An example of the progression of needs of a typical office worker:
- Much easier to work on a flat surface: need a desk
- To be able to sit at the desk: need a chair (preferably swivel to spin in & out of cubicle easily)
- Bit odd for this desk & chair to be outside: need a building (for arguments sake, an office)
- Due to moving indoors causing a reduction of natural light: need a desk lamp
- Most offices will have more than one floor, Dave on floor 4 has a message: need a phone for inter-departmental conversations
- Customers, contacts or a communal office message about the boss’s leaving party: need to read emails, which in turn creates the need for a computer (along with mouse & keyboard)
- Keep my desk clear of papers and client files: need a filing cabinet
- Keep my desk clear of scattered stationary: need a desk tidy
- I miss my family during long hours at the office: need a family photo
Just like that, I have become a typical grey suit office worker.