10-best-workspaces

Tech's best workspace: Digg

Nicholas Carlson · 05/15/08 03:20PM

When we first listed tech's 10 best workspaces, we downplayed the importance of design and amenities. The crowd disagrees. It favors beer. Digg's beer, to be exact. 1,505 voted in our poll, and 28 percent chose the social news site's workspace and its fridge full of beverages as the best workspace in tech. Were the poll's results skewed because it hit the Digg front page? Possibly. But maybe second and third place finishers Pixar and Google should have thought about such consequences when they decided what businesses to get in. The full list, selected from Office Snapshots, ranked by readers:

Tech's top 10 workspaces

Nicholas Carlson · 05/06/08 08:00PM

What makes for an appealing workspace? The envelopes they leave in your mailbox every two weeks. But after that, it comes down to design and amenities. Also, we like windows and brick. Lots and lots of brick. After spending some time on Office Snapshots, we present the ten best-looking offices in tech, below.

Pixar

Nicholas Carlson · 05/06/08 07:55PM

Pixar's Emeryville headquarters look like a set from one of their movies, except the humans look real. Photos by Moriarty at Ain't it Cool News

Google Zürich

Nicholas Carlson · 05/06/08 07:55PM

Google's Zürich offices also have a fireman's pole.

Digg

Nicholas Carlson · 05/06/08 07:55PM

Digg's headquarters are in an unremarkable corner of San Francisco — but dugg for the office signs that look like Digg badges. And the beer.

Tocquigny

Nicholas Carlson · 05/06/08 07:55PM

They like right angles and clean surfaces at Austin-based interactive agency Tocquigny's offices. We do too. Photos by pierpont.communications

IAC

Nicholas Carlson · 05/06/08 07:55PM

Etsy

Nicholas Carlson · 05/06/08 07:55PM

Etsy founder Rob Kalin's BFF Martha Stewart would never approve of this workplace. It's much too unkempt. But we do, for its handmade feel and the huge window onto Brooklyn. Photos by Amit Gupta and mmmfiber

Gawker Media

Nicholas Carlson · 05/06/08 07:55PM

Nick Denton's new steampunk sweat shop on Elizabeth Street is the nicest in Nolita. (Full disclosure: I get to work there, and you don't.) Photos by Nick McGlynn

Netflix

Nicholas Carlson · 05/06/08 07:55PM

There's a movie theater at Netflix HQ. That and movie quotes from Dr. Strangelove will put you n this list every time. Photos by HackingNetflix

Six Apart

Nicholas Carlson · 05/06/08 07:55PM

With high ceilings, lots of brick and a bicycle garage, Six Apart's offices never remind engineers that they're contributing to global warming by helping General Motors sell cars. (Photos by Stephen)

Googleplex

Nicholas Carlson · 05/06/08 07:55PM

Most of the Googleplex is ugly — gray and corporate. But then there's the gym, swimming pools and vollyball courts. Photos by jyri, spanaut, FrameSniper and kikidonk