Open-plan offices used to be the standard, expected approach for modern companies that wanted to encourage collaboration. Now, as Gen Z steadily floods the workplace, some are asking for a return to cubicles to regain their privacy and better balance themselves.
If you’re employed in a big, corporate office, chances are you work in an (at least partly) open-plan space.
We’re talking laptops, massive shared desks, and no walls or assigned spaces between employees. It’s become the standard design for big companies and was originally a deconstruction of the ‘cube farm’ office approach of the 1980s and 1990s, which had become synonymous with corporate isolation and dystopia by the turn of the century. What started out originally as a means of providing workers with a private, flexible space to be productive soon became a way of trapping them in impersonal fabric-laced prisons — at least, that was the sentiment until recently.
Now, as Gen Z begins to enter the workforce, an increasing number of them are asking for cubicles and private spaces where they can concentrate. As far back as 2024, Canvas8 recognised that young people had begun ‘hailing the return of office cubicles,’ reimagining them as comfortable, personal spaces rather than a staple of corporate misery. There was a feeling that, as a generation, young people valued a desk to call their own, away from the distractions of an open room.
Similarly, Pinterest searches for phrases like ‘chic cubicle decor’ and ‘cubicle makeover ideas’ have seen a huge increase over the last two years, with more online interest in personalisation and individuality across office spaces, elements of open-plan design that often fall short. Reddit users also frequently discuss the benefits of cubicle life, lamenting the introduction of large desks with no real privacy. ‘Office cubicles used to be portrayed as dystopian in movies, yet today they actually seem like a luxurious benefit compared to open-plan offices,’ wrote one user in this thread, for example.
Why is the cubicle appealing to Gen Z more than older generations?
A major distinction for young people compared to their parents is that they perceive private, closed desks as places of relative peace, and don’t necessarily associate them with the cultural baggage of the late nineties and early noughties. Back then, big corporate offices were seen as inherently negative, faceless, and impersonal. Look at any big films of the time, like The Matrix or Fight Club, where major city corporate life was seen as depressing. Given today’s economic climate and social uncertainty, the stability of this routine and approach is far more appealing.
Data suggests that noise is a massive distraction for most of us. Open-plan designs maximise this problem, with colleagues taking calls across desks alongside designers, salespeople, and CEOs. All that chatter can be overwhelming and overstimulating, stifling productivity. A 2017 study by HKS found that 85% of Gen Z felt other people’s conversations were distracting, with privacy being the most important factor for working well. Another survey in 2019 by KI found that Gen Z prioritised quiet spaces and access to power outlets, as well as personalised workspaces. Interestingly, only 8% said they wanted open offices.
Quiet, single-purpose spaces also became more important once the pandemic began, as most of us created home offices in our bedrooms and adjusted to working without constant socialising, corporate obligations, or mundane bureaucracy. Returning to an open office brings many benefits: healthy socialising, easy meetings and collaborations, as well as better work-life balance, but it also has its caveats. Gen Z are used to a familiar desk that gives them breathing room, so it’s not surprising that many of them are keen to translate that vibe into a corporate space.
In fact, Gen Z’s eagerness for more ‘corporate’ spaces appears to be influencing other areas of our lives too.
Whether all of this translates to real design changes is another matter, however. So far, most Gen Z enthusiasm has been limited to online conjecture and social media trends, and it’ll take a while before new attitudes move into tangible offices. Still, it suggests that open plans and casual attire might soon become dated — especially as Gen Z takes up a larger chunk of the workforce.
Gen Z work habits that have older generations absolutely fuming(yahoo) We all know that work habits and etiquette can be a touchy subject between generations, especially with Gen Z catching so much flak for being less invested in the corporate bubble than millennials and baby boomers. So what behaviors are driving bosses and managers up the wall? There are the usual suspects, like high screen time and poor grammar, but a few surprises make the cut too. Are you guilty of asking colleagues how to do something instead of researching it yourself, for example? We know at least a few who fit the bill. Read more
Gen Z wants this 90s office staple revived to avoid feeling overstimulated (metro) Remember the office cubicle? Well, if you’re under thirty, you probably don’t. A staple of late twentieth-century corporate design, these spaces allowed workers privacy and space to concentrate without leaving the office, though they fell out of fashion and became synonymous with dystopian, solitary confinement. Open plan desks became the standard, though they’ve proven to be noisy, overstimulating, and distracting to many Gen Z employees. Could we be making a swing back to the cubicle? Read more
The real reason Gen Z doesn’t want your middle management job(forbes) Studies show that young people are reluctant to become managers. Yet, despite the hesitancy, they are entering these types of roles at the same rate as previous generations. So, why are young people trying (and failing) to avoid middle managerial roles? Experts say it’s a combination of heavy workloads, insufficient rewards, and a lack of resources to do the job properly. AI automation is also reducing middle-level roles in general, making it harder to move up the corporate ladder into senior roles beyond management. Read more
Gen Z is rejecting millennial beige and embracing ‘dopamine decor’ (fortune) Is maximalism making a comeback? Experts believe that many Gen Zers are pining for bold colour, texture, layers, and expression in their wardrobes and homes, largely as a rejection of the millennial grey and beige of the last decade. They’re craving fun and security, which can be felt in many upcoming trends such as the ‘gummy bear aesthetic’ and ‘dopamine decor.’ It’s all about balance, of course, but there has been a notable push away from the ‘boring’ ideals of white and plainness. Are we in for a few wacky years of colour? Read more
Ties are back in fashion, thanks to Gen Z – should we all be smartening up?(guardian) Are young people pivoting back toward smart dress? Numbers suggest that they could be, with one menswear retailer reporting a 200% increase in sales over summer compared to last year. It’s unlikely that offices will turn all the way back to the formalities of decades prior, but we might be seeing Gen Z pull away from the extremely casual standards of millennials and Gen Z in the workplace. Couple this with cubicles, and you have to wonder: are we about to enter a new corporate renaissance? Read more
That’s all for this week! Make sure to subscribe for the latest on Gen Z and youth culture, and check out The Common Thred for a weekly roundup of the latest news, trends, and thought pieces.
I’m Charlie (He/Him), Deputy Editor and Senior Writer at Thred. I was previously the Editor full-time at Thred before moving to Bristol in 2024. I have since returned to London. As a music and gaming enthusiast, I’m a nerd for pop culture. You can find me curating playlists, designing article headline images, and sipping cider on a Thursday. Follow me on LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.
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