Herman Miller's "Action Office"

Herman Miller is credited with the invention of the office cubicle (originally known as the "Action Office II") in 1968 under then-director of research Bob Propst.

One of Herman Miller's first major projects was an evaluation of the "office" as it had evolved during the 20th century, and in particular, how it functioned in the 1960s, Propst's studies included learning about the ways people work in an office, how information travels, and how the office layout affects their performance. Propst consulted with Michigan State University psychologists Terry Allen and Carl Frost; Joan Evans, a British scholar of ornament and pattern; Robert Sumner, an investigator of the effects of different spaces on mental health; and anthropologist Edward Hall, whose book "The Silent Language" had been published in 1959, as well as other specialists, including mathematicians, and behavioral psychologists Propst concluded from his studies that during the 20th century the office environment had changed substantially, particularly in relation to the amount of information being processed. The amount of information an employee had to analyze, organize, and maintain had increased dramatically. Despite this, the basic layout of the corporate office had remained largely unchanged, with employees sitting behind rows of traditional desks in a large open room, devoid of privacy. Propst's studies suggested that an open environment actually reduced communication between employees, and impeded personal initiative. On this, Propst commented "One of the regrettable conditions of present day offices is the tendency to provide a formula kind of sameness for everyone." In addition, the employee's bodies were suffering from long hours of sitting in one position. Propst concluded that office workers require both privacy and interaction, depending on which of their many duties they were performing.