-streaming data about the project, so anyone can get acclimated quickly before entering the studio.

Neighborhood Café

Socialization and respite are the priorities of this large communal zone for refreshment and informal engagement. Whether coming here to chat with a coworker or relax and think, this place recognizes the human side of work, including the importance of building the social trust that’s the currency of successful collaboration. Workers can enjoy the seasons, either in front of the fireplace or on the adjacent outdoor patio in the summer. Distributed teammates can join the conversation with telepresence at the media bar.

Labs

While project studio ownership rotates after a project ends, three specialized areas within the space are permanently assigned to teams who serve as consultants to the project teams, but typically aren’t assigned to one. A variety of furniture applications within each area supports a range of work processes and postures.