Outstanding office design is all about creating a unique office space which shouts your brand values and your personality, gets the best from your employees and stays as ‘on trend’ as possible.
Get it right and you can help your employees feel more like a valued member of your team, foster creativity, improve productivity, reduce stress and create maximum job satisfaction. Best of all, it doesn’t need to break the bank.
Here’s how you can create your own unique office space for 2019 which balances the latest trends and your business values whilst making it a rewarding place for you and your staff to be.
1. Create an office for a diverse workforce
By aligning your office space with your core business values and philosophy, you can help foster company culture, boost productivity and create something beautifully unique.
Design a unique office space that addresses the diverse needs of your workforce and you can get the most from your office space, boost creativity and productivity, reduce sick days and build a happier team.
Consider including modern office design features including collaboration zones, ‘break out’ areas for informal working, zones for permanent staff, formal and informal meeting spaces and areas which allow for hotdesking.
If creativity is your priority, be sure to include whiteboards, blackboards, inspiring artwork, designs and even plants that can help ideas to flow.
It’s also important to include quieter working spaces in your overall office design to help reduce stress levels and conflict, improve communication and collaboration and boost productivity.
2. Harness the power of technology
Consider first what technology you already use in your workspace and design your office to fully utilize the advantages these provide to bring your office design bang up to date.
Also consider how you could introduce new technologies to your overall design scheme so you can further drive success and efficiency, boost collaboration and get the most from your team.
3. Keep an eye on wellness
Companies like Google and Airbnb have moved away from the purely functional, work-focused office spaces and have started to prioritize more ergonomic office design, as well as health-focused features like water fountains, fresh fruit, gyms, yoga studios and meditation zones.
Studies have found that including wellness-promoting elements to your office can make a real difference to employee happiness, boost productivity and reduce the number of sick days taken. It also shows that you care about your team and helps boost a sense of company culture.
Even if you don’t have the same budget as Google, you can still promote employee wellness by including features such as the following:
- Ergonomically designed chairs that reduce back pain and discomfort
- Better lighting to reduce eye strain, reduce headaches and boosts productivity
- Adjustable desks and workstations to fit each employee
- Spaces for a spontaneous chat to take place
- Water fountains and fresh fruit for healthy drinks and snacks
- Plants and natural elements which soften the space and reduce stress levels
4. Update your colours and textures
To bring your office space up to date in 2019, why not consider adding a splash of colour or including some unusual textures in your space?
Pantone colours for this year include nurturing and muted colours that reflect the natural world, as well as bright, vibrant, sophisticated tones which are very easy to incorporate into an existing colour scheme or to give your office a facelift. Textures such as wood, metal, textiles and stone are also popular this year. Experiment with a few touches and discover what works best for you.