47 seconds. That’s the average length of an adult’s attention span in this ’age of overload’, according to Dr. Gloria Mark, whose research on worker concentration is featured in the latest Steelcase podcast. This blog post explores how we can take back control of wandering minds in the open-plan workplace through better design and furnishing decisions.
Are you in the office?
Were you just interrupted by a Zoom reminder? The sound of a colleague settling in at the next desk? Or perhaps the chatter from a nearby meeting?
Annoying isn't it? But what did the distraction cost you?
The Economist's research into the cost of distraction in US offices, concluded that millions of hours and billions of dollar are lost every year due to interruptions and fading focus in the working day:
The research concludes that the US economy could grow by nearly $1.4 trillion if businesses across five major sectors fully optimised knowledge workers' focus.
But exactly why and where are we losing our focus and flow?
Once praised for fostering collaboration, open-plan offices have become one of the biggest culprits of workplace disruption. The constant noise from online meetings, digital notifications, and general office chatter makes deep work more challenging than ever.
In fact, in the latest Steelcase podcast (S5: EP3), Gloria Mark, Professor at the University of California, explains how modern office environments, filled with digital and human distractions, can seriously erode productivity and prevent employees from entering a ‘flow state’—the mental zone where innovation and efficiency thrive.
Mark’s research (published in her new book, “Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity,”) explores in detail the specific, commercial costs of workplace distractions:
"We may have the illusion that we are doing more and that our human capacity has expanded when we shift our attention, or multitask, but actually we are doing less. Multitasking has repeatedly been shown to be associated with lower performance when objectively measured."
Gloria Mark, University of California
And, yet, in many ways humans thrive on distractions. And employers do recognise the importance of informal interactions that can interrupt the working day.
They know the value of the spontaneous brainstorming session that sparks new innovation - or the water-cooler chats that cement team bonds.
And that’s why bringing workers back into the office has become a new priority for many - to find those moments of collision and connection that make a business thrive.
But while many companies are working hard to make the office a hub of connection, collaboration and team building, in doing so they’re neglecting to build spaces for privacy and reflection.
And that’s a problem - because over 50% of work in the office is still done alone.
While we thrive on collaboration, in the age of hot-desking we're finding there’s just not enough opportunity or space for ‘heads down’ work when we are 'in the office':
Research by Steelcase 2024
To harness the energy of connection while helping employees stay productive, organisations must intentionally design spaces that can support both collaboration and deep work.
But this doesn’t mean bringing in the builders to put up new walls and divide people.
With today’s furnishing and design solutions, there’s plenty of opportunity to create oases of calm and control — even in the heart of open-plan spaces.
Here’s how:
Deep focus often requires deep comfort. That’s why many workers instinctively seek out couches and softer seating to ‘think and plan’.
The trouble is 'soft seating' is notoriously hard to work on!
The Brody WorkLounge is a freestanding seating solution that helps workers find sanctuaries for focused work, even in a busy office environment.
It’s an ergonomic ‘thinking cocoon’ designed for comfort and concentration:
"Typical lounge furniture can get uncomfortable quickly - it’s not designed for working on laptops or mobile devices, and we end up hunched over to see our screens, with sore necks and shoulders. We solved for this by creating an “alert recline” seating angle, so people can be in a lounge position, yet able to comfortably see and reach their work."
The Brody range is different:
By placing these units strategically around an open-plan office, we can create peaceful micro-environments that encourage focus, concentration, and flow.
Coppice by Orangebox is a modular, private workstation system that can be integrated into any office footprint.
Like a coppiced woodland, the ‘density of cover’ provided by the system can be adjusted - opening up or increasing privacy for workspaces as teams' needs change.
Built-in lights with fabric shades add a homely touch while also improving focus and reducing eye strain.
A one-size-fits-all workspace does not work for everyone. Businesses should incorporate a variety of settings to support different work modes:
which can create silent micro-environments for intense work.
These solutions use fabric and timber awnings to create mini-meeting areas, group work and social gatherings. Their lightweight, modular construction give more flexibility to rearrange and control spaces to provide different layers of privacy and acoustic control.
“A beautiful and refined piece of interior architecture, Campers & Dens also offers customisable canvas for architects, designers, and clients to have fun with, helped by finishes ranging from fabric and laminates to plywood and painted metal.”
But you don’t need to spend huge amounts of money zoning your space - there are lots of options to control sound in a flexible way.
Office acoustic panels & baffles, mounted near high-noise areas like meeting rooms and common spaces, absorb sound and reduce echo.
The Steelcase Flex range of modular furniture comes with acoustic barriers that can be used to create areas for agile working in open-plan spaces:
Strategic layout adjustments, including bookshelves, plant walls, and soft furnishings, can also break up sound reflection and lower overall noise levels.
In a world where attention spans are shrinking and workplace distractions are growing, the solution isn’t to eliminate interaction—it’s to design smarter work environments.
By incorporating intentional zoning, sound management, and privacy solutions, companies can create a balanced office that fosters both deep work and collaboration.
It’s time to reclaim our focus—without losing the connections that make work meaningful.
Speak to our team about your options for supporting deep focus within open plan offices through smarter furniture and workplace design.