The Future of Collaboration :: Making Every Place the Work Place
Anna Osgoodby Life + Design :: The Future of Collaboration :: Making Every Place the Work Place

One of the best parts of being an entrepreneur is the flexibility of my workplace. Some days it’s at a coworking space or a local coffee shop, others it’s at my home office, or, let’s be real, from the comfort of my couch. At the end of the day, though, my clients and the people I’m collaborating with care less about where I’m doing my work and more about the job at hand. As the way we define the term “workplace” continues to evolve, so will the way we do our actual work.  

Why? Because we’re in a period of change, and entrepreneurs and freelancers aren’t the only ones being impacted. In fact, a number of surveys involving knowledge workers suggest that many organizations are already making significant changes in preparation for the future workplace. That’s because diminishing employee satisfaction is found by organizations to be one of the biggest challenges they face.

Organizations are losing talent to those branching out on their own or to other opportunities that allow for more flexibility. In fact, employees who had the freedom to work remotely reported being the most satisfied, creative, and productive among those surveyed, which is why you’re seeing this dramatic shift. So how will this shape the way we work together and how we view the workplace?

Human Connection Still an Important Factor

In the future we may be spending less time in traditional offices, but collaboration will remain a necessity across industries. We may be taking advantage of technology more, but human connection isn’t going to be any less important. The shift instead will be focused on how we communicate. No longer is it necessary to come into an office every day to share ideas; instead, teams can now take advantage of collaborative software to work together on shared tasks. As a designer, communication is a key part of my job no matter where I’m working from. Not only do I need to make sure that the needs of my clients are being met on each design project, but I also need to be able to coordinate any other moving pieces in between teams affiliated with those projects.

New technology and the integration of AI will only help benefit this process and streamline the experience of working with remote teams. Now, talk about new technology and AI replacing humans may make for catchy headlines, but the truth is, we’re not going anywhere. Instead, the trend will be more on developing software to make the process of collaborating more seamless and integrating systems that allow us to be more productive remotely.

Collaborating Effectively as a Team

As we shift to more professionals working remotely, our need for productive collaborative tools increases. Some of the top tools that make my job easier are programs that combine project management, communication, and workflow. These tools help break down location barriers and allow my team to work together as if we were all in the same room. Having a digital hub for projects makes it easy for all team members to access the information they need and provide updates anywhere and anytime.

Of course, there’s always the issue of unproductive meetings, which are regularly cited as a top challenge in employee surveys. Utilizing software that streamlines processes not only increases people’s ability to be more successful at working remotely, but it can also increase the productivity of meetings. This is because the programs make it easy for all team members to see what’s been accomplished already, meaning less time is spent on progress reports and more on big-picture tasks.

The most effective programs and tools are those that allow you to forget about the fact that you’re working in different locations and just focus on the tasks at hand. By expanding the way we look at the workplace, not only will we be able to enjoy more flexibility in our work, but we’ll also open many doors to collaborative opportunities that wouldn’t be available in a traditional workplace setting.

Mobile-Optimized Experiences

As the shift to working remotely continues to expand, so will expectation for mobile-friendly experiences. Today we’re more attached to our mobile devices than ever before and with that, we’re also doing more work from our phones. As a designer, I can tell you that, in the last few years, my clients are more concerned about how their websites translate across platforms than about eye-catching designs. They want to make sure that their brand experiences are seamless no matter if people are looking at their website on a desktop, tablet, or cell phone, and I expect this trend to translate into collaborative tools as well.

As a millennial, I’ve grown up with technology at my fingertips and just as the workplace has become more digital, I expect the same from the tools I use. I want to use tools that help me get my job done faster and more efficiently, and I want them to be accessible and easy to use no matter what device I’m using. And I’m not the only one. By 2030, millennials will make up 75% of the workforce’s employees, and it’s critical that the programs we’re building today are designed with that in mind.

My closing point: we’re in the midst of a dramatic shift in the way we view the workplace and how we’ll work together moving forward. During this turning point it’s up to us to take advantage of the technology available to build powerful collaborative tools that maximize productivity and break down barriers of location. The workplace will no longer be defined by its location but rather by the work that is accomplished and the tools we use to do so.


**This post is brought to you by Cisco and IDG. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Cisco.

Get Rewarded this Season with Black Box Wines
Anna Osgoodby Life + Design : Get Rewarded this Season with Black Box Wines

If there's one thing that goes well with the holiday season, it's wine! Okay, let's be honest... are there many things that don't pair well with wine?! 🍷🍷 That's what I thought.. that being said, if you're a wine fan like me, then you are going to love today's post!

Anna Osgoodby Life + Design : Get Rewarded this Season with Black Box Wines

What could possibly be better than the holidays and wine? How about getting rewarded for the wine you're already buying! Say what?! Yes, this is a real thing. Black Box Wines recently introduced a loyalty program and I am alllll about it. 

So what are the dets? It's super easy, all you have to do is create a free account through their rewards program and then you can start earning points right away for your purchases and engaging with the brand. That's it! Easy peasy. So what can you earn rewards for? Product discounts, access to events, gift cards to top brands like Sephora, Uber, Hulu and more. Plus, they have some really awesome branded merchandise, like the goodies below!

