Designing a modern office is about more than just choosing stylish furniture or adding your branding to the walls, it’s about creating an environment that encourages collaboration, boosts productivity, and focuses on mental wellbeing. Here are some tips for transforming your workspace into a modern office.
Flexibility
Nowadays, office design is becoming more employee-focused. This means providing flexibility to give staff more choices, such as how to use the space in a way that’s most productive for them, where they can work (think break-out rooms or quiet spaces), and more. This enables staff members to embrace their preferred working style and encourages them to interact with the wider space rather than being chained to their desks.
Including agile furniture, solutions can also enable areas to be reconfigured and tailored to different needs during meetings, chats, client meetings, or brainstorming.
Cohesive Aesthetic
Your office aesthetic is more than just adding your colour and logo to the walls. It’s about finding ways to integrate your voice and identity into the space. for example, a casual, laid-back web design brand may want to incorporate open-plan meeting spaces with quirky décor and comfy sofas to inspire ideas.
It’s also about bringing consistency to the materials and finishes for a cohesive look. This extends from your flooring and furniture right up to your ceiling. Yes, even elements like suspended ceiling edge trims that complement the colour scheme or style of your office elements can help bring your modern office space together.
Engagement
Your office should be designed to provide your employees with the space they need to work comfortably and productively. To do this, you should actually involve them in the design process. They are the people who are likely to know what they need to get their job done efficiently.
Giving staff a voice when it comes to your new office design and layout also helps them feel more valued and invested in the workplace, leading to better job satisfaction and staff wellbeing. Engaging your staff can help you better understand what they need which can ultimately improve productivity and workflow.
Community
Now more than ever, businesses are starting to understand the significance of staff collaboration. The best way to do this and create a community within the workplace is to include easily accessible communal spaces within the office that can bring people together.
These spaces create opportunities for social interaction within the office and encourage employees to build interpersonal relationships, ultimately helping them to feel part of a collective. Communal spaces are an important feature of modern workspaces and are essential for building a strong company culture.
Lighting
Don’t underestimate the power of good lighting in an office space – especially natural light. When it comes to modern office design, gone are the days of headache-inducing fluorescent lighting. In modern workspaces, incorporating natural light is the way to improve the concentration and productivity of staff.
If natural light isn’t much of an option in your office, investing in a circadian lighting system can help regulate your staff’s natural sleep-wake cycle, leading to better sleep quality and overall health. Incorporating sustainable lighting options like LED bulbs can help reduce energy consumption and lower the utility costs of the office – win-win!
Layout
The layout of your office plays a huge role in staff productivity, wellbeing, and job satisfaction. There are certain things to consider when thinking about the layout of your office, such as how to promote cross-team collaboration or how to manage effective workflows across the business. This is unique to every business and can be affected by things like the architecture of your building, your policies, and your work styles.
Hybrid working can also have an effect on office layout, and with many businesses choosing this style of working, it’s important to consider. For example, you can easily maximise your workspace to incorporate a collaboration space or areas where individuals can go to concentrate.
Energising spaces
Reenergising spaces are becoming more and more essential as modern workplaces start to prioritise staff mental health and wellbeing. It’s not normal to be able to work consistently for 8 hours without some sort of rest or reenergisation needed. Having a space away from the desk to take a moment, clear your head, and re-energise can improve overall motivation, creativity, and staff satisfaction.
Reenergisation can look different to everyone. Some might enjoy a chat over a cup of coffee with a colleague and others might need a quiet space for retreat. Add spaces that can accommodate your staff’s needs and you will notice a huge difference in their wellbeing.
Prioritise staff experiences
In a world where hybrid working is taking over, the office needs to compete with alternative workspaces like the home. To do this, your office needs to give off a home-from-home vibe and have facilities that people want to use. By providing your staff with the space they need to work effectively, they will be inspired and motivated, and help them collaborate.
Building additional amenities in your workspace can also help to elevate the employee experience. Adding coffee shops, lounges, and other convenient spaces helps to ‘hotelify’ your workplace and can make it more attractive to come to.
Embrace nature
Nature is the unsung hero of modern offices. Not only does it brighten up the aesthetics of the space, but it also provides many health and wellbeing benefits to workers. Biophilic design (bringing nature indoors) is proven to have a positive effect on wellbeing and productivity. Plants create more oxygen, which can provide more energy and relieve stress by 37%.
Hanging plants, olive trees, and herbs are all incredible ways to improve your office.
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