Digitalisation is shaping the entire transformation taking place in today’s world – whether in everyday life or in the workplace. Everyday working life, in particular, has changed dramatically over the last century. An office in the past, for example, was very different from an office today. As a result, many familiar work tools are being phased out and replaced by new versions.
The layout of an office in the past
The layout of an office in the past varied depending on the period in question. Generally speaking, it was usually an open-plan office. There was a supervisor who monitored the employees’ work. To make this easier for them, all desks were positioned to face the supervisor. This meant that privacy was severely restricted. This only changed in 1964, when the cubicle was introduced. A cubicle is a kind of work booth that used to provide individual employees in an office with a little privacy.
Key facts – the evolution of the office
Offices as we know them today have existed since around 1800. Back then, they were primarily intended for merchants, civil servants and tradespeople. It was only over time that they began to find their way into other areas of work. At the start of the 20th century, only three per cent of the workforce were office workers, whereas today almost one in two people work in an office. The proportion of women in this sector was negligible. Between 1907 and 1925, the proportion of women in offices increased fivefold, even though the total number of employees only doubled.
Offices in the past were very plain and decorated in muted colours. After the Second World War, however, colour made its way into the office. Around 1960, a trend emerged towards open-plan offices. This helped to drive economic growth further, whilst saving a great deal of space. This trend began in the USA and gradually spread. With workstations situated close together, employees sat in close proximity to one another and there was hardly any privacy; this situation improved in 1964 with the introduction of the cubicle. In the early 1970s, open-plan offices became commonplace not only in the USA but also in Germany.
Whereas typewriters used to be found everywhere in an office, the first computers appeared from the late 1980s onwards. Shortly afterwards, the first laptop came onto the market in 1980. It weighed 12 kilograms and was therefore not much lighter than a typewriter. By way of comparison, an Olympia typewriter weighed around 16.5 kilograms.
A major shift – a counter-trend to the trend towards larger offices – took place at the turn of the millennium. Digitalisation and the introduction of laptops and mobile phones made mobile working possible. This led to the home office becoming increasingly popular around the year 2000. This movement also originated in the USA. Today, the popularity of working from home is continuing to rise. And the trend towards large, open-plan offices is giving way to that of open spaces. No longer are there fixed, structured workstations, but rather flexible and personalised office spaces.
The trend for the offices of the future is moving towards smart offices. Companies are demanding ever greater individuality, flexibility, communication and creativity, and this is likely to be reflected in the office solutions of the future. Furthermore, offices must keep pace with digital progress and adapt accordingly by incorporating the latest technologies.
Things that used to be found in an office
There are many items from offices of the past that you might come across in older films or that you might remember yourself – whether you’ve experienced them first-hand or heard about them from your parents or grandparents. But many of these items are gradually fading into obscurity. Some of them are listed here for you:
Typewriter
The typewriter is arguably the best-known item that used to be found in an office. From around 1885 onwards, typewriters made office workers’ lives easier. These older models were cumbersome to operate, meaning office workers reportedly had to exert a force equivalent to up to 16 tonnes a day. The familiar sounds of a typewriter still evoke feelings of nostalgia for many people today, as it is still used by enthusiasts. In today’s offices, however, you’ll only find keyboards. These, though, could gradually be replaced by voice search.
Tippex
Many people still remember Tippex from their school days. However, it was also used in offices back in the day. If a secretary made a mistake whilst typing on a typewriter, it could easily be corrected with Tippex. After all, the luxury we enjoy today – being able to delete anything from individual letters to entire paragraphs – simply didn’t exist in offices back then. Once a page had been typed on a typewriter, there was no going back. So, when a mistake was made, Tippex was used, as it would often have been too time-consuming to retype the document.
Cigarettes
Breathing in cigarette smoke constantly whilst at work? That’s unimaginable nowadays, but in offices of the past, it was part of everyday working life. Ashtrays were overflowing everywhere and clouds of smoke filled the air. This stung both the eyes and the lungs. Nowadays, smokers have to leave the office to satisfy their craving, thereby protecting the health of non-smoking colleagues.
Telephone directories
Those big yellow books are hardly used at all these days, as smartphones save us the trouble of spending ages searching for addresses or telephone numbers. In the past, telephone directories could be found in every office, but today they are giving way to computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. According to a spokeswoman for Deutsche Tele Medien GmbH, the printed telephone directory remains the preferred source of information for 44 per cent of telephone directory users even today.
Lunch
Of course, lunch is still part of the day. However, in the past, fathers would return home to their families for lunch. The children had just come home from school and the wife had already prepared the meal. Today, both parents are usually in work, which means this is no longer possible. Furthermore, the commute for many working people is usually longer than their lunch break.
Coffee machines
Coffee machines are still in use today, but they are increasingly being phased out. In-house coffee machines are increasingly having to make way for the numerous coffee shops. People usually grab a quick coffee before work, have another during their lunch break, and in between they use the time to stretch their legs and pop into the nearest coffee shop. This has now led to a paper cup problem in major cities.
Pneumatic tube systems
Few people are familiar with those large tubes nowadays. Pneumatic tube systems were, as the name suggests, tubes used to transport mail. Internal mail or notes were transported through the tubes using compressed air. This allowed important messages to be delivered quickly and reliably from one workplace to another. Today, these are no longer needed, as emails and messaging services have taken their place.
