Winner of the ‘My Inspiring Workplace’ photo contest 2013

May 21, 2013 Updated: September 12, 2022 by

Image of Anna and a Herman Miller SAYL chairIf you missed the live announcement during the final hour of Digital Workplace 24, here’s the big news: the winner of the 2013 “My Inspiring Workplace” photo contest is Anna Granholm-Brun and her entry “Office one day, out to sea the next”.

Not only does Anna (@annacbrun) now have the prestige of this fine award, she’ll also be taking possession of a new Herman Miller SAYL chair – one of the most sleek, modern and environmentally friendly office chairs available.

Herman Miller, a world leader in furniture design and sustainability, sponsored the contest and is shipping the beautiful SAYL chair directly to Anna’s door.

About Anna & her photo entry

Anna's contest-winning photo

Anna Granholm-Brun’s winning photo, from the bridge of a Maersk cargo ship

Anna is the Corporate Brand Manager for Maersk Group, a shipping and energy company with over 100,000 employees in more than 100 countries.

Her entry was a panoramic photo taken from the bridge of a Maersk cargo ship, a location a bit different to her usual office. Anna usually works in an office in Denmark, but occasionally spends time on Maersk ships. In her words:

“To keep our digital content relevant and our social communities constantly engaged with us, sometimes I need to head out to where the real action is, both onshore and offshore.”

Why did Anna win?

While Anna’s photo doesn’t offer the same picturesque beauty as some of the other contest entries, it does exemplify two ideals that sit at the heart of intranets and the broader digital workplace:

  1. Flexible working
  2. User-centred design.

What’s more flexible than working on a ship in the middle of the ocean?! Anna has the flexibility and tools to leave her desk and go work from the bridge of an enormous ship. She can go to where frontline employees are working and do her job from that location.

And her focus on paying attention to and connecting with frontline employees is at the very core of good design. The best intranet managers are what we call “workplace anthropologists”. They spend their time studying employees’ daily work in order to discover what people need. Then they test out ways the intranet can help those people do their jobs more easily.

This approach is even more important for designing enterprise mobile apps and building a digital workplace strategy.

Anna’s contest submission has the dual qualities of showcasing an inspiring working location and being rooted in doing her job well. Congrats Anna!

Anna’s photo won the contest, but all the entries are still up and available for viewing. See all the photo contest entries for a full dose of inspiration.

Categorised in: DWG24

Ephraim Freed

Ephraim is a communicator, community builder, digital strategist and employee experience leader. He helps innovative, growing organizations provide meaningful experiences of work that enrich employees' lives, grow strong, positive organizational cultures, build community, drive productivity and performance, and bring employer brands to life.

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