the intent of creating an office environment that is pleasant to work in is rarely something that employees provide enough input into. I would argue that the side effect of making an office that disrespects some employees perferences is more than a "blind spot", it's a "I don't give a damn"
Examples:
- talkative/noisy areas
- lighting level
- speakerphones/headphones/cellphone conversations
- kitchen/ping pong/foosball noises
- privacy/divider existence/divider height
- personalization
- lighting/glare/sunlight/color reproduction
- start/stop/break schedule
- "cool" versus "comfortable", "public" vs "private"
- "corner office" versus "bull pen"
In my new office, I was given the choice to rank my preference from nine desks in a small area (group/team cluster, because "synergy"). I didn't even bother asking if I could sit closer to people I like or identify with (the parents of children at home subgroup).