If paper is not going away, we will continue to need ways to manage it to avoid visual overload and loss of information. What Research Shows Over the past few years, Haworth has been involved in an observational research project called Ground Zero . This study sent hundreds of architecture and design students out across the United States to take pictures of thousands of individual offices. The people in those offices were also interviewed about their work styles and how they manage their stuff. In addition to work display methods that reflect how the mind works, physical preferences also enter in.
Many people like to spread materials out in a circular pattern that mirrors their reach radius.
Even on a rectangular work surface, papers and other items are often fanned out in an arc. The overall arc effect often includes stacks on the floor if the worker runs out of room on the desk or work surface. Many people also use small prompts throughout their workspace. These could be Post-it notes stuck to the computer to remind them of a meeting, or a note pinned to their coat reminding them to run an errand on their way home. With the Internet and other electronic tools, information is easier to access than ever before.