1. Guidelines for Open Office Layouts By Ed Kraay

2. The situation 84% of companies surveyed claim using some Agile practices* Open office formats used to enjoy low cost or free communication – aka “Osmotic Communication” With more firms “going Agile” more managers are tasked with making open space team rooms work Common questions we get: How much space do I really need? What configuration will optimize communication for my team? How much power do I need? How many whiteboards? What about private space? Do I get tables or use desks…. *Source 2009 State of Agile Survey Version One

3. Common problems with open space moves Moving from cubicles to an open space often results in: Cramped conditions Not enough power or network No space for design sessions Cross team noise (bad noise) vs Team noise (good noise) No private space for phone calls Barriers to flow Fixed configurations with no room to adapt

4. Two Key Principles to keep in mind Workspace should never be an obstacle to getting work done Keep the workspace configurable so you can adapt it to your changing needs

5. Guidelines: Size and Layout Space 6 feet by 8 feet per person (enough so they could have had a cubicle) Privacy for the team High Walls, Doors Optional or Enough space to create separate team areas Windows Humans get stressed without access to natural light One wall, preferably two or three walls with abundant natural light

6. Working Areas Freedom Give teams freedom to adjust their working area to suit them without a work order Easy to move tables are good Some organizations even attach wheels to their desks! Avoid Fixed to the wall Installed furniture Enough room to work together side by side to pair program Avoid Corner Desks Photo by Carlos Villela

7. Wall Space Ample wall space for task boards, burndown charts, whiteboards everywhere Whiteboard paint works very well Some teams use movable walls for this Photo by Carlos Villela

8. Technology Power Ample amounts as unobtrusively as possible (in desks, dropped from the ceiling) Projectors For video conferences, planning meetings We see more teams using large screen LCD TV’s for this Video conferencing and Smart boards for distributed teams High definition web cameras work well Large Flat Panel Monitors - two per workstation (>20 inch)

9. Breakout Rooms A mix of small quiet areas for private conversations for 2-3 people or phone calls Larger collaboration rooms for conference calls or planning meetings Some teams use an open space for this

10. Table Configurations Long Tables U Shapes Drawing by Dean Cornish Drawing by Erik Doernenburg

11. Photos of the ThoughtWorks Bangalore Office…the principles in action. Notice the open space between desks Photo by SudhirTiwari

12. Plentiful access to power and ethernet Photo by SudhirTiwari

13. Wall space for card walls. Photo by SudhirTiwari

14. Cube Area for Marketing and Recruiting Team Photo by SudhirTiwari

15. Meeting Rooms Along interior walls, so desks can be along windows Photo by Chris Stevenson

16. = Happy team. Windows to let in natural light… Adjustable chairs + Photo by Chris Stevenson

17. Enough space so that each person could have had 6’x 8’ to themselves Photo by Chris Stevenson

18. Another collaborative workspace design Drawing by AnupamKundu

19. These are some team room configurations…What's yours?

20. Summary of the Principles Workspace should never be an obstacle to getting work done Keep the workspace configurable so you can adapt it to your changing needs

21. Appreciations to: Erik Doerenburg, April Johnson, Sarah Taraporewalla, Daniel T. Abel, Dean Cornish, Peter Gillard-Moss, Benjamin Butler-Cole, AnupamKundu, SudhirTiwari, Chris Stevenson, Rajeev Singh and Johnny Leroy for photos and ideas.

22. Resources Books Agile Software Development by Alistair Cockburn Peopleware by Demarco and Lister Links Martin Fowler on the Team Room: http://martinfowler.com/bliki/TeamRoom.html