SPA Conference session: Designing Collaborative Workspaces

One-line description:Keeping the Furniture Police at bay!
 
Session format: Workshop (150 mins) [read about the different session types]
 
Abstract:One of the key success factors in Agile projects is the workspace environment. Does the workspace facilitate or hinder collaboration? For example, is there a wall that can be turned into an information radiator? Which team members should sit next to each other? Are there frequent interruptions? Does the workspace meet health & safety requirements?

In this workshop, we will explore issues of project workspace design. By creating the "workspace from hell" and the "workspace from heaven", we will identify key aspects of both successful and unsuccessful environments. For hellish environments we will investigate how we can workaround the difficulties; for heavenly environments will we identify weaknesses.
 
Audience background:Any role in software development team (tester, developer, architect, manager, etc). No specialist knowledge required.
 
Benefits of participating:Identify key workspace features that can either hinder or support collaboration.
Learn how to recognise workspaces that will hinder or support collaboration.
Share and learn techniques for improving collaborative workspaces.
 
Materials provided:Miniature workspace modelling materials using combination of Lego, miniature desks/chairs, modelling card/plasticine.
 
Process:1). Team Organisation and “Project Brief”
Arrange yourselves into teams of 6-8 people, and decide on your team name. We will assign to each team a “project brief”. This is a description of an imaginary (or perhaps real) project that we want to design workspaces for.

2). Design a “Workspace from Hell”
Each team will design a “workspace from hell”. Your hellish workspace should be based on real-life experience. Think about the worst places you’ve worked - why was it so bad? As a team, collectively design a workspace that combines all of your bad experiences.

We’d like you to capture your design so that it can be shared with the rest of the group – for example, you could illustrate your workspace using pictures or cartoons, and/or by building miniature models using the Lego and other modelling stuff we’ve provided.

3). Reflections on Hell
Each team will present their hellish workspace, highlighting the design features, and sharing their war stories. As we discuss the workspaces, we’ll consider the possible workarounds - given a workspace as bad as this, how could we workaround it? Presenters will scribe up common themes.

4). Design a “Workspace from Heaven”
Ok, we’ve thought about how “not to do it”. Now, let’s think about how we want our workspaces to be. Each team should design their “workspace from heaven”. What would your ideal workspace be – and why?

5). Reflections on Heaven
As for “Hell” - each team will present their heavenly workspace. As we discuss the workspaces, we’ll consider the possible drawbacks – this workspace might be ideal for you, but what does everyone else think?

6). Facilitated Discussion – Keeping the Furniture Police at Bay
In practice, what barriers have you found to building your heavenly workspace? How have you tried to overcome these barriers? What techniques have you found most useful? How can you keep the furniture police at bay? In this section the presenters will facilitate a group discussion about these issues.

7). Lift Elevator Summary
One morning you happen to bump into the CEO. You discover that there’s going to be a move to a new office, and now’s your chance to avoid all the mistakes of the past and make all your workspace dreams come true.

What advice you would give to your CEO about the new workspace? Time and money is limited. You must choose no more than 3 pieces of advice to give. Based on all the hellish and heavenly designs, what do you think is most important?
 
Detailed timetable:
 
Outputs:Photos of hellish and heavenly workspace designs to upload on wiki
Summary of the key learning points from the session to create poster at conference.
 
History:This session was run at XPDay6 and has been accepted for Agile2007.
 
Presenters
1. Mike Hill
Mandu Limited
2. Rachel Davies
Agile Experience Ltd
3.