Dial-up telephones
Of course, telephones had already been in use in offices in the past, but these still had a rotary dial. Not only were these telephones loud, but they were also very time-consuming to use when compared to today’s models. If you dialled 0, the dial would take a few seconds to return to its starting position. What’s more, you first had to laboriously search for the numbers you wanted. What many people forget is that you couldn’t just make a ‘quick’ call whilst out and about; you had to be in the office of yesteryear. Today, you always carry your mobile phone with you, complete with all your important contacts, so you’re reachable at any time.
Rolodex
Hardly anyone is familiar with the Rolodex these days, yet it used to be a practical tool for keeping telephone numbers to hand. A Rolodex consists of numerous index cards mounted on a rotating spindle, allowing them to be stored in a space-saving manner. This saved a lot of time when looking for telephone numbers. In offices of the past, they could be found on many desks. Alternatively, one might mention filing cabinets, which stored the details of customers or business partners.
Secretary
You might be wondering: why ‘secretary’? After all, they still exist today. That’s true, but the nature of the work has changed considerably in some respects. Whereas the secretary in an office used to be a sort of surrogate mother for the boss, secretaries today take on much more significant roles. Back then, the role of secretary was almost exclusively filled by women; whilst the proportion of women is still significantly higher today, men are also taking on the role of assistant. In the past, they had to run errands for the boss or tie his tie before an important meeting. Today, they act as assistants who take on important tasks.
Dictation
In the past, secretaries were often called upon to take dictation in an office. If the boss was preparing for an important presentation, the secretary would dutifully take notes. This allowed the boss to draft their speech and then have the relevant notes to hand straight away. Minutes were also taken during important meetings – partly by hand, partly on a typewriter. Today, there are numerous methods of voice recording that allow you to capture important conversations and thoughts anywhere and at any time.
Postal services
Postal mail is still used today, though it used to be far more important in offices of the past. Customer documents or invoices are now conveniently sent by email from one’s own desk. This option did not exist in the past, which meant everything had to be sent by post. Whereas back then one sometimes had to wait several days for a reply, today one often receives a response within just a few minutes. Internal communication is also greatly facilitated by emails and internal messaging services.
Standing desks
Ergonomic desks are all the rage these days. The height-adjustable versions are good for your health and are becoming increasingly common in offices. Yet this is by no means a new invention, as standing desks used to be a very common sight in offices. Back then, they were lined up in rows between the standard desks. These were not adjustable, so office staff had to stand all day. An ergonomic desk, on the other hand, can be adjusted as required and is therefore clearly the more practical and comfortable option.
Modem sounds
Do you remember the old modem noises? For many, they evoke feelings of nostalgia, as they used to be an integral part of any office. If you remember those sounds, you’ll know that a modem could be quite loud. Today’s routers offer the luxury of being completely silent, meaning they no longer disrupt the daily office routine.
Timeline
The following timeline focuses primarily on the architectural changes in offices of the past. These aspects also illustrate how everyday office life in Germany has changed compared to today.
1900–1920
During this period, office buildings typically featured open-plan layouts. In addition, the first high-rise buildings were constructed, such as the Wilhelm-Marx-Haus in Düsseldorf. There were also the first ‘Kontorhäuser’ (commercial buildings), which were particularly common in Hamburg, for example the Klöpperhaus.
1920–1945
During this period, large administrative buildings such as the Chilehaus in Hamburg were very modern and fashionable. The cubicle layout also became increasingly common.
1945–1965
During this period, the architectural style focused on lightness, with more elegant materials being used to achieve this. Nevertheless, the cellular structure remained prevalent, as seen in the Dreischeibenhaus in Düsseldorf, where the COLLECTION Business Centre has a branch.
1965–1980
From 1965 onwards, the trend shifted increasingly towards office blocks with deep floor plans and open-plan offices. Cubicles also became part of everyday office life, as did artificial lighting and mechanical ventilation. Furthermore, the construction of office districts such as the ‘Seestern’ in Düsseldorf and ‘City Nord’ in Hamburg began.
1980–1995
Following the major resurgence of open-plan offices, the first signs of resistance to this layout began to emerge. At that time, traditional cubicle layouts were increasingly combined with more open-plan office solutions, and the ‘combined office’ also began to take shape.
From 1995
From 1995 onwards, working environments became increasingly differentiated. Lawyers and management consultants worked in cubicle-based layouts, whilst teams worked in open-plan offices. This gave rise to two trends: prestigious offices such as Frankfurt’s Opernturm and open-plan layouts such as Unilever’s in Hamburg. In addition, a major trend emerged whereby users no longer built their own buildings but had them built for them. As a result, buildings were increasingly leased, meaning that architects had to design office spaces that could be freely configured.
Today and in the Future
Employee satisfaction is more important to employers today than it ever was in the office of the past. Furthermore, communication and creativity are to be increasingly encouraged. Architecture today must continue to adapt to these changes.
The office of the past vs. the office of today
Much has changed fundamentally in day-to-day working life, whether in terms of values or the working environment. The technological progress brought about by digitalisation has greatly simplified work today. In the offices of the past, work was sometimes slower, as there were fewer and less modern tools available. Today’s modern offices save time and are an asset to all office staff. If you’d like to rent a modern office that meets your requirements and needs, and which also makes your work easier through services such as telephone and parcel handling, then COLLECTION Business Centres offer the right office spaces for you. Focus on your work and enjoy the luxury.
Cover image: © Shutterstock/a6photo
Image 1: © Shutterstock/Battousai
Image 2: © Shutterstock/Max4e Photo
