Laura Pausewang

As work and leisure are no longer considered as separate topics, companies no matter which size have to adapt to the needs of the new workforce. Blurred lines between leisure and work make it challenging for companies to adapt. The workplace is the most difficult place to change as it has to fit to humans with different backgrounds, cultures and ages. The most important value for people in a workplace is to feel secure and safe plus it should be highly engaging and motivating. Three aspects are forming the new way we want to work: the space itself, cultures and technology. Values and jobs have changed in the last years and more humans are working in creative and collaborative fields. Thus a workplace needs to serve to those changes. We discovered two workplace trends for the future:

Wellbeing

Feeling homely while at work is an essential need for millennials and future office workers. Companies such as Airbnb and Google react to those demands by offering homely interiors, quit spaces, couches, green oases and this feeling of being at home while at work. 9-5 working hours also don’t serve the beliefs of the new generation of work-changers. Flexible working patterns and home offices are on the increase. Lifelong learning is thereby the ultimate goal for millennials.  

Productivity

By 2020 five generations will be working together. This is not only a challenge for companies but also an opportunity. Companies can profit from a diversity of backgrounds, habits and an exchange in knowledge and skills. Reverse mentoring will be taken on new significance. To keep the new workforce engaged, companies need to adapt to the wishes of each generation. Speaking about productivity in the work place, co-working spaces such as Mindspace and WeWork benefit from an increase in members and therefore open up more locations throughout the world. These co-working members are not only freelancers and start-up’s but also established companies who want to breathe the fresh air of innovations. As working patterns become more adjustable, co-working spaces serve to those needs of flexibility. 

For the new generation of office workers it’s necessary to provide calm and break-out areas to refresh one’s mind, to create working spaces where humans can feel at home and to grant as much freedom as possible to keep them engaged and productive.

In a saturated work world, highly qualified millennials who don’t feel fulfilled by 9-5 office jobs are striving for more meaning in their life. This trend towards doing something by hand has become more than just a hobby. Whilst working in jobs in the fields of marketing, consulting or finance, individuals feel the need of authentically contributing to society. Doing something with their own hands give them pleasure and allows them to connect with their real “me”. The word “me-time” became a synonym for an important value: the value to be in harmony with oneself.  

Hand activities from drawing, doing pottery, gardening and cooking decreases one’s stress level, relieves individuals from anxiety and allows them to be really present. Creativity seems to be the holy grail to lead a meaningful life. Other than that young people enjoy being surrounded by like-minded people who share the same interests and passion. The following activities have become increasingly popular within the millennial community:

Meet ups

Meet ups have become an important event that brings people together. Whether it is the interest in specific things, adventures or sport disciplines, meet ups are the way to connect with like-minded others. Multiple platforms offer free up to date group meet ups in capital cities around the globe.

Yoga & Pilates

Yoga and Pilates are seen as the ultimate well-being methods to fully relax but also to value the fun aspect of it. The boom of it doesn’t seem to end and young people are getting more interested into classical sport activities such as climbing.

Gardening

Gardening has become a social utility for young people and is a way for them to re-connect with nature. Urban gardening turns abandoned spaces into green city oases. Planting has an environmental impact and contributes to the balance of nature. 

Pottery

Due to the return of activities done by hands, the interest in pottery and ceramics has been rising. It might be the beauty of imperfection that comes along with handmade ceramics that gains popularity within the circle of millennials.

Driven by the fact that almost half of the American adult population suffer from mental illness, Anxy magazine depictures in a beautifully-designed way our inner and outer worlds. Launched on Kickstarter in September 2016 this magazine showcases real life stories, reports, visual stories and interviews with creatives on their personal struggles, fears and believes.

However this isn’t a therapist’s journal, it is for everyone of us, who feels “weird” in a seemingly pretty normal world. This paper won’t give you tips on how to fix your inner issues, it is simply a tool to communicate and visualise your fears and struggle.

This topic isn’t necessarily new as wellness and mindfulness have gained cultural currency in today’s hectic world and this topic also addresses another trend that is happening right now: Indie publications are a big thing as they have a wide audience and people want to support them. It is the counter-reaction to a fast paced and overconsuming society. People seek more time away from their screens and want to connect with objects, friends and the real world.

Anxy not only motivates each individual to spend more time in the real world, it also embraces creativity and calls for a shift in society. Founder and Creative Director Indhira Rojas mission is to reduce the stigma around mental health conversations and to integrate them in our daily lives.

Each issue of Anxy focuses on a theme such as boundaries or loneliness to build an original and insightful perspective. The first issue is all about anger as it comes in so many different facades. It can be a spontaneous reaction, mental, physical, emotional or as a quiet or loud anger. Anger is part of being human. Go explore yourself, that’s Anxy’s mission.

A new restaurant in hip Berlin Mitte is discovering a new approach to shape our food industry. The aim of the newly opened Hermann’s on Torstraße 118 is to connect people who invent and produce food with those who sell and buy it. So far there is little to no connection between them that’s why humans can’t really grasp the meaning of an intact food ecosystem.

Collaboration is the magic word to build trustful relationships with each other and to keep the industry running in a sustainable way. As a daughter of a large corporate company, Hermann’s is here to start a food revolution. They call themselves as the food industry’s futuristic sidekick. In a world where around two billion people are overweight and on the contrary 800 people suffer from food shortage something has to change.  

But Hermann’s is not only a café with a beautifully designed interior. It’s much rather a place where opportunities are awaiting for each individual. No matter if you’re a food innovator, a chef, a food distributor or just a foodie, this place is for you all to connect with each other and to build honest and fair partnerships to create products and services for the future consumer.

The interior at Hermann’s is pure and minimalistic inspired by Scandinavian lifestyle. The Café works as an all-day restaurant, event location, test kitchen and film studio in one. It invites you to to hang out at one of the cozy chairs, get inspired by the people you meet, to create new ideas together and to simply communicate with each other.

The outstanding food is another plus. Dishes are tailored to please all of today’s mindset towards food. Comfort food and carefully selected ingredients are the basis of the menu. Enjoy an amaranth porridge topped with coconut flakes and seasonal fruits in the morning or a  summer salad topped with spicy granola for lunch. Hermann’s really caters to anyone.

Let’s stay curious how the food revolution at Hermann’s will shape our food industry.