But didn't they make the office even worse by going from cubicle to open office? Often less space per person, less privacy, noise travels further, visual distractions, etc...
Yeah, that happened. It went from your own tiny cube to an open space with no guaranteed seating. I had already stopped decorating my cube way before this trend, but it seems even more shitty. I am really glad I've been working remotely for the past decade. I have no idea what new offices are like (left offices in 2012).
Yeah, I never expected to feel nostalgic for cubes.