What do each of the status options mean?
Terms used when recording observations during a space utilisation study. Use this guide to choose the correct status for each workspace.
Note that different organisations can have different criteria for any given status - study managers and observers should discuss what each status should be used for and which ones should be used before the study starts.
Status definitions
Occupied — People are present in the workspace.
Signs of life — No people are present, but there is evidence someone is working there (e.g. powered-on workstation, coat on chair, open laptop).
Unoccupied — The workspace is usable, but nobody is present.
Vacant — The workspace is usable but unassigned (not intended to be occupied and nobody is present). Use for clearly unused areas of the building.
Unusable — The workspace is not fit for use (e.g. no furniture, damaged desk/chair, obstruction blocking access).
Unobservable — The workspace cannot be physically reached to determine its status (e.g. locked room).
Using Vacant, Unusable and Unobservable is optional — if you never record them, they will not appear on the dashboard.
How to decide
Situation | Status |
|---|---|
People sitting at the desk | Occupied |
Empty desk but monitor on / personal items visible | Signs of life |
Assigned desk, nobody there, no signs of use | Unoccupied |
Hot-desk zone with no assignment indicators, empty | Vacant |
Desk blocked or broken | Unusable |
Cannot enter the room | Unobservable |
When an observation cannot be carried out
If you cannot record an observation (meeting in progress, room locked, etc.):
- Use Unobservable if the workspace is inaccessible
- Use Add a note in the app to explain why data could not be recorded
- Alert your study manager if the floor plan observation point is in the wrong location
Private meeting rooms
If you cannot see inside a private meeting room to count occupants or technologies, record what you can from outside and add a note explaining the limitation. Do not guess occupant counts.
Discuss ambiguous cases with your study manager before the study starts.
Updated on: 05/06/2026
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