Susan Cain, a longtime critic of such offices and the author of "Quiet: The Power of Introverts," says change is afoot. Companies are slowly beginning to realize that open-office designs, while helpful in encouraging collaboration, can also alienate employees.

"Solitude is a crucial ingredient of productivity, and one we want to bring back to the workplace," she said at the TED conference here Thursday, while announcing her own efforts to better design offices for introverts. "It takes a...