What Is the Difference Between Open Workstations and Individual Workstations? How to Choose

If the team mainly relies on collaboration and rapid communication, choose open workstations; if positions require long periods of focused work or handling confidential information, choose individual workstations. The key is not which one is more advanced, but whether it matches the team’s way of working and space density.

1. Comparison Overview

The core difference between the two is not “whether there is a screen” but the way space is organized: open workstations use shared long countertops and low partitions to organize multiple people into a collaborative unit; individual workstations use screens to enclose defined boundaries, dividing each position into a relatively independent work area. First, the overview:

Dimension	Open Workstations	Individual Workstations (Screen Workstations)
Space efficiency	Shared countertops and low partitions, more workstations per unit area	Screen thickness + aisle space, fewer workstations per unit area
Collaboration convenience	Short communication distance, fast information flow	Physical barriers, communication usually requires standing up
Concentration	Easily interrupted, requires supporting focus areas or focus pods	Sightlines blocked, concentration relatively better
Privacy and confidentiality	Weak, not suitable for handling sensitive information	Better, can be equipped with lockable cabinets and screen shielding
Acoustic performance	Obvious human voice interference, requires sound absorption and noise reduction measures	Screens can improve it, but panel screens have limited sound insulation
Flexibility	Modular, faster to expand and reconfigure	Disassembly and modification usually require professional installation
Cost per workstation	Less material used, usually lower	More screens, hardware, and wiring, usually higher
Cable management	Shared cable trays, centralized management	Wiring inside screens, more flexible points
Daylighting and ventilation	Open and transparent, good daylighting	High screens may block daylight
Typical applications	Collaborative teams, rapid expansion periods	Focus-intensive, confidentiality-intensive positions

This table can only provide direction. What really determines the choice is three conditions: how much time positions spend collaborating each day, how much time requires deep focus, and whether the team will need frequent expansion in the coming year. Once these three are ranked, the answer is usually clear.

2. Item-by-Item Comparison

2.1 Space Efficiency: Not “Who Saves More Area” but “Where the Savings Are”

Open workstations connect countertops into one unit and reduce screens to low partitions or eliminate them, so space outside aisles is basically converted into workstations, meaning more seats can fit in the same floor area; individual workstations have fewer workstations per unit area due to screen thickness, enclosed corner spaces, and wider aisles.

However, “more workstations” does not equal “higher space efficiency.” Open layouts often require additional focus pods, phone booths, and storage areas, and this area must be included in the total calculation. When calculating, it is recommended to compare based on the total area of “workstations + supporting collaboration/focus space” rather than only comparing the footprint of a single desk.

2.2 Collaboration Efficiency: Open Layouts Win on Distance, Lose on Interruptions

The advantage of open layouts is a short communication radius—a question can be clarified by turning around—making them suitable for teams that require high-frequency synchronization, such as product, operations, and sales. The cost is that everyone is more easily interrupted, and positions whose deep work requires continuous time blocks will be affected.

Individual workstations do not prevent collaboration; rather, they shift collaboration to meeting rooms and discussion areas. If the team itself has many meetings and high discussion density, individual workstations make “stand up—find a meeting room—come back” a daily cost.

2.3 Focus and Privacy: Individual Workstations Offer Greater Certainty

Individual workstations create visual boundaries through screens, and with lockable cabinets can handle sensitive materials such as contracts, HR, and finance; even if open workstations are equipped with low screens, desktop contents remain exposed to nearby sightlines, and handling private information requires additional shielding or turning away.

If the company’s business involves sensitive information such as customer data, compensation, or bidding, prioritize configuring individual workstations for these positions rather than making partial shielding in the entire open area.

2.4 Acoustics: Screens Block Sightlines, Not Sound

The main complaint in open office areas is noise, and the source of noise is usually not equipment but human voices. Screens at individual workstations can block sightlines and weaken some direct sound, but ordinary panel screens have limited sound insulation and cannot replace soundproof rooms; high screens also bring side effects on daylighting and ventilation.

A more effective order for acoustic treatment is: first control the sound source (phone booths, focus pods), then treat the transmission path (acoustic ceilings, carpets, acoustic screens), and only finally consider raising screen height. For screen dimensions and structural safety, refer to GB/T 22792.1-2009 “Office Furniture — Screens — Part 1: Dimensions” and GB/T 22792.3-2008 “Office Furniture — Screens — Part 3: Test Methods”; for specific product selection, see the composition and acceptance points of screen workstations.

