The future of work will depend on complex social, economic, political, environmental, and cultural factors that interplay to create a landscape that we can only say will be different than today.

The nature of work is changing. Every year more people work remotely and for longer periods of time, and in looking ahead, remote work will almost certainly become even more commonplace.

Like the water inside a glass, tainted by a drop of paint, our minds can just as easily become infected by the slightest bit of negativity.

Now, I’ve been fortunate enough to never have worked in an environment quite as hostile as Mad Men’s Sterling Cooper (or have ever had a boss quite like Mr. Draper), but I have felt underappreciated in the workplace.

For me the quest for constant improvement is a good indicator of a life-learner personality type. The natural curiosity of a life-learner can form the basis of a very powerful design tool if fed by the honest feedback of clients and end-users.

A couple of months back, as a fellow OPXer and I surveyed a building for one of our current projects, I walked into a large room filled with nothing but rows of desks with computer stations.