Is anyone more productive than Santa Claus and his elves? Mythically located at the North Pole, surrounded by fields of ice, the team magically fills handwritten orders, always hitting their deadline of Christmas Day. No one has actually seen inside this mysterious, miraculously industrious factory, but through secondhand accounts it is possible to piece together an idea of the ethos driving this workspace. Remarkably, Santa’s workshop reflects the concerns of contemporary industry: creating fun, open work environments that foster employee satisfaction and productivity all through collaboration. “Santa’s Workshop,” by Wilfred Jackson, 1932. Remarkably, many of Santa’s concerns mirror those of contemporary industry. It seems Google, Facebook, and every other company is racing to create the most fun, most open working environments. The hope of the businesses is that this typology will foster employee satisfaction, increase productivity, and create chances for collaboration leading to innovation. Facebook HQ by Studio O+A, Palo Alto, California When Facebook created their headquarters in Palo Alto, California, the management asked employees what they wanted to see. They came up with a design brief that incorporated three main things: sustainable and ecological design, a program …
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