Office Design

Businesses around the world rely on productive employees to drive their business operations. These businesses often spend a lot of money on nice-looking premises and open office designs so that the employees have a great place to work.

Open-plan offices or bustling workspaces are great for collaboration. However, they can be really noisy, and this can harm productivity as well as the stress levels of employees. Lots of background noise in the office can be really distracting and cause employees to lose focus, which can lead to costly mistakes. To get around this potential pitfall, we have put together some tips to make the office less noisy.

Source of Frustration

Conversations among staff or over the phone are hard to ignore in an open-plan office. But it isn’t just chatter that can cause distraction. If you have lots of machines and equipment in the office, the constant buzz can leave employees grinding their teeth. Likewise, office spaces based in large industrial units may have lots of external noise to contend with.

All of these things should be carefully considered when designing an office space, as numerous studies have shown the lack of privacy and constant distractions lead to a loss of productivity and increased stress levels.

Focus On Design

Open-plan office layouts are great if your employees need to collaborate a great deal; however, they are far from a one-size-fits-all option. If your employees do work that requires a high level of concentration or privacy, then the office design should reflect this. Private rooms, quiet rooms, booths, and breakout rooms are places that staff can go for peace and quiet when their work requires it.

Look Down

Hardwood or brushed concrete floors may look good, but they contribute to noise pollution in the office. Instead, opt for carpet or vinyl flooring due to their excellent sound absorption qualities. Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is a cost-effective option and easy to maintain in the long run.

Go Natural

Going green in the office is a great way to reduce the level of noise, while also creating a much more relaxing and healthier environment. Having plants around the office or green feature walls can significantly reduce noise levels and improve air quality.

Go Acoustic

Choosing the right type of office furniture, as well as the fixtures and fittings, can create a much more serene work environment. Acoustic furniture is a popular choice in modern offices as they have excellent sound-absorbing qualities while also looking really good and being comfortable.

High backed chairs, meeting pods, and wall panels are just some of the options available. Ceiling clouds and baffles can create a unique look for offices of all shapes and sizes.

Go Old School

Cubicles have become a much-maligned piece of office furniture in recent times. However, they offer much more privacy, and when incorporated into a well-designed office space, can really help to reduce the noise levels. Modern office cubicles are a lot more aesthetically pleasing than in the past and include lots of smart design features.

The design of your office can enhance the company culture of your business. Having a space that your employees enjoy working in can really improve productivity and employee motivation. However, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, and any redesign will require careful planning.

There are several steps to follow to avoid making any costly mistakes. If you’re planning on making a change, read on to learn how to create an ideal office for your organization.

Have a Clear Plan

No matter whether you are planning to redesign an existing space or move into a new one, the layout and equipment choices can play a massive role in a successful project. You should ask yourself what you want to achieve by changing the office layout.

Removing walls and going open-plan is great in fast-paced, collaborative environments, but it might not work in places where you require your staff to maintain a high level of focus throughout the day.

Make the Place Feel Like Home

One of the most significant developments of recent years has been the complete change of what an office should look like. Businesses have been moving away from sparely furnished, sterile office spaces to more colorful, open, and homely areas.

It is common to see sofas and nice kitchen areas in offices these days. These additions give employees nice spots to have some downtime and relax, which means they come back refreshed after break times.

Add Some Color and Nature

The colors of the office can have a massive impact on your employees’ mood and productivity. Blues can help to keep people calm and focused, while yellows and reds can stimulate creativity. In all cases, you should aim to strike a balance with colors, as too much of one color can end up having a negative effect.

Plants and flowers can help to keep the air in the office feeling light and fresh. Certain plants help to remove toxins, chemicals, and dust from the air. The cleaner air will help keep your employees energized throughout the day, especially if you maximize the natural light that floods through the office.

Future-Proof Your Workspace

Things change quickly in the globalized business world, so you need to make sure that you future-proof your investment. Developments in furniture and technology mean that it is a lot more adaptable than in the past.

Modular furniture, movable desks, and benches, as well as foldable conference tables, allow you to easily change the look and feel of a room, as well as allowing different tasks to be completed as the demands of the business change.

Get Your Employees Involved

Following the crowd is not always the best strategy for businesses, as what works for one company might not be ideal for the needs of your employees.

Before going ahead with any plans for offices, take the time to understand the needs of your employees and ask them what they need to perform at the highest possible level. If they need privacy, then making the whole office an open plan could cause problems. Likewise, if your employees collaborate a lot, there must be areas to meet and plenty of room to move around.

The design of an office space can have a considerable impact on employee motivation and productivity. It can also affect a business’s ability to attract and retain staff. Therefore, companies must create an environment that is welcoming and conducive to productive work.

There are many factors to consider when designing a productive workspace, such as lighting, color schemes, space, and furniture. It takes a lot of time to plan and get right. So let’s take a quick look at these tips on redesigning an office space for the modern business environment.

Think Long-Term

Yes, the modern business world is changing at breakneck speed, but that doesn’t mean long-term planning is obsolete. When it comes to office design, long-term planning is vital. Communication, creativity, and collaboration are the major buzzwords associated with businesses around the world, and your office space needs to reflect that—both now and in the future.

Office spaces should offer flexibility for your staff while also remaining simple to adapt to the changing needs of the business. That is why traditional cubicles and fixed desk layouts have become less popular in recent years.

