When designer Robert Propst introduced the cubicle to the workplace in the 1960s, he changed the American office for generations to come.
Although they were intended to make offices more open in feel and collaborative in nature, cubicles eventually came to be seen as oppressive and even demeaning to the employees tucked into them.
Now, however, many workers would gladly settle back into a cubicle (or better yet, a private office). The open workplace is everywhere in America these days, with employees sharing wide open spaces, often without even having their own dedicated spot at a desk or table. As several surveys have suggested, open offices are actually terrible for productivity and employee satisfaction.