I've become slightly obsessed about the way development teams' seating arrangements are laid out. In particular, I've developed a horror of a particular kind of cubicle layout where a team sits together, but with their backs to each other. What are we trying to do - encircle something that needs defending from an enemy?
As a wild (but recognisable) generalisation, most engineers could do with talking together more rather than less, and a little more eye contact would often be a good thing. Putting a barrier between people sends a signal that you don't want them to talk. The simple change of having desks face each other means it's a lot easier for people to talk to each other - a 180 degree manoeuvre to join in a chat might not be exactly onerous, but it's a little bit of unnecessary friction.
And developers can't concentrate in a room full of sales guys making load phone calls. Just sayin'.
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