Happy 2007!
Here are some tips to make your work environment a success. In order of importance:

1. Keep it clean: As a student I worked in a restaurant for 4 years. We worked in an open kitchen, so there were no secrets, as the customers would be passing all the time. By allowing a full view into the kitchen (and even into the area where the dishes were done) we were open to the scrutiny, or better to quality control all the time. Was it any wonder that this restaurant was the most successful in town? I think the analogy makes more than sense for the office, keep it clean!

2. Keep it open: The analogy with the open kitchen in the restaurant makes sense in terms of keeping the office open as well. Ok, there are privacy laws ( Even in the kitchen we prepared our sauces etc…during the day when the restaurant was closed), but these laws should not stop you from keeping the office (to a certain degree) wide open. Offices should be filled with light and provide as much uninterrupted views as possible. If rooms need to be partitioned off, glass should be used as much as possible.

3. Storage, desk size: The smaller the desk, the less clutter will fit on it. The less storage you have the less unnecessary stuff you can keep. Work light!
4. Use an expert: to design and implement. Do I need to say more?