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Updated: December 2012Icons: The Noun Project

SABY

Pattern-recognizing predictions

Envisioningthe future

workspaceFOR 2013 AND BEYOND

HUMAN / INFORMATION

HUMAN / MACHINE

HUMAN / SPACE

HUMA

N / HU

MAN

SCREENS

ROBOTICS

AI / AUTOMATION

NATURAL USER INTERFACES

Generates ideas, clarifies the complex, connects concepts and explores the boundaries created by technology - like those of space and time.

Organizes, inspires and motivates a team or a taskforce, distrib-uting responsibilities into different types of workforces. Offers means to manipulate information and human interactions.

Physically manipulates material, for example on the fac-tory floor, but can also remotely and instantly interact

with complex infrastructure dealing with data analysis.

Manipulates the information space, organizing the order of priorities that enable a steady and natural

flow inside all the forms of the office space.

CROWDS

TELEPRESENCE

Coworking hubs

Data organizing AI assistants

Algorithmic report generation

Algorithmic content creation

Machine learning

Proactive contextual agents

Automatedworkplace monitoring

Opportunity-identifying algorithms

Warehouse bots

Roboticworkspaceassistants

Fully automatedpoint-to-point shipping

Personal robotic avatars

“Seeing screens” (embedded cameras & touch)

Retinal screens

Wall-sized screensElectronic ink wallpapers

BYOD infrastructureplatforms

Curved displays

Foldable LCDsGesture recognition

Conversational interfacesCognitive enhancement

technologies

Real-time sentiment analysis

Non-symbolic directinformation manipulation

Immersive 3D touch interfaces

Smart surfaces

Wearable computers

Head-mounted displays

Spatial navigation assistants

Exoskeletons

Restorative technologiesfor disabled individuals

AI workspace managers

Algorithm marketplaces

Conjured workspaces

Information-digitalizingportable displaysInstant 3D manufacturing

Flexible, bendable full-motionelectrowetting displays

Online/offline informationmanagement platforms

Flexible, transparentgraphene computing displays

Paper-based, erasable,thermo-sensitive digital displays

Electronic ink sheets

Virtual work spaces

Telepresence robots

Ultra high-definitiontelepresence platforms

Volumetrictelepresence platforms

Global crowdsourcingplatforms

Inter-office crowdsourcing & microtask platforms

Automated informationmanagement systems

HR analytics & intelligence platforms

Cloudsourcing platforms

Quantified reputation trails

Preemptive applicanttracking platforms

20% engineering time and interdisciplinarystudies become part of job descriptions

Dispersed workforces – organized like ant colonies –enable startups to fill structurally expensive gaps

Big data analysis and literacy becomesinherent to the human decision making process

Workless business management concentratedifferent spheres in physically disconnected groups

Embedded learning becomes a fundamental skilladapted for business profiles across the board

Top-end creativity becomes invaluablein the age of attention spam

Gaming points and scores are used to track work progress,enhance employer's participation and engagement

Programming proficiency becomes increasinglyimportant when dealing with machines and AI.

The expansion of online interactions and content creationresults in an always-updated CV (beyond the owner’s control)

Technology-enhanced freelance work begins buildinga “Gig Economy” where skills are divided between parallel

projects (gigs) and different space-times

The human energy saved through automationis used to boost intellect and creativity

The DIY economy caters to independentand self-sustaining businesses

Robot programming becomes an inherent skill to copewith the changing nature of automation and infrastructure

Data analysis opens new paths of information interpretation

Offline and online interactions become intermodal,merging the physical space with the informationlayer generated by each business

Screen literacy becomes an life skill for all workers,while the labourer needs to particularly adapt to this change.

Virtual world workers

Augmented reality interfaces

Virtual reality glasses

Holographic screens

Virtual realitymeeting spaces

Elastic physical resource pooling

Projected virtual avatars

Embodiedrobotic avatars

Workspace sharing platforms

LIQUID SPACES

Semi-automatedQ&A platforms

Open robot frameworks

Microtask userranking platforms

Micro-scale instant manufacturing

ON/OFF INFORMATION BRIDGING

Contextual naturallanguage processing

Envisioning Technologyenvisioningtech.com/work/

Envisioning the future workspaceOffices as we know them are unlikely to disappear in our lifetimes. However, these spaces where we convene ideas, join forces, manage and learn, will morph as ever-accelerating change profoundly alters the very nature of work. As will the infrastructure in which work is prac-ticed. Ubiquitous connectivity devours time and space while the essence of our interaction with the workspace - our peers, the information that surrounds us, and the machines we use to communicate - is irreversibly transformed.

This report and the accompanying map examines the technologically changing workspace - and how workers will adopt to it. It also exempli-fies four distinct professional archetypes to frame the impact of this cultural and technological transformation: the leader, the penpusher, the creative nomad and the labourer.

THE LEADER THE PENPUSHER

THE LABOURERTHE CREATIVE NOMAD