The Direction of Workplace Innovation When organizations and work styles encounter a new period of change because of pressures from shifting business conditions and technological progress, workplaces must also evolve. This article explores the direction of change, starting with the very first step. Making the Work Process Visible Cutting edge IT is not the answer to everything. Analog ways of fostering interaction among people and things are integral to workplaces where knowledge is created. Sony Design Center' s "project boxes" contribute to a creative environment by making the work process visible. Sony Design Center / Los Angeles, California Work Processes Drive Space Allocation Space allocation and work settings optimized for function are crucial in today' s offices with their multitude of work styles. MarketPlace, built-to-suit for office-furniture maker Herman Miller, contains spaces allocated and designed logically on the basis of carefully collected data. Herman Miller / Zeeland, Michigan Office Design Amplifies Communication Bloomberg' s new World Headquarters in New York, featured in ECIFFO No. 44, was completed in October 2004, and all functions were fully relocated in June 2005. The goals of the new project were to bring 3,600 employees from four locations under one roof and to make the office an effective showcase for the Bloomberg brand. Bloomberg / New York, New York Flexible Office Draws Clients Inside Rather than sending sales reps to visit clients, SAP, a big name in business software development, invites customers to its premises. This new marketing strategy is underpinned by a unique office in which the Plaza?a meeting space for customers?encroaches on work areas. This helps customers appreciate what SAP is all about and builds trust. SAP Global Marketing / New York, New York Changing Public Offices As places of creativity conducive to business and of growing potential, offices in the public sector lag far behind those of the private sector. Caltrans District 7 Headquarters, however, breaks this mold with a unique exterior and open workspaces. Caltrans / Los Angeles, California Green Office in the Cityscape Founded in 1970, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting public health and the environment, with over a million members. Its fourth office in Santa Monica, California, is a comprehensive showcase of what a "green" office is all about. NRDC / The Robert Redford Building Santa Monica, California Distributed Work Program New places, technologies, and managerial policies are required to cope with the rapid spread of distributed work and accompanying changes in the nature of work itself. The Distributed Work Program is an effort to understand these challenges and their drivers to help provide meaningful solutions. What Does IT Do for Business? Evolving IT transforms work spaces, and how we communicate and do business. John Seely Brown, longtime Chief Scientist at Xerox Corporation, speaks freely, displaying his flexibility of thought.