Back in the day, not a whole lot of thought was given to office design. Employees simply needed a dedicated work space. For the most part, nobody considered how certain colors, layouts, and configurations related to productivity and creativity — or the lack thereof.
But nowadays, that’s all changed. Those in charge of designing offices understand how today’s workers are increasingly mobile and don’t necessarily need dedicated bulky desks. They also understand how offices with the right amount of natural light and great ambiance can help teams become more innovative and effective.
Are you planning to renovate your existing office space or design a whole new office altogether? If so, here are some trends to keep in mind as you go about your planning:
01. Different rooms painted different colors
Different colors convey different things. Whether you paint your walls blue or purple matters. For example, the color red can help get your employees’ blood flowing while green walls can help your team feel welcomed and at home. If your employees are constantly running around having to meet tight deadlines, consider the color blue — it’s calming.
02. The absence of personal work spaces
Assuming your workers are mobile, it doesn’t make much sense to give everyone their own dedicated work space — particularly if they’re only in the office a few days a week. Companies increasingly understand this, which is why many of them have decided to rely on hot desking, which essentially enables employees to choose where to sit on a first come, first served basis. Just be sure to install prominently displayed power sockets so that anyone who sits down anywhere can easily charge their laptops, smartphones, and other devices.
03. Sit-stand desks
Studies have shown that sitting down all day at work is terrible for our health. Luckily, entrepreneurs have solved this problem with the invention of versatile desks that can be configured to allow workers to tackle their projects sitting down or standing up. Employees can toggle between the two settings over the course of the day, which should give them more energy and fewer aches.
04. Lots of natural elements
Many new offices feature a ton of plant life, sunlight, and other natural elements because they’ve been proven to boost employee productivity. Instead of being blinded by headache-inducing fluorescent lights, workers are better off being able to tackle their work with the assistance of much calmer natural light. Similarly, plants and other natural elements have been linked to increased productivity, decreased absenteeism, and reduced stress.
05. Flexible design
Who knows what your organization’s needs will be three years from now — let alone three months from now. Rather than installing immobile furniture that could potentially cause problems down the line when growth occurs, many companies are opting to future-proof their new offices by using modular work spaces and meeting rooms that can quickly be reconfigured on an as-needed basis.
You and your team will be spending a ton of time at the office over the next however many years. That being the case, there’s no sense in rushing your remodeling or other office design plans. Do your due diligence to find the elements that have proven to help workers become more creative and more productive and add them to your design plans.
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