Digital workspaces have become a productivity-boosting hub for companies all across the globe. Whether you engage in a video-meeting once a week or turn up to your 9-5 in the metaverse, the concept of a new digital workspace is becoming all the more exciting.
Capital One, Dropbox and Shopify and other huge companies are already embracing hybrid-remote working models in the new year – and many business leaders are following suit on a journey into immersive collaboration.
Did you know that 18% of the global workforce isn’t going into the office at all? On the back of Covid-19’s push for digital transformation, nearly half of all corporate workers spend part of their working week at home.
The question is, what could the office of the future look like? From seamless collaboration to hyper-realistic virtual meetings, it’s time to tap into work on any device from any location.
What is a digital workspace?
“If you untether people from the desk and train managers to rethink what it means to know that someone is or isn’t being productive, they can truly lean into a wider variety of spaces,” says Mckinsey & Company’s Phil Kirschner.
The idea that a productive workspace should be something physical is slowly being overturned. The introduction of a virtual model opens up the doors to new levels of wide-scale collaboration, project imagery and visualisation, and of course, employee flexibility, which has become a key concern post-Covid.
A digital workspace brings the office to the employee. Whether you tap in via your laptop, smartphone or headset, digital workspaces grant users end-to-end access to all the resources, data and collaboration tools they need to do their job at home.
Better still, embracing the benefits of remote working has increased employee productivity by a whopping 33%. With the ability to connect with colleagues all over the world, working in a digital space has opened up new opportunities for creativity and flexibility.
Let’s have a closer look at some of the digital pioneers transforming the virtual workspace of tomorrow.
Microsoft’s hybrid meeting rooms
Flexibility is in fashion. With over 68% of workers now claiming that their ideal schedule would consist of working both remotely and in the office, Microsoft has created its own hybrid haven for its employees.
Adding a new digital twist to their conference rooms, the software giant has found a way to bring in-office and remote workers together in a collaborative augmented reality.
Allowing all participants to communicate on an equal footing, Microsoft has taken a traditional video dial-in one step further by shifting cameras and high-tech motion sensors to eye level so that virtual participants can look employees in the eye and gauge emotive reactions in real-time.
Using a hybrid table design, remote callers are placed virtually around the conference table in order to boost the feelings of physical presence.
“We recognise that some work can absolutely be done anywhere. But there is some work that does require people to be together somewhat regularly,” says Mckinsey & Company’s Talent Leader, Bryan Hancock.
By finding a way to blend physical and digital workspaces, Microsoft is one step ahead of the hybrid boom.
Meta’s leap into VR-driven collaboration
Another tech giant pioneering digital workspaces is Meta. After releasing Horizon Workrooms in 2021, Meta continues to pave the way for VR collaboration.
Using a Meta Quest headset, users can tap into a virtual office environment and quickly communicate and collaborate with avatars from all over the world.
Meta’s aim is to prioritise user expression and office-based realism. Adding new dimensions to virtual conversations using spatial audio, user-led expressive avatars and a customisable environment, people should feel as if they are sitting next to their colleagues.
“These kinds of experiences, where you can actually feel present with other people, are, I think, a much richer way to interact than the types of social apps we’ve been able to build on phones or computers,” Zuckerberg said.
And Horizon Workrooms is taking the digital workspace concept one step further with the addition of the Remote Desktop feature. While Business VR is mainly used to communicate with others, users can now bring their physical computer screen into virtual reality.
Equipped with three larger-than-life desktop screens and a blend of mixed reality pass-through features, your headset is the only monitor needed to complete a full day at work.
Spatial’s virtual sticky notes
If you’re looking to digitally enhance a physical workspace, Spatial’s AR-driven platform is a great place to start.
Whether you’re using an Oculus Quest, HoloLens or Magic Leap, most headset users can access Spatial’s virtual brainstorming hub. Giving meetings that extra immersive edge, users can play around with AR-generated sticky notes that can be annotated, drawn on and moved about.
Nearly all file types can be uploaded into Spatial’s shared workspace and turned into a digital note that can be transported to any boardroom for virtual viewing.
Changing the way workers visualise their pitches and order their data, Spatial has become an asset to physical offices looking to improve employee engagement and productivity during the planning stage.
Step inside your 3D model with Varjo
For product designers and manufacturers, entering a new digital workspace has become a vessel for success.
VR developers such as Varjo are making it easier to visualise a 3D model from the comfort of your couch, meaning less jumping back to the drawing board and more opportunity for creative design.
“Experience and collaborate in your 3D model like you are there. We allow you to experience your 3D design rather than viewing it on a flat 2D computer screenl” say experts at Varjo. “Make better decisions, save time and Identify design challenges together with your colleagues or customers. Increase common understanding and facilitate more creative discussions.”
Brands such as ZOAN have already embraced Varjo’s 3D collaborative features. Constructing a 100% virtual office environment within the metaverse, ZOAN uses Varjo to run a completely immersive 3D content studio. Workers can step inside their physical designs and perfect their projects in a wholly digital environment.
“With the Varjo Aero headset, we can check the smallest details from an actual human perspective and quality, which helps us to improve even more the realism of the projects,” says Unreal Engine specialist Rosa Emerson at ZOAN.
The workspace of tomorrow
A virtual-heavy future could be on the cards in just a few years. As more tech, business, and healthcare giants dip their toes into the possibilities of VR/AR technologies, it’s time to reimagine your workspace and start working smart.
“Organisations that choose a ‘wait and see’ approach risk frustrating their employees who find that the old office doesn’t support the new ways they work – jeopardising the competitive advantages of bringing people together,” says Harvard Business Review.
Whether you tap in via the metaverse or your monitor, the future of work-based collaboration lies within a digital realm.
