Controversy at Rackspace: light vs. dark offices

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When I visited Rackspace’s headquarters on Thursday I ran into a little division in the offices there. Quite a unique division. See, I’ve been in corporate headquarters around the world. L’Oreal. Target. Microsoft. Apple. Google. etc. But I’ve never seen this kind of office division. What is it?

Light vs. dark.

Now, at Microsoft, I’ve known people who keep their offices dark and some who like a lot of light. So, this division exists elsewhere, but I’ve never seen it taken to this level where there’s entire sections of office space divided this way.

Here Rackspace’s co-founder, Dirk Elmendorf and Chief Marketing Officer, Lew Moorman, show my cell phone the division and explain why they do that.

So, which are you? Light or dark?

I’m definitely a dark!

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Published by Robert Scoble

I give you a front-row seat on the future. Focusing most of my efforts now on next-generation augmented reality and artificial intelligence, AKA "mixed reality." SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER: http://clevermoe.com/scobleizer-news/ BUY OUR NEW BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Fourth-Transformation-Robert-Scoble/dp/1539894444 "The Fourth Transformation: How augmented reality and artificial intelligence will change everything." WATCH MY LATEST SPEECHES: State of VR with Philip Rosedale (done in VR itself, very cool): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zAA1EVGUZU At GEOINT, June 2017: http://trajectorymagazine.com/glimpse-new-world/ Augmented World Expo, June 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4xHILvLD8E At Leade.rs, April 2017: https://youtu.be/52_0JshgjXI +++++++++++ BIO: Scoble gives you a front-row seat on the future. Literally. He had the first ride in the first Tesla. Siri was launched in his house. He's been the first to share all sorts of technologies and companies with you, from Flipboard to Pandora to Instagram. Today he's focusing on mixed reality, AKA "next-generation augmented reality" which will include a new user interface for EVERYTHING in your life (IoT, Smart Cities, driverless cars, robots, drones, etc). That's based on his view thanks to his past experience as futurist at Rackspace. Best place to find Scoble? On his Facebook profile at https://www.facebook.com/RobertScoble He has been a technology blogger since 2000, was one of five people who built Microsoft's Channel 9 video blog/community, worked at Fast Company Magazine running its TV efforts, and has been part of technology media businesses since 1993. ++++++++ SPEAKER PITCH: Apple and Facebook now have revealed their Augmented Reality strategies, which means your business needs one too. Rely on Robert Scoble, the world's top authority on AR, to bring to your conference what businesses should do next. SPEECH ABSTRACT #1: TITLE: The Fourth Transformation: What's next in mixed reality (AR and AI) and the future of technology? Here's an example of this talk at Leade.rs in Paris in April, 2017: https://youtu.be/52_0JshgjXI Why "the Fourth Transformation?" Soon we will have phones and glasses that do full on augmented reality. Everything you look at will potentially be augmented. This world is coming in late 2017 with a new iPhone from Apple, amongst other products. Microsoft is betting everything on its HoloLens glasses that do mixed reality and the industry is spending many billions of dollars in R&D and funding new companies like Magic Leap. This future will be the user interface for IoT, Smart Cities, autonomous cars, robots, drones, and your TV. This is a big deal and Robert will take you through what mixed reality is and how it will change every business. Learn more about Robert's speaking style and contact his agent at http://odemanagement.com/robert-scoble/Robert-Scoble.html ++++++++ SPEECH ABSTRACT #2: "The Next Two Clicks of Moore's Law." Over the next four years, or two clicks of Moore's Law, a ton about our technology world will change. Scoble will bring you the best from his travels visiting R&D labs, startups, and innovators around the world. He views the world through his rose-colored-mixed-reality glasses, which will be the new user interface for self driving cars, Smart Cities, IoT, and many other things in our world. He'll send you off with some lessons for companies both large and small. ++++++++ SPEECH ABSTRACT #3: "Personalized Meaning: What is Augmented Reality For?" As we enter a far more technological world where even cars drive themselves, I predict we'll see a blowback toward the analog, more authentic world. What role does augmented reality play in both worlds? Get Scoble's insight into where augmented reality is going, see tons of real-world demos, and understand what he means by 'personalized meaning.' CONTACT: If you are looking to contact me, email is best: scobleizer@gmail.com. ++++++++ ENDORSEMENTS: IZEA Top 25 Tech Influencers: https://izea.com/2017/07/07/25-top-tech-influencers/ Time: One of the top 140 Twitterers! FT: One of the five most influential Twitterers! Inc. Top 5 on list of Tech Power Players You Need to Know: http://www.inc.com/john-rampton/30-power-players-in-tech-you-need-to-know.html Next Reality: #4 on top 50 AR influencer list: https://next.reality.news/news/nr50-next-realitys-50-people-watch-augmented-mixed-reality-0177454/

