

The people with choices prefer to work in "Inspired Spaces" - jaynate
http://gapingvoid.com/2013/06/18/the-people-with-choices-prefer-to-work-in-inspired-spaces-deal-with-it/

======
crazygringo
Am I the only one turned _off_ by this kind of nonsense?

When I interview in a conference room with portholes and a nautical door, or
see a hallway like this done up like a subway car, I can't help but thinking
I'm surrounded by children, like I accidentally stepped into Disneyland
instead of an office.

I mean, I like having fun, but I also like feeling like an adult. I don't want
theme-park offices, I want natural lighting and good acoustics that muffle
conversations. I don't want Nerf wars, I want product managers that know what
they're doing.

There are bad, "crappy" offices, and there are theme-park offices. I'd rather
avoid them both, and just work in the ones that are well-designed period.

~~~
greenyoda
Agreed. If I see that a company has spent millions of dollars on gimmicky
decor or high-priced architects, my first thought would be: why don't they put
all that money in the pockets of the employees instead? Or maybe spend it on
something I might find useful, like quiet, private office spaces.

And why would I want to be reminded of a subway car every time I walk down the
hall? Subway cars aren't exactly pleasant places to be: they're noisy and
crowded and smelly. I avoid them whenever possible (I'd walk a half an hour to
avoid riding the subway). It would get old really quickly.

~~~
glenra
I worked at a company that did "theme offices" \- mine was "the tiki room"; my
cubicle was a grass hut accessible via a wooden-plank walkway (there were two
other huts, a bit of sand, and a fish tank). We had a Star Trek-themed
conference room and an Old West room where people's cubes were the bank, the
jail and such, with those swinging bar doors you see in old westerns.

Our setup didn't cost "millions of dollars" and was actually _cheaper_ than
traditional cubicles, which can be surprisingly expensive.

~~~
snogglethorpe
Haha, that really sounds cool... I'd totally love to work in such a place.

And yeah, office space, especially in a major city, is _never_ cheap, and a
lot of the expense is inherent in the cost of the space itself. If you're
paying for super expensive real-estate, doesn't it make sense to spend a tiny
bit more to make it as nice/cool as possible?

------
arbuge
People without choices too... but by definition they have no choice, I
suppose.

On a separate note, it would be cool if those subway doors opened
automatically.

