Reid Howes
Open space - Quarter
How can people feel they have a personal space within a communal environment?
A combination of seating, a personal desk, and storage; Quarter (a component of the workplace system Open Space) provides everything that is needed to get to work. Ready to go wherever you lead it, and sturdy when it arrives, this is the on-demand workspace that can provide a personal space the second you pull back the chair and take a seat. We no longer have to sit in compliance with what is, but create what we wish to be.
Insight
Some of the biggest issues currently facing co-working spaces lay in having an incredibly strong social aspect, but difficulty in finding individuality within that. Dedicated desks and offices can help remedy this issue of individuality, but simultaneously lose the communal atmosphere that makes these spaces so enticing to begin with. The ideal balance is to provide a space that is shared and within that, create truly personal space for the worker.
Idea
Create a workstation that feels personal, both long term and temporarily while accommodating different work styles through mobility and flexibility. This comes in the shape of Quarter, a universal workstation that offers an instant personal workplace wherever you bring it, and elements to help make sure you can work without interruptions all day long.
Quarter is a piece inside the greater Open Space, a concept system that provides users the opportunity through mobile and multi-functional pieces to shape the kind of space they want to work in. Offering freedom and individuality only touched upon in today's workplaces.
Impact
Co-working spaces offer incredible potential in the way they can offer more freedom to their users on a daily basis. A stagnant space can be developed into a dynamic one by transforming its users into a catalyst for change. And through Open Space, people have the opportunities to become a creator, if only in a small capacity, every day when they come into a space. Like the IKEA effect, when a user even partially creates a product themselves they will instantly associate a higher value with it. We can transform our spaces into places that people have a deeper connection with, and offer the opportunity to find their individuality within the larger community.
Biography
Reid Howes is primarily a product designer, with experience in furniture design and architectural spaces, but most above all else he’s a people person. No matter the subject or design objective, Reid’s number one goal every time is to find a better way for people to have a better experience through his designs. Whether that be through connecting others together through space, or providing comfort to an individual with a product.