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47 thoughts on “Controversy at Rackspace: light vs. dark offices”

  7. Not sure about “pitch black” :p but definitely dark…

    My eyes are quite sensitive to light (one of the reasons I opted for a matte screen too) and so I tend to be able to focus a lot better at night and in dark(er) rooms! 🙂

    Like

  8. Not sure about “pitch black” :p but definitely dark…

    My eyes are quite sensitive to light (one of the reasons I opted for a matte screen too) and so I tend to be able to focus a lot better at night and in dark(er) rooms! 🙂

    Like

  9. I’m dark, totally! When my partner came back home to work she struggled with my need to have the office dark but now she’s seen the light… err the dark… whatever, it’s dark in home our office as it should be.

    And this type of division is exactly why I would hate to have to work in an office.

    Like

  10. I’m dark, totally! When my partner came back home to work she struggled with my need to have the office dark but now she’s seen the light… err the dark… whatever, it’s dark in home our office as it should be.

    And this type of division is exactly why I would hate to have to work in an office.

    Like

  17. Interestingly enough – I recently researched this from a business perspective. From the book “Using Office Design to Increase Productivity” (Brill) there are two points worth making.

    “Approximately 85% of the information needed to perform these tasks (office related work) is received through the eyes (Hughes, 1976). Therefore a luminous environment is not only desirable, but a necessity.” (pg 175)

    and

    “Within a reasonable range of lighting levels, increasing the amount of light in a setting may lead to improvements in worker performance.” (pg 176)

    Bottom line – most of us personally prefer dark, quiet, secluded offices with windows. But proper high quality lighting (read “not harsh white florescent”) is better for the team as a whole. At least according to the studies.

    This is counterintuitive similar to the fact that increased privacy in an office setting *increases* communications according to studies. And open office formats reduce communication despite being more aesthetic. (Brill, pg 199)

    Who knows, geeks may be different.

    Like

  18. Interestingly enough – I recently researched this from a business perspective. From the book “Using Office Design to Increase Productivity” (Brill) there are two points worth making.

    “Approximately 85% of the information needed to perform these tasks (office related work) is received through the eyes (Hughes, 1976). Therefore a luminous environment is not only desirable, but a necessity.” (pg 175)

    and

    “Within a reasonable range of lighting levels, increasing the amount of light in a setting may lead to improvements in worker performance.” (pg 176)

    Bottom line – most of us personally prefer dark, quiet, secluded offices with windows. But proper high quality lighting (read “not harsh white florescent”) is better for the team as a whole. At least according to the studies.

    This is counterintuitive similar to the fact that increased privacy in an office setting *increases* communications according to studies. And open office formats reduce communication despite being more aesthetic. (Brill, pg 199)

    Who knows, geeks may be different.

    Like

  24. I like it dark but not pitch black. Especially with my glossy MacBook screen. My HDTV is enough extra light in the room.

    Like

  27. The office I was working at was setting up a new floor plan with folks that want to sit in the dark vrs. those that want to sit in with those nasty floresent lights on. I was one who wanted the dark. 🙂

    Dark is just easier to read a screen with.

