Whether you are just making some minor tweaks to your office space or you are planning a complete office overhaul there are some things that you need to consider before storming on ahead with your project. As more people than ever are working from home, the need to be able to turn rooms into offices or makeover offices whilst the workers are not there is at an all time high. For this to work you need to take into account as few things which will help improve your office vibe. By taking a look at our list of what to consider when designing your office you should have a solid foundation with which to build your office design on.
Furniture and facilities
Making your worker or colleague feel appreciated is key when working in an office and this can be easily achieved by creating a personal rapport with them. This connection can come from a number of things but personalised furniture and office options is certainly a big hitter. From storage to seats, lighting to toilets, creating a space that is designed with the worker in mind is imperative in this day and age. This means creating enough, solid storage units for operations both company wide and personally can make a huge difference. It can also mean making sure all employees have solid and comfortable office chairs from Office Reality or other professional suppliers. In addition to this lighting has long been an issue in the office and by employing better lighting systems or inventive glass paneling or windows you can solve this. Additionally, toilet facilities and showering is a fairly new office fad but a popular one. As many start to take public transport or cycle to work, showering facilities are a solid option to have in your office. Making changes that make those working in the office feel appreciated and treating them like humans rather than numbers is a surefire way of making a better office working environment and ultimately improving workrate.
Space
Space in an office is key. Not only does getting rid of the horrible grey cubicle dividers that dominated the 90s bring a new lease of life to a drab office, but it promotes teamwork. By taking away these dividers, or at the very least making them glass, you promote transparency, comradeship and communication between those working in the office. This means you will get more from your workers with them collaborating with each other. Using space to raise team spirits is crucial to new-age office spaces, and open-plan is the way to do this. If you are working in a tight office area or at home, space is still key. Creating the most amount of space from what you can can lead to a much tidier and healthier room to work from.
Flexibility
Creating flexibility in the office environment is important to having a happy workforce. This can mean anything from rotating hot-desks to installing games rooms. When you are designing your new-look office, flexibility is a huge consideration. Creating enough space for people to have privacy when working or on downtime is crucial to many. But equally having social areas and recreational zones for break time are important for many others. Places with creative rest zones allow for recharging and refocusing following breaks and gets the most from workers. Designing these can be super easy as well, with minimalism perfectly fine, the idea of the allocated space alone which incorporates the notion of a sound work/life balance can be enough for some. Regardless, these areas are a blank canvas for design and can contain any number of entertainment or styles – the flexibility of an office space now is crucial compared with the traditional regimented notion of office working.
Wrap-Up
Whilst there is obviously a whole host of things we have not covered, by considering just a few things in this article you can make a big difference to the office in a positive manner. Considering these changes when designing your office will keep the worker at the forefront of the mind and provide a solid base to work from when constructing that brand, spanking new office.