2.5 Flexibility and Reconfiguration: Open Layouts Are More Suitable for Fast-Changing Teams

Open workstations are usually modular systems; countertops, screens, and cable trays can be disassembled and reconfigured, and expansion only requires adding a group of seats; individual workstations consist of screens, countertops, side cabinets, and hardware connectors, and disassembly and modification require professional installation, with higher reconfiguration costs.

If the team’s headcount changes by more than 30% within a year, or if project-based adjustments are frequent, the long-term cost of open layouts (or open layouts + flexible workstations) is usually lower; if the team size is stable and position boundaries are clear, configuring individual workstations all at once is more worry-free.

2.6 Cost: Lower Cost per Workstation, but Total Cost Depends on Supporting Facilities

Looking only at furniture procurement, open workstations use less material per workstation and are usually priced lower than screen-based individual workstations; however, open layouts require focus pods, phone booths, acoustic materials, and storage cabinets, and this investment is easily omitted. Individual workstations have a higher cost per workstation but fewer supporting requirements, so the total account may actually be closer.

When comparing quotations, it is recommended to calculate “workstation furniture + acoustic treatment + storage + focus space” as one package rather than only comparing the unit price per workstation.

2.7 Cable Management and Equipment: Operational Differences Between the Two Layouts

Open workstations generally share long cable trays, with power and data cables concentrated under the desktop, and point adjustments require overall planning; individual workstations hide wiring inside screens, making it more flexible to add or remove circuits for a single workstation. For both, it is recommended to separate power and data cables, retain an independent junction box for each workstation, and check one by one against the point layout during acceptance.

2.8 Daylighting and Ventilation: The Hidden Cost of High Screens

Open layouts provide better daylighting and air circulation, which is one reason many companies choose open layouts; if individual workstations have screens that are too high, natural light is blocked between workstations, and seats near the interior tend to be darker. For daylighting, ventilation, and aisle requirements of office buildings, refer to the industry standard “Standard for Design of Office Buildings” JGJ/T 67-2019; when laying out, leave the daylighting side for workstations rather than partitions.

3. How to Choose for Different Scenarios

3.1 Internet and Software R&D Teams

R&D positions require long periods of continuous focus, but the team also needs rapid synchronization. A more prudent approach is a hybrid of “open area + focus area”: use low-screen open workstations for daily coding, and use focus pods or small individual rooms for deep work, rather than choosing one for the entire floor.

3.2 Sales, Customer Service, and Operations Teams

These teams have high collaboration density and many phone calls. Open layouts help drive each other, but phone noise can interfere; it is recommended to use acoustic screens or acoustic ceilings in open areas and set up phone booths; positions such as call centers where employees wear headsets for long periods are more suitable for individual workstations with screens or semi-enclosed workstations.

3.3 Functional Positions Such as Finance, Legal, and HR

For positions handling contracts, compensation, and customer privacy, prioritize individual workstations and equip them with lockable mobile cabinets; if they must be placed in an open area, at least ensure the screen height can block desktop contents and do not arrange them beside main aisles.

3.4 Companies in Rapid Expansion

When headcount and departments are still changing, open workstations have lower expansion and reconfiguration costs; infrastructure (floor cabling, network points, lighting) can first be reserved to the upper limit, while furniture is configured according to the current headcount, avoiding buying everything at once and then dismantling and modifying.

3.5 Finance, State-Owned Enterprises, and Traditional Industries

These organizations usually have clear position boundaries and high confidentiality requirements, so the proportion of individual workstations is higher; open layouts can be used for collaboration areas, reception areas, and temporary project team offices, forming a combination of “individual workstations as the mainstay, open layouts as supplementary.”

