Work Lounge 101

Sam Slater: Hello, I'm Sam. I'm the root product manager for work lounge. And I'm here to introduce work lounge as a concept and explain the primary value proposition for this product. Now, first of all, though, let's align around what work lounge is. So work lounge is an experimental communal work product for activity based work that cultivates a sense of community in an inviting setting. We think the work range can play a very important role as our portfolio develops to meet the needs of a future workplace. But the first, what's the first big question that comes to mind for me? It's why do users come to work lounge at all? Well, the value that work lounge provides for all user types is that it introduces an additional space to shift one's mindset and be productive for focused solo and side by side work. And Lindsay from UX will unpack that a little bit more later in this video. We also know that work lounge can play a strong role in enforcing Google culture by helping users feel a part of something bigger. They're mixing with other teams and pas in this space, enjoying a sense of belonging. And Lauren is going to explain that next. But the second big question that comes up is why is it important for roots? Well, the value proposition for Ros is that work grounds can be used to improve building level performance and deliver net negative square foot per person. And that would most likely be in some kind of shared desking situation, either shared neighborhoods, desk booking, traditional desk sharing or other variations on that theme. So we think that if it's done right? And in concert with these other players, we can gain portfolio efficiency without detrimentally impacting the user experience. It is important to note that it is very unlikely the work lamps can fully replace a desk. There are certain things like equipment routine or ready access to your teammates that are just essential to keep at the desk. However, it is possible that work lounge might supplement certain elements of the desk and work alongside those other real estate products to round out that whole office experience. So the two things that I would like you to take away from this is one that it's a creative space that provides users a context shift so that they can focus on a discrete task. And two that it has real workplace strategy implications for root giving us both portfolio efficiency and a positive user experience.

Lauren Green: Hi, I'm Lauren and I'm gonna speak a little bit about the design for the work lounge. So overall, we want the vibe of the work lounge to have a hospitality type of feeling. So intentionally, we're using warm inviting natural materials and textures and colors and we're avoiding things like cold, cool, gray, white, stark tones. So here's a page from our guidelines that shows the experiential drivers when you're creating your design thought process for your work lounge. This is a really amazing place to start when you're getting into how to create the right vibe for your next work lounge. Next, we have a few photos from Water Towers. So I love these as an example of some of the key elements that give the right vibe for the for the space. So you'll notice in the photos that we have used things like floor lamps and table lamps. We've used really warm color temperature lighting like a 20 700 Kelvin light and then the details like the area rugs, the plants, the artwork, the accessories, the pillows, these are all things that really gave this space, this the character and the finishing touches that we're looking for that are a bit different than our typical office environment. It's also really important that we think through all the details of the user touch level. So things like just the right perfect chair height and table height where to set, not only your laptop, but your, your coffee and your water and your backpack and your jacket. These are all things that we're learning are making or breaking the success of the work lounge because it's really leaning into the comfort and the functionality and the space for the user. So you can check out our guidelines and it'll give you all kinds of details and tips and tricks for all the right dimensions of things and all the lessons learned that we have so far that we can share with you on how to hit all the right uh details for that user touch level. And then last but not least, a really important part of creating the right vibe in the work lounge is giving it a sense of community. And I, I like to say, giving the space a bit of a voice. And so in the water tower, we put up a big quote on the wall that says, let's do more of what brings us together. And so I really loved that because it was just a little nod to the user of like bringing people together and giving it a sense of community. And we also did things like we put up a chalkboard with thought bubbles and we would ask the question to the user and they would fill in their thoughts. And so it was just a way to again cultivate a sense of community and bringing people together. Um So finding ways they don't have to be extravagant, but just little simple ways to really cultivate community and give some ownership to the user in the space. So that's just a quick couple of highlights on how to create the right design and vibe. There's all kinds of more details in our guidelines. So I encourage you to check that out and reach out with any questions or if you could use any help along the way. Thanks.

Lindsay Graham: Hi, I'm Lindsay and I'm gonna share with you what we know about the users of the work lounge. We know that Googlers like to come to these spaces by themselves or in small groups like with 1 to 2 other Googlers. When here they typically like to do administrative generative or creative work. This could include things such as checking emails, creating new documents, creating slide decks or even doing creative coding. Googlers also like to come here to do what we call passive GV CS. These are GV CS in which they aren't having to heavily speak or engage with others on the video call Googlers also like to come here to feel connected with others without the expectation of having to heavily engage with them. Like you might at your desk, they also come here to get a change of scenery. They express that coming into this environment from another space, helps them to refocus, feel more energized and motivated to complete the tasks at hand. We also know that Googlers are very motivated, being surrounded by others in this space. It helps them feel more connected to something bigger than themselves and to the organization itself they enjoy feeling connection to other Googlers, even if they don't know them. And it helps generate a sense of community. Like one might experience in a college setting, such as in a university study hall library or Student Union. When Googlers are here, they express that the space makes them feel relaxed, restored, rejuvenated, energized, motivated and happy.

Kristin Chiles: Hello, I'm Kristen and we'll talk about the best execution approach of this product work lounges, especially when put into an existing space are fast and scrappy projects. Ideally, they require little to no work that requires a permit, paint, a few finished changes, the right furniture and accessories can create a great work lounge. These spaces also require different consultants than a typical project. Hospitality design consultants are preferred and will eliminate churn in the design process and these teams are more accustomed to the accessory package needed to create the right vibe.