Here is a selection of the most interesting submissions which describe coworking in 100 words:
Coworking takes the benefits of a traditional office as a point of productivity and social interaction and takes out the politics and drama. When done right, a coworking space becomes a place where every interaction is an organic opportunity to make valuable connections both personal and professional. It’s a place where collaborations and the exchange of ideas and resources across multiple disciplines fuels the energetic community and stimulates the mutual growth of businesses.
Coworking not only inspires but it encourages business relationships, friendships, collaborative education, and connectivity through shared camaraderie and the desire among the community to help each other.
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Coworking is putting your pants on, grabbing your laptop, leaving the procrastination‐hole you call your home‐office behind and moving on to a productive environment. It’s a place where you are surrounded by people, Wi‐Fi and coffee. It’s a place where you get motivated by the mere presence of productivity.
It’s where you meet like‐minded people with different skills and backgrounds. Coworking is where everyone does their own thing in the same space until they do it together. It’s where your social network is REAL. It’s teaching, learning and sharing. It’s where ideas go to grow. It’s where dreams go to become reality.
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Coworking is freedom. The freedom to experiment. The freedom to make mistakes.The freedom to learn. The freedom to develop. The freedom to fail. The freedom to find your way. A physical manifestation of Web 2.0, coworking is also a poke in the eye for all those who grumble that modern computer technology is creating a cold world devoid of personal interaction. Modern computer technology is a tool, and like any tool it can be used incorrectly. Coworking is using digital tools according to the manual to help maximise potential, reduce waste, pool resources and give us all the freedom to experiment, to make mistakes...
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Coworking is both a need and a Utopia. A new kind of entrepreneurs is looking for a both stimulating and friendly working space . “Coworking” has emerged from a simple idea: do what you want, with people you like and earn your living so. Indeed, since you get your desk and your internet access… what you need next is stimulation, emulation, advices, friends and networking. Through coworking , a community of workers emerges, sharing the same needs and interests, and keeping this community alive is the next challenge of coworking spaces.
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Coworking is the sharing of space in a community format that supports productivity and mutual affection for coffee breaks. In large warehouses with limitless internet connections, young professionals of good fashion sense arrive daily, their brains brimming with creativity, to embrace their individual tasks of the day. The free exchange of ideas and retro-cool business cards gives birth to a new era of productivity and possibilities: A seam where local fuses with global, and inspiration collides with innovation. And possibly a conflict or two about whether David Bowie or Mazzy Star is the better choice of rainy day music.
Coworking is a sphere for creative ideas and a healthy work environment. Much as the Internet has become more social, coworking environments are mimicking the idea of breaking down walls between working individuals. Unlike the traditional solution for independent workers and freelancers of renting an office with a four walls and a door, the coworking environment welcomes social contact, new ideas and even discussion. This concept is especially popular with young start-up founders or freelancers to network, bounce off ideas and without having to leave their engaging working environment.
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Coworking is another modern phenomenon where people can share a space to work, or have a platform to share opinions. The 21st century has become an era of independent thinking when it comes to business. More people are working from home - free from the conventions of office spaces and commuting. With the rise of the internet, people only need a laptop to sell products on their website, use Skype for logistics, and develop social media platforms for marketing purposes.
But people don't want to feel isolated working at home alone, and they still want to exchange ideas. Perhaps their local coffee shop isn't the best place for working - distractions beat their ability to focus.
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Coworking in different settings can mean many different things. The fixed hierarchy work structure that has well characterized the 20th c. is being substituted more and more by a fluid company structure, and the concept of "liquidity" has more and more reaffirmed itself as a new definition of modern day's monetary and social activities, as was first described in Bauman's sociological theses.
In fact, from an etymological point of view, the prefix "co" originates from Latin, in the form of com- , and can be found in the English language from 17c. as a living prefix meaning “together, mutually, in common". In its most positive definition it can reflect a symbiotic work-relationship based on mutual dependancy and "flat hierarchy", present in many of today's start-up companies' job adverts. Nevertheless, the freelance work regime in which much of the new occupational professional and somewhat also non-professional work-force is being driven towards, is not necessarily free from critique.
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Nov 6, 2013: This article was published when forming a new team for Deskmag a year ago, after seperating Deskmag from our former sister site Deskwanted. We wanted to work from a coworking space, not in a corporate office of Deskwanted's investor. We also wanted to secure our editorial independence, rather than becoming a Deskwanted blog which didn't make sense for any site. As reaction, the work for Deskmag was harmfully disturbed by Deskwanted's investor for months. Thanks to you, we can go on with our work! You still can support our crowdfunding campaign. We also appreciate your participation in our running Global Coworking Survey.
We have published the quotes of some applicants we have worked with this year. If you would like to write for Deskmag as a freelance writer or guest writer, just pitch your story via
