Workplaces are in a constant state of transition. The observable changes in place are in terms of the appearance of offices that progressed from cubicles in the traditional office style to the modern arrangement where choices in seating are available to cater to the distinct needs of different employees.

Nowadays, everyone is reading news and articles about how the future workplace will be digital but will look more realistic, immersive and interactive using mixed reality, virtual reality and augmented reality. It is no longer the case that people gather in offices, spend all day locked behind desktops and laptops and then turnoff their computers when they leave for home.

As a workspace UX company, we wanted to know more and thus spoke to PayalSandhu Khurana, Workplace Design Leader and Strategist, and Dwani Shah,Workplace strategist from Zyeta, a leading design and workplace strategy firm to understand this evolution of workspaces. Here are their top 5 predictions for what the future of workspaces would look like in the next few years in India -

1. Meta-verse Offices

‍Augmented Reality and virtual technology are booming and making advancements on a regular basis and this will soon enter the workspace. The abyss between virtual and reality will be mitigated and people can connect their offline self to their respective online avatars and attend meetings from any part of the world.Seamless connectivity will become one of the biggest flexes of times to come.Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) will become the driving force for socializing, possibly even within the office.

2. Holistic Offices‍

Offices are going to become a destination amalgamating elements from a cafe with nature and outdoor spaces. Offices are trying to incorporate elements from home offices to welcome their employees back to the office spaces. Offices are restructuring to include more professional elements from work from home and this is done by giving employees facilities that were available to them while they were working from home. There are going to be offices that will include a cafeteria within the workspace where employees can have a variety of options of what they wish to eat for the day, seamless and uninterrupted connectivity alongside ways to care about their health while at the office. Mindfulness and minimalism will become the fundamental aspects and the workspace will orient towards uncomplicating the complexities that are part of the current workspace designs.

3. App-ification‍

The world is run by apps and this is not going to end anytime soon. The major advancement that one can foresee when it comes to appification is making lives easier on an individual level. For instance, if on a business trip, one has to go to anew city, the appification process will allot an assistant wherever they are, who canhelp at every step of the way, right from the pickups-drops, the way to the hotel, locations of business meeting and all things in between until the very end of the departure. Appification will allow for employees within the office to avail all the facilities available to them using applications that are user-friendly and user-safety ensuring. It will advance to permit employees to track their progress within the workplace and get insights on how they can increase their individual productivity.Everything will become about the individual in this advanced app-based world.

4. Sustainability Matrix Oriented

Workspaces are becoming increasingly sustainable and the environment will become more important than ever. Sustainable practices will become the norm and rationing of resources would be a good practice to adopt, thus avoiding overuse and exhaustion. Sustainability will also be a part of the designing of spaces wherein every element picked to design the interior of the office space will be guided by the sustainability norms and carbon neutral offices will take over with sufficient greenery and outdoor spaces that let employees connect with nature while being at work.

5. Up-skill to Up-scale‍

Gen Z being the newest generation in the workplace are accustomed to short attention spans and this will reflect on their work life as well. The cycle of work is going to change completely. Traditionally, it was to get educated, get a job, start a business, then become a billionaire/millionaire. Now in the age of adolescent entrepreneurship, it is possible that they will lose interest in what they are doing currently and will turn to other fields to re-upskill and advance their careers in alternate fields. The replacement of certain jobs by AI will also result in reskilling and all this will change the current monochromatic flavor of work.

Workplaces will evolve to become more inclusive of sustainability, reskilling and dependent on augmented reality (AR) and virtual technology. This will lead to work spaces being more technologically advanced and environment oriented. This is a lifestyle shift that is in the process of changing how people view work as well as how they interact with their colleagues and employees. It was only a matter of time before these latest advancements started having an impact on how we work.The workplace of the future is a dynamic and emotional place, where you can nurture your creativity and find greater meaning in every moment.

We have a fine future to look forward to, we would say!

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