The workplaces of the world are undergoing a rapid change. Technology is driving process and system evolutions that, in theory, can lead to much greater efficiencies. The problem is, the physical design and structure of most workplaces represents a major obstacle to tapping into that potential. And designers should be playing a larger role in creating a workplace that reflects how employees want to do their work.

So says Joyce Bromberg, vice president of innovation and design for Convene. Until office designers gather data and input from the users of offices themselves, facilities will continue to inhibit productivity rather than enhance it.

"We need to allow people to work in the way they need to work, and not create rules that force them to work in some other way," she said at the Agile Workplace Conference in Arlington, Virginia this week. "If you give people the opportunity, they will tell you how the workplace should be designed."