the intent of creating an office environment that is pleasant to work in is rarely something that employees provide enough input into. I would argue that the side effect of making an office that disrespects some employees perferences is more than a "blind spot", it's a "I don't give a damn"

Examples: - talkative/noisy areas - lighting level - speakerphones/headphones/cellphone conversations - kitchen/ping pong/foosball noises - privacy/divider existence/divider height - personalization - lighting/glare/sunlight/color reproduction - start/stop/break schedule - "cool" versus "comfortable", "public" vs "private" - "corner office" versus "bull pen"

In my new office, I was given the choice to rank my preference from nine desks in a small area (group/team cluster, because "synergy"). I didn't even bother asking if I could sit closer to people I like or identify with (the parents of children at home subgroup).