Anna Osgoodby Life + Design : Get Rewarded this Season with Black Box Wines

I don't know about you, but personally, I'm all about saving up for the floaty set! Think my new apartment complex will be cool with me floating around sipping some of my favorite wine? I mean as long as I share right? I'll keep you posted 😉 The team also hooked me up with their portable wine glasses, which I most certainly will be putting to good use.

Anna Osgoodby Life + Design : Get Rewarded this Season with Black Box Wines
Anna Osgoodby Life + Design : Get Rewarded this Season with Black Box Wines

Now onto some other important details, the actual wine! If you're not familiar with Black Box Wines, then let me introduce you! The brand offers premium, award-winning wines in a box. And this is not your parent's cheap boxed wine either.. it's taking boxed wine to a new level! So far I've tried the Red Blend and the Rosé and I've been really impressed. Which btw, once the temps warm up again save this Frosé recipe I made this summer.. delicious!

Their wine is the perfect choice for the holidays too because each box holds 4 bottles worth of wine. Plus, it's good for up to 6 weeks after opening, just in case you don't finish it at your party. It also has half of the carbon footprint of glass bottles, which is something you might not think about when you uncork a bottle, but certainly has an impact!

So let me set this straight, the wine is delicious, you'll get rewarded for drinking it, plus it's a more eco-friendly option?! If that doesn't encourage you to check them out I don't know what will! So what are you waiting for? Get to that by clicking the link below! Cheers to that!


**Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. Black Box Wines provided me with a complimentary box of wine and set of wine glasses in exchange for a blog post. This post and all opinions stated are based on my own ideas and honest experience with the product and has not been influenced based upon the sponsorship.

Happy Halloween from the Farm
Anna Osgoodby Life + Design :: Happy Halloween from the Farm

Halloween has always been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. I'll skip the scary movies and haunted house but I am alllll about all the pumpkin patch, the costumes and, duh, the candy! 🎃🍭

Anna Osgoodby Life + Design :: Happy Halloween from the Farm

I was really excited for this Halloween too because I actually had a porch that I got to decorate plus we actually get trick or treaters here! Trick or treating isn't really a thing in the city, so it's been a hot minute since I've actually had kids knocking on my door.

Anna Osgoodby Life + Design :: Happy Halloween from the Farm

This year, I decided to use my move back to Washington as inspiration for my costume and take it back to the farm!I had so much fun with this one and it was pretty easy! Here's what you'll need if you want to recreate the look.

Supplies:

  • Tulle skirt as a base -- mine is from Space 46 Boutique (You could also make your own)
  • 1 yard of white tulle
  • 1/2 yard of black felt
  • 1 sheet of white and pink felt
  • Bell
  • Headband
  • White t-shirt
  • 1 roll of ribbon of your choice
  • faux foilage of your choice (I chose sunflowers and leaves)
  • Hot glue gun 
  • Sewing needle and transparent thread
Anna Osgoodby Life + Design :: Happy Halloween from the Farm
Anna Osgoodby Life + Design :: Happy Halloween from the Farm
Anna Osgoodby Life + Design :: Happy Halloween from the Farm

The first part of the costume I worked on was the headband, which was the most labor intensive part (which still isn't that bad!). I started with an old black headband I used the felt to start on the ears. I doubled up the felt so when wrapped around the headband and folded together they formed ears. Start with the white felt, and then you can use transparent thread to sew both ends together. You don't need to do any complicated stitching, just a simple mending job. Once you have your bases set, cut spots out of the black felt and add those on top followed by pink felt for the inside of the ears. Once your ears are complete, if you please, you can add some faux foilage like I did with a glue gun.

Anna Osgoodby Life + Design :: Happy Halloween from the Farm

The next step is the shirt! I went with an off-the-shoulder look, but you could totally just use a t-shirt of v-neck as is. If you'd like an off the shoulder look then you just need to cut an oval shape off of the top from each side of the shirt. Need up, cut out spots out of the black felt and add them to your t-shirt with hot glue. You could sew these spots, but hot glue worked great and it only has to stick for one maybe two nights anyways right?! If you use a glue gun, I suggest putting a piece of cardboard inside the shirt so you don't glue it together. Then I finished off the top by tying a ribbon on each sleeve.

For the skirt, I used a pink tulle skirt I had as a base and then I added a white tulle apron to the front that I added spots on. For this, I got 1 yard of tulle and cut it into long strips. Double it up to the length you want it to be and tie a little knot at the top. Then take your ribbon, wrap it around your waist and cut the length that allows you to tie it in a bow. Once your ribbon is cut, find the center and hot glue each of your tulle strips in the center. Then you can cut some more black spots and lightly hot glue those to the front of the tulle. To finish off the skirt, I took some more of my faux foliage and glued it to the corner of the front.

Last but not least, I took my bell and added it to the same ribbon used throughout for my necklace. I also had a little extra so I made a little leaf bracelet as well.

Anna Osgoodby Life + Design :: Happy Halloween from the Farm

And wa-lah, Halloween costume! Of course, no cow is complete without a baby cow! That's right, Scoots got in on the action too! I swear he liked his costume more than he looks like he did 😂 He definitely liked all the trick or treaters though, that's for sure! All and all, it was a great Halloween! Hope everyone had a fun holiday as well!