
Many of us have wondered what we’ll be doing in ten or twenty years’ time. But have you ever wondered what tools and environments you could be experiencing in a typical office in the distant future?
To answer that question, Brother has spoken to experts and uncovered the latest research on the future of office design and technology, illustrating what we might expect in years to come.
Let’s jump right in.
1. The Internet of Things
Nearly every expert in workplace technology expects to see more ‘smart’, connected devices in the typical workplace in future. They expect speakers, microphones and sensors to find their way into the most unlikely of places.
There are already innovations like voice-enabled lamps, which allow voice assistant services like Alexa, Google and Siri into regular office fixtures. You’re even seeing smart carpets under development. Facial-recognition and biometrics for office security and smart toilets with health diagnostics have also been trialled or conceptualised in recent times.
These technologies might not all achieve mainstream adoption, but this does show the more unusual ways in which offices could become more connected.
“Offices are going to start embracing IoT integrations,” says Ana Zuravliova, Interior Designer at Wooden Blinds Direct. “With smart technology becoming commonplace in modern life, people are going to start expecting the same luxuries at work that they’re used to at home.”