As open plan offices go, the one I visited today was nice. Substantially nicer than the long corridor with desks I worked in, many moons ago. Without a community and a vibe there, though, it held none of the attraction of that earlier office.

To survive, high street retail needs to do more than merely present what’s available online. Similarly, physical offices need to offer real advantages for people to come to them and thrive.

Imagination and coordination now determine the value in bringing people together. Administrative thinking can’t be paramount – creative thinking must lead our office futures, if there’s to be one.