We spend so much time in our offices that it’s vital to ensure that they’re enjoyable, productive and positive environments to be in. So whether you’re just an employee or in management, here are 5 design tips that will elevate your office space effectively.
Quiet Zones
Open-plan work environments have become cemented as the norm in most modern offices. They are cheaper to build, can increase office capacity and can foster collaboration and productivity.
However, new evidence is actually demonstrating they have the opposite effect and are in fact detrimental to overall productivity, resulting in more negative sentiments developing in workers.
This may seem pretty obvious for those of us that have actually worked in open-plan environments. When you’re trying to concentrate on an individual task, you’ll often find individuals distracting you or disturbing you from your work - which reduces your concentration and impacts your productivity.
That’s not to say that open-plan offices are a failure – they do increase collaboration and in the correct settings, they do also increase productivity. However, emphasis should be placed on workers having the option of both private and public workspaces.
Try introducing quiet zones that workers can book on an as-needed basis. Quiet zones should be at a distance from the main office - it’s not good enough to just have them one doorway away from the hustle and bustle of the central office area.
It is also crucial for the quiet zone to genuinely feel like stepping into a totally different environment, with different décor and furniture to emphasise that.
This allows workers to have a collaborative environment in the main office area, as well as an area for focus and concentration. This can significantly heighten overall productivity levels and elevate the office experience for everyone.
Natural lighting
Some will still remember the awful office block designs of the 80s and 90s. This concrete, grey monstrosities relied on artificial light to light up large swathes of office space.
Modern offices should step away from dull artificial light and provide large quantities of natural light as often as possible. Sunlight provides a significant boom to people’s happiness and the happier an individual is - the more engaged, focused and productive they will be.
Sad people don’t work well. Bear that in mind everyone!
Having access to natural light in your office might not only make us productive but also improve our sleep cycles. We become more in touch with the natural rhythm of the day and train our brains to differentiate better between day and night.
Our natural body clock can get confused when it is constantly being exposed to the same artificial light throughout the day, especially if it is greeted by natural sunlight (or pitch darkness) after a work day.
Try to position desks and office spaces to let in as much light as possible and give everyone a chance to have a peek at the outside world.
Being able to look outside, see greenery and bask in the sunshine might sound like a distraction from work, but it does the very opposite and improves people’s ability to concentrate.
The Best Tools For The Job
This might seem like an obvious one when it is spelt out so bluntly. Doctors and mechanics don’t make do with bad equipment – they invest in the best they can. The same should be for office-based workers: our tools are desks, chairs and keyboards.
So, what are the best tools for the job?
A big step towards that direction is investing in ergonomic tables such as the standing desks available from Flexispot. Providing comfortable and health-conscious tables helps to improve productivity, as well as the health of you and your employees.
Increased health means decreased sickness - and therefore keeping everyone happy and healthy is a great way of staying productive.
Furthermore, standing tables are a great way to enhance the environment of your office. They are trendy, techy and far more attractive to look at than traditional desks.
Plants
Long gone should be the days of grey office spaces. Plants can really help enhance your work environment and bring life to a soulless space.
Plants provide a source of natural colour which has been proven to increase calmness and overall well-being.
Green, supposedly, can help people feel refreshed and more positive whereas blue promotes calmness and productivity. Try combining plants with new colour schemes/paintings to really elevate your office environment.
Clean and Tidy
Nobody likes looking out over a messy space - and your office should be no different. Keeping your workspace tidy and organised is a surefire way to improve your productivity and enhance your work life.
Furthermore, keeping your workspace clean can encourage those around you to do the same. An overall clean and tidy office helps promote a feeling of togetherness, unity and an environment that is conducive to work.
The Bottom Line
The best office elevations are those that work on an individual level that thus has an impact on the collective level. Hopefully these tips have given you some new ideas to help make your office work better for you!
