ABSTRACT
In Chapter 1 we discussed the characteristics of the Biological Metaphor. In this metaphor the design of office work environments is aligned with the purpose, or business mission of the organization, rather than by other issues that cannot be shown to directly support business objectives. In this way, the design and function of the system are “pulled” or aligned to organizational mission and purpose. Effective work is thus a natural outcome of an organization and workplace designed to support the biological metaphor. When workplaces are not designed with this larger viewpoint in mind, the design process runs the risk of being sidetracked by issues such as: using workplace to reflect hierarchy, the inertia of existing workplace standards, or short-term cost considerations.
