The House that Bloomberg Built

Admittedly, Bloomberg's wild kingdom is not a prototype that other businesses should ape. But that's just the point. Savvy strategic planners contemplating changes in their own office should take heed: don't be seduced by other people's solutions or by the latest in conventional wisdom. Creating an office that will embody the spirit of your enterprise isn't as simple a matter as copying Jay Chiat's virtual quiet zone or Bloomberg's raucous boombox.

In the age of mass customization, the secret to workplace design is to customize your own space. First think through the precise nature of your own business. How do you expect your people to do their work differently? What kind of design will capture that difference, contribute to it, and leverage it? Then don't be afraid to break ranks and design the one-of-a-kind workspace that will make it easier for your people to get the job done.

Nancy Hass has written about the media for the "New York Times" Magazine, "Newsweek," and "The Economist." She teaches journalism at New York University.