Technology Record - Issue 22: Autumn 2021

105 W hat does a hybrid space look like in the new normal? Our previous office is gone. Team members have the option of working at home when it makes sense to get their heads down and jump into in-depth writ- ing, coding or design work. Microsoft Teams has become our virtual plat- form of choice for global meetings that used to take place around the table in our conference room or after a flight to a client’s headquarters. The technology has resulted in less travel and faster response time. However, much of our work at CraneMorley requires collaborative design in 3D space. This never fit the office very well, and it hasn’t worked well at home... yet. To combat this, we have blown out walls to make room for mixed reality spatial design in multiple studios, whether it be for a live, global presentation through Dynamics 365 Remote Assist or the development of an immersive Guides course, sporting ‘head up, hands free’ skills transfer. There is also the opportunity for large-scale discovery learning, which gives learners x-ray- like vision into complex products and enhances learning, while saving time by avoiding the need to physically deconstruct the equipment. Lucky for us, just blocks away from our new office is a historic blimp hangar which you may have seen before in Tustin, California, for the worldwide introduction of the Chevrolet Corvette, or a recent Kia commercial, where a racing circuit was created inside it. Although we don’t own it, Studio D is ready and waiting for large scale action. And we do have some office space – hedging our bets, we’ve tucked it away on the second floor, just in case. Some of our team members still prefer coming here to work. CraneMorley has embraced the new normal with a hybrid work environment that we believe is better than before, achieving some benefit from the Covid-19 tragedy. We are learning new ways to optimise this hybrid model every day and are happy to share our success. Thomas Pratt is president at CraneMorley A better way to work CraneMorley has embraced hybrid working, with Microsoft Teams and mixed reality giving it the ability to collaborate in 3D THOMA S P RAT T : C RANEMOR L E Y V I EWPO I NT “Microsoft Teams has become our virtual platform of choice... the technology has resulted in less travel and faster response time”