    Like

  28. The office I was working at was setting up a new floor plan with folks that want to sit in the dark vrs. those that want to sit in with those nasty floresent lights on. I was one who wanted the dark. 🙂

    Dark is just easier to read a screen with.

    Like

  29. Hi Robert,
    We have a section in our office like that since 2002. Initially in the old office and when we moved to our own new facilities in 2005. We got the same people in a completely separate hall where the only light comes from the monitors. Not that the room does not have the lights installed. I will blog about it on our blog and I will show you some pictures too. I have seen and heard about many places like that and I am surprised that you are surprised. I also have a bunch of reasons given to my by the boys about that “dark side”.

    Like

  30. Hi Robert,
    We have a section in our office like that since 2002. Initially in the old office and when we moved to our own new facilities in 2005. We got the same people in a completely separate hall where the only light comes from the monitors. Not that the room does not have the lights installed. I will blog about it on our blog and I will show you some pictures too. I have seen and heard about many places like that and I am surprised that you are surprised. I also have a bunch of reasons given to my by the boys about that “dark side”.

    Like

  33. At home, I prefer the dark so I can enjoy the backlit keyboard of my MacBook Pro.

    At work, I prefer lots of light. But why is it that the people who sit next to the windows always close the blinds?

    Like

  34. At home, I prefer the dark so I can enjoy the backlit keyboard of my MacBook Pro.

    At work, I prefer lots of light. But why is it that the people who sit next to the windows always close the blinds?

    Like

  35. Same debate in our offices. Personally I like it light, but not too much. Diffused daylight is OK but no florescent bulbs…

    Like

  36. Same debate in our offices. Personally I like it light, but not too much. Diffused daylight is OK but no florescent bulbs…

    Like

  37. I find fault with the authors in Schipul’s post, though he did make some interesting points, especially on privacy.

    There was a study done where they increased the lighting in a factory and productivity increased. They lowered the lighting and the productivity increased. The study’s authors concluded that any change will increase productivity. If I weren’t so lazy, I’d look it up. Anyone heard this?

    Like

  38. I find fault with the authors in Schipul’s post, though he did make some interesting points, especially on privacy.

    There was a study done where they increased the lighting in a factory and productivity increased. They lowered the lighting and the productivity increased. The study’s authors concluded that any change will increase productivity. If I weren’t so lazy, I’d look it up. Anyone heard this?

    Like

  41. @boo – they call that the Hawthorne Effect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_effect
    “a short-term improvement caused by observing worker performance.”

    and yes, you definitely have to control for it. If Brill did that rigorously in his studies I am not sure. But he mentions it as something to control for, so my guess is yes.

    In practice we have a programmers office that is close to pitch black. So we consider lighting preference in seating assignments. But if in a shared environment we default to light as the most productive common denominator (again – not for all people, just for most). My two cents…

    Like

  42. @boo – they call that the Hawthorne Effect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_effect
    “a short-term improvement caused by observing worker performance.”

    and yes, you definitely have to control for it. If Brill did that rigorously in his studies I am not sure. But he mentions it as something to control for, so my guess is yes.

    In practice we have a programmers office that is close to pitch black. So we consider lighting preference in seating assignments. But if in a shared environment we default to light as the most productive common denominator (again – not for all people, just for most). My two cents…

    Like

  45. Pingback: Sweetraskels Blog» Blog Archive » Controversy at Rackspace: light vs. dark offices

  46. I prefer light but my colleague, a developer, prefers dark.

    @boo I’ve found that changing where I sit or my desk position improves my productivity too. As does a break in routine.

    @Ed Schipul That’s without anyone watching me either!

    Like

  47. I prefer light but my colleague, a developer, prefers dark.

    @boo I’ve found that changing where I sit or my desk position improves my productivity too. As does a break in routine.

    @Ed Schipul That’s without anyone watching me either!

    Like

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