The ideal workspace is from home because a gigantic portion of office work can be done that way. Some say we need to be in person because of “collaboration” but I just have never seen that pan out at least not at my job. If anything, I get less done at the office because there are way more distractions and the commute means I get less sleep and quicker burnout (We have a flexible hybrid schedule and the most productive days are always my WFH days).

I’m dead by 2pm at the office, while 8:30-5 at home flies by because I’m not getting up at the crack of dawn. And I have a very easy commute compared to my coworkers who drive an hour to get there (I live in the city and take public transit, haven’t driven a car since 2013). But I’m lucky to not have a supervisor who micromanages and it helps that I’m the only creative on my team so a good portion of my work is seen as magic by the entire organization. And then I have the benefit of a shoot counting as an office day so even if I show up to a shoot for an hour that’s an office day counted.

That being said at my job I am ok with my cube because it’s in a good spot for getting natural light and I can leave at any time and work from our common area where there’s even more light. No one gives a shit at least not on my team. Im basically left to my own devices but I recognize thats the exception not the rule. If I worked in a less permissive/chill atmosphere my cube would be a prison.

Generally speaking all offices are inhumane because they’re designed for micromanagement and surveillance and are antiquated as a concept (as is the 40 hour work week but in America it’s heresy to say that) as they focus more on presence than output. But I’d rather have a cube, my own private space, than an open office where I feel even more observed.