WorkHouse Design: A pilot research project.

Adams, Roderick (2017) WorkHouse Design: A pilot research project. In: REDO Cumulus Conference Proceedings 2017. Design School Kolding, Kolding.

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Abstract

This paper advocates a new consideration of the home-working landscape by using design to agitate and improve the conditions of domestic working for a commercial purpose. It uses a preliminary pilot study (part of a wider research project) as a prompt to explore the conditions of home working and investigate possible ways that design can significantly REDO its contribution to this emergent field of workplace design.

Introduction

The project proposes that the production of work from home offers significant potential for design to extend its contribution to the work agenda and broaden its agency as a facilitator for this advancing telecommunicant work situation. Whilst supple knowledge working (Drucker 1959) is an increasingly vital arena for business, design has yet to fully extend existing commercial solutions into a domestic setting. Home working, while potentially enriching the work situation and commercial productivity, is virtually unregulated and often individual to a specific household. But, when considered, can be highly productive and motivational for the worker and the business. Whilst design has significantly influenced domestic design aesthetics, the territories of an integrated commercial work condition within the home is under-considered and often overlooked. Whether this is a home-based business or as part of a commercial work contract, design has a responsibility to REDO and extend its commercial capability of 'working from home' and of the less-recognised work parallel, 'homing from work'. These integrated work activities increasingly form part of a critical engagement within the work landscape and transcend into all parts of the designed situation, including interiors and spatial design, furniture, fashion and technology. Using design to cohere and enrich the aesthetic and communicative experience would extend worker autonomy and harness improved home-based commercial productivity.

Item Type:	Book Section
Subjects:	W200 Design studies
Department:	Faculties > Arts, Design and Social Sciences > Design
Depositing User:	Ay Okpokam
Date Deposited:	29 Jan 2018 10:34
Last Modified:	10 Oct 2019 19:46
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/33188

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