Can we not optimise offices, save space, and thereby resources through activity-based working? Will work- places become even more independent than they are today? One thing is clear: the height-adjustable workstation will no longer be something exceptional, but a standard that nobody wants to do without. In any case, more people will work remotely and use their private spaces as offices. But what do people who only have a small flat do? Many sit at the kitchen table, in a corner of the living room or even in their bedroom. This is a challenge for office furniture manufacturers. Perhaps they need to design a multifunctional desk that doubles as a dining table or that disappears into the wall at the touch of a button. Quite flexible and clever. We have already seen how, in recent years, digitalisation has blurred the boundaries between work and private life. For many people, checking their e-mails on their smartphone in the evening is now completely normal. The fact that the home office is now becoming an es- sential part of the working world is another important step in this direction. But this also means that home and office are competing. That is why the home needs to be more practically organised for working, while there is a need for the office to feel more homely. Boundaries are becoming blurred in both directions. IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, OFFICES ARE SET TO CHANGE EVEN FURTHER Offices are becoming more homely: In the next few years, we will see offices become even more homely. They are increasingly competing with the home office. The office must offer an optimal and healthy working environment. Furthermore, the employee must feel at home in the office. Furniture plays an essential role here. It helps imple- ment a living culture in a working environment. We will see new materials, sustainably produced and without harmful substances. I expect that tabletop sizes will also change. The demand for smaller tabletops will increase. This is not only due to the limited space in the home office but is also a result of the changed organisation of how we work. Office work is requiring less paper. Tables are turning into temporary workstations with docking stations for laptops and smartphones. Teamwork will play an even larger role in the office of tomorrow. 4
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