4. Conditional Recommendations

If…	Then…
The team mainly relies on collaboration and rapid communication, with deep work done in meeting rooms	Mainly open workstations, with about 1 focus pod or phone booth per 10 people (empirical ratio, adjust according to actual collaboration intensity)
Positions spend more than 2 hours on the phone per day	Prioritize semi-enclosed workstations or individual workstations with acoustic screens, and set up phone booths
Handling sensitive information such as customer privacy, finance, and HR	Individual workstations + lockable cabinets, avoid arranging beside main circulation routes
Expected to expand headcount by more than 30% within a year	Choose modular open systems, reserve infrastructure to the upper limit
Limited budget but want to accommodate focus	Mainly open layouts; first list acoustic treatment and focus area budgets separately and do not divert them
Already fitted out as open plan but want to add individual workstations later	First check cable points, fire escape routes, and daylighting, then evaluate the cost of screen disassembly/modification and reuse

5. Common Misconceptions (Counter-Answers)

Misconception 1: Open layouts are definitely cheaper

Fact: Open-plan workstation furniture is usually cheaper per workstation, but acoustic treatment, focus pods, and storage cabinets are additional investments; if omitted, the total cost may approach or even exceed that of individual workstations.

Recommendation: Compare prices as a package of “furniture + acoustics + storage + focus space.”

Misconception 2: Individual workstations are definitely quieter

Fact: Screens mainly block sightlines and some direct sound; ordinary panel screens have limited sound insulation, and high screens cannot replace soundproof rooms.

Recommendation: When quiet is needed, prioritize sound source control and sound absorption treatment rather than simply raising screen height.

Misconception 3: Open plan means no partitions at all

Fact: Low screens, plants, furniture enclosures, and changes in floor materials can all create boundaries in an open layout; open plan emphasizes “shared space,” not “zero partitions.”

Recommendation: Use combinations of low screens and furniture to divide clusters; this makes noise easier to manage than a completely partition-free floor.

Misconception 4: The higher the screen, the better the workstation

Fact: Screen height must match the position and space; screens that are too high affect daylighting, ventilation, and collaboration, and also increase disassembly and modification costs.

Recommendation: Choose low screens for collaborative positions and medium-to-high screens for focus positions, and confirm before procurement that screen dimensions and structural safety comply with relevant standards.

6. Wenyi Furniture’s Configuration Experience

In open office area projects, Wenyi Furniture usually first zones by the phone time and collaboration intensity of positions, then decides which areas use open workstations and which use individual workstations, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach for the entire floor: phone-intensive positions are placed near phone booths, positions requiring focus are kept away from main circulation routes, and collaborative teams are placed in areas with better daylighting. This preserves the space efficiency of open layouts while reducing the probability of later “re-renovation.”

7. FAQ

Q1: What size of team are open workstations suitable for?

A: It has less to do with headcount and more to do with the way of working. A 20-person collaborative team can be fully open, while a 200-person R&D team is better suited to a hybrid of “open area + focus area.” The criterion is the ratio of collaboration time to focus time for positions, not the company headcount.

Q2: Are individual workstations definitely quieter than open layouts?

A: Not necessarily. Screens can block sightlines and weaken some direct sound, but sound insulation depends on screen material, sealing, and spatial sound absorption treatment. If noise mainly comes from phone calls and discussions, individual workstations can only improve local conditions and still require phone booths and sound absorption measures.

Q3: If it has already been made open plan, can individual workstations be added later?

A: Yes, but first check three things: whether floor cable points support new workstations, whether fire escape route widths still meet requirements, and the cost of screen disassembly/modification and furniture reuse. It is recommended to reserve 10%–15% flexible workstations or focus areas (empirical value) during the initial layout to leave room for subsequent adjustments.

8. Sources/References

GB/T 22792.1-2009 “Office Furniture — Screens — Part 1: Dimensions” — Main dimensions of office screens
GB/T 22792.3-2008 “Office Furniture — Screens — Part 3: Test Methods” — Test methods for dimensions, general safety requirements, and structural safety requirements
GB 18580-2025 “Indoor Decorating and Renovating Materials — Limit of Formaldehyde Emission from Wood-Based Panels and Their Products” — Substrate E₁ grade ≤0.124mg/m³, product E₀ grade ≤0.050mg/m³, implemented from June 1, 2026
GB 50222-2017 “Code for Fire Prevention in Design of Interior Decoration of Buildings” — Classification of combustion performance of interior decoration materials in public buildings
JGJ/T 67-2019 “Standard for Design of Office Buildings” — Layout, daylighting, ventilation, and aisle requirements for office buildings

Compiled by Wenyi Furniture based on national standards and industry practice