Speak with Your Staff

While adaptable & open offices furniture enables a free flow of ideas and a more dynamic workspace, it isn’t ideal for every business. One common mistake that businesses make is focusing on aesthetics or following trends without consulting their staff first. Some jobs require privacy and quiet, which can be difficult to find in open-concept office plans. While some offices might look beautiful, they are not functional.

Speaking to staff during the planning stage is absolutely vital to ensure that you deliver an office space that is functional and a place that your team will enjoy working in. Ask for suggestions from your staff and get feedback on design plans. It will save you problems further down the line.

Make the Workplace Feel Like Home

Your staff will probably spend a large portion of their week within the office, so it needs to be a welcoming and comfortable space. Lots of natural light and green features will help you improve the overall mood of your staff. Plants can also help to freshen the air so that your employees stay alert throughout the day.

Color schemes, mood lighting, and breakout spaces with sofas or bench seating are all features that can have a positive impact on the well-being of your team, and are certainly worth considering during the planning stage.

Square Pegs for Square Holes

Before you buy an item of furniture or approve any plans, make sure you are aware of every potential inch of space available. You will want to maximize the space in a way that allows your staff to move freely around the office, work comfortably at their desks, and not have to worry about documents and wires everywhere.

Cramped and disorganized offices can have a detrimental effect on productivity and leave employees feeling frustrated. Make sure you get accurate measurements of the office space and choose furniture solutions that don’t stand out like a sore thumb. There are also many innovative storage solutions currently available, so try to find the solutions that best fit the needs of your staff.

There have been many changes over the last couple of decades in the way office spaces are designed. Cramped gray spaces are very much out of fashion, as companies have learned that the way an office is designed can have a massive impact on productivity and employee motivation.

Using companies such as Apple and Google as a guide, companies have been introducing more modern, stylish designs. However, there is sometimes a danger that style will win out over functionality. It is great to have a stunning workspace, but if it doesn’t help your employees accomplish their tasks, it could have a negative impact on employee performance. These tips to make the office space more functional should help you avoid making costly mistakes.

Take Advantage of the Space

The best office designs take full advantage of available space by using innovative storage facilities and adaptable furniture. Open office spaces allow more light and air to flow around, and it is also easier for employees to move around. With sit-stand desks, they have the option to change their position throughout the day.

It is a common consensus in the business world that employees are happier and more productive if they can freely move around the office during the day. Wireless technology also allows employees to take their work with them all around the office.

Be Flexible

The modern workspace should be easy to adjust when required. Having desks and meeting tables that can be changed and easily moved adds a lot of flexibility. It also makes a lot of sense to dispense with permanent walls and opt for partitions. This way, you can change a meeting space depending on the tasks and numbers of people involved.

Let the Light In

Having lots of natural light flowing through the office can improve productivity and employee well-being. Plants can also help keep the air fresh and make employees feel more in touch with nature. Research has shown that natural light and cleaner air cause significant increases in productivity, especially when combined with a color scheme that inspires creativity.

Create a Community

Some of the most successful office designs allow plenty of space for employees to collaborate and hang out together when they have some downtime. The office space needs to be a welcoming place where employees enjoy spending time.

Green features, unique meeting spaces/pods, and communal bench seating or breakout areas can really add a sense of community, which can have a significant impact on creativity and collaboration.

Aim for Function over Style

The latest furniture and design features might look stunning, but you need to ask yourself if they are what your employees really need. Before you start any redesign process, you should have a clear idea of the type of work your employees do and what they need to perform their tasks at a high level.

We may not always be blessed with the most spacious offices, but that doesn’t mean they have to be cramped, claustrophobic spaces. With some advanced planning, you will be amazed at what can be achieved with the tiniest of offices.

The good news is that there are many cost-effective options on the market. Making some simple changes to the existing layout and changing the way you store documents can make a massive difference. Check out five top tips to maximize small office spaces below.

Do Your Planning

The key to any successful office design is planning. Having a clear picture of the available space requires careful measurements. From there, you can start to identify any wasted space or areas that are not being used effectively.

Make sure you speak with office furniture experts or your employees to get an idea of what their needs are, and then you will be ready to start drawing up some plans.

Flexibility Is the Name of the Game

Fixed desk units and cubicles take up a lot of space and offer no flexibility. This is not ideal if you are operating in a small office. Therefore, you will want to invest in multi-purpose and adaptable furniture. This kind of furniture can be modified and moved around depending on the task and number of people in the office.

See if you make use of fixed walls and other items in the office for dual purposes. You can add whiteboards to existing walls to help with creativity or to double up as projection screens. Glass walls are also great for writing down ideas.

Declutter

One of the easiest ways to create more space is to declutter the workstations and desks. Provide adequate shelving units and desk organizers so that everything has a home.

You can also get rid of any stuff that doesn’t get used, such as faxes, printers, and filing cabinets. By doing this, you will free up space for storage, a corner desk, or a coffee station, all things that your employees are likely to appreciate much more than a dust collector.

Get Smart with Storage

Documents and folders take up a lot of space in an office. To alleviate this problem, consider going paperless and using cloud-sharing software and equipment to aid in collaboration on essential documents.

If you need printed copies of documents, look at wasted space as potential areas for storage units. Some businesses have integrated vertical storage units in corridors or opt for furniture that offers smart storage solutions.

Play Around with the Lights

Experimenting with LED lighting, natural light, and different color schemes can make a real impact on the overall look and feel of an office. If you have a boxy office, see if there are any options to remove existing partitions or divide walls to create a much roomier area.

You can also look at introducing different colors into the workplace. Blue can create a calming environment, while bright colors will really brighten up the office and encourage more creativity.