From Work to User-Centered Design of Workplace Environments; a Rapid Literature Review

Workplaces in all their forms and shapes are being challenged drastically by the over yearlong Covid19 pandemic. Traditional work environments, as we know it, are being transformed with a heightened dependency on Information Communication Technology (ICT) systems to support remote virtual working. Organizations and employees are realizing new abilities and ways of incorporating the existing, but previously not yet fully adopted, ICT capabilities to perform work-related tasks efficiently, with contribution to a better work life balance being noted. In this context, this research aims first to explore the current debates around the shift happening in workplace. This task consisted of a rapid review to provide timely information through a synthesis of existing knowledge and current debates. The results focused on how work models have been disrupted by the pandemic, then look into work challenges during and post pandemic in work environments and finally explored the shift in how and why work spaces are being perceived and why. Findings suggest a major paradigm shift in workplace environments and the need for new thinking approaches to flexible work models and work environments in the future. It particularly highlights the fact that users miss socializing and face-to-face interactions; however, they expressed health concerns about going to previous physical work settings, indicating their need for working in ways outside these collocated settings. The discussion identified the opportunities for providing better work environments for employees and the future role of the workplace, along with the new needs from work places. This review paper opens venues for future studies investigating spatial design models for workplaces that are centered on needs, as well as integrated building technology systems to provide efficient, healthy and sustainable and resilient workplaces.