Member Article

Back to the Future Day

Back to the Future Day – were Marty McFly and Doc Brown all wrong about what the future had in store?

Setting the clock to October 21st 2015, the now infamous date Marty McFly and Doc Brown crashed the future with their DeLorean and opened up a world of discussion about Zemeckis’ vision of the future. We might still be awaiting the arrival of flying cars and time machines, but the 1985 predictions weren’t all so wildly inaccurate – Google Glass and Apple’s iPad are certainly reminiscent of the tech Back to the Future imagined.

Remembering the film with fondness, Stonebridge, a contemporary, fully serviced office space solution operating in Leeds and Manchester, takes a look at how Marty’s world would have evolved from the 50s to the present day (if he were to ever work in an office, which he probably wouldn’t…)

Efficiency

A solid wooden desk cluttered with files and stationery versus a clean, minimal, paperless workspace – we know what we’d rather have. Whilst having your own desk was standard practise in the 50s, modern offices make the best use of space, seating multiple people - allowing teams to work in tandem, fostering working relationships and nurturing creativity.

Technology

Whilst some in the 50s were lucky enough to have typewriters, these presented a whole host of problems - sticking keys, paper not feeding as well as the carriage inevitably skipping when you need it most, to name but a few. Fast forward to 2015 and the differences are astounding – environmental concerns mean paper is almost non-existent, or at least used as little as possible, and employees use just one machine to perform multiple functions. No longer are desks cluttered with paper but exist alongside smartphones and computers. The trusty leather bound notebook is replaced by online calendars synced with your phone, your tablet and your computer.

Comfort

We reckon Marty would have been impressed by the leaps and bounds made in design on all fronts, because we love new initiatives to incorporate community space, break out rooms and creative environments into the work place, which fly in the space of the stagnant, male-dominated offices of the 50s. On that note, one last thing - surely air conditioning has to be the greatest success for keeping comfy? Whether 30°C or -5°C, the office can always be maintained at a steady 21°C (although you’ll probably still see the ladies turning that thermostat up while the men battle to keep it down!).

Advances in technology and design may have beaten Marty’s predictions in many ways, so we’ll be enjoying Back to the Future Day safe in the knowledge that 2015 wasn’t quite how Zemeckis imagined.

Stonebridge Offices gives your company the very best opportunity to succeed whilst minimising your risk, offering fully serviced offices in a variety of locations in Manchester and Leeds, available on flexible lease terms. Beautifully designed to meet the needs of the modern business, Stonebridge Offices allows your business to develop and change according to supply and demand.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Richard Savage .