I increasingly suspect visual and auditory noise are <i>symptoms</i> rather than problems. The underlying problem may boil down to this: while easy collaboration helps us be productive, having our own space also helps us be productive.<p>Here's an idea: every worker should get their own big desk, maybe an L-shaped one, with file cabinets and ample storage, and even shelves and walls behind the desk that they could put up memos, calendars, whatever. But they don't have to be completely walled-off little offices. Don't give them doors; don't make the walls go all the way to the ceiling. This would greatly reduce visual noise, and combined with good acoustic design for the rest of the office (as the article touches on), it would at the least cut down on auditory noise--and more importantly, it would make it so going over to talk to a coworker in person required just a little more effort than it does in an open office. Collaboration would still be pretty easy, but raising a <i>little</i> more barrier than the current fashion might improve concentration and, dare I say, the little bit of emotional boost that comes from having your own perceived space.<p>I'm not sure what we would call these purely hypothetical half-wall workspaces--these "cubicles," if you will--though....