[IshKebab]

I work in an open office and it is clearly more collaborative than if we were all in separate rooms. You can easily talk to people about things and interested parties often overhear and join the discussion when they wouldn't have even known it was happening otherwise.

Also, being honest, I'd totally waste more time browsing the news if I had my own office.

The key is:

1. Have plenty of space per person. We have big desks and are only at about 60% occupancy at the moment.

2. Don't make the offices enormous. I'd say never more than 100 people in one room. Ideally less.

3. Good acoustics. Carpets are essential.

I used to work for Dyson and they had 1000 people (no joke, I counted) in one enormous office (actually it was a repurposed factory building) with no sound absorbing material at all and it was awful. Current company is just insanely better.

The only issue I have is there is one guy with a really loud and penetrating voice... But it's not a deal breaker.