The most productive workspace is one where you feel comfortable and confident.
A good workspace has the power to increase success, motivation, and wellbeing. That’s why it’s important to think carefully about your workspace design.
Keep reading to find out about the 6 things you should consider when designing a workspace.
1. An Open Layout
Today, many companies are creating open workspaces. This creates more space for everyone.
Dividing walls and cubicles are being removed. Instead, everyone is encouraged to work in open areas, alongside their colleagues.
Working in this open space encourages more interactions and conversations. This encourages collaboration, teamwork, and transparency.
An open workspace is especially important if your work requires constant communication with colleagues.
This helps to boost employee morale and encourage better performance and outcomes.
2. Space for Privacy
Although more open space is encouraged, it is also important to have areas that give you privacy.
Specific rooms are useful for private conversations about confidential projects and issues. It also gives employees a space to focus if needed.
These private spaces should have a door that can be closed. This helps to filter out unwanted noise and ensures that any confidential discussions remain private.
It’s also important to optimize the acoustics in these private spaces. If business-critical meetings will be taking place between employees and clients, it’s essential that everyone can be heard clearly and easily.
These spaces should still feel like they are part of the same workplace. The design should remain consistent with the rest of the space. However, there should be enough subtle differences to make it clear that this is a distinct area for privacy.
You can find out more about how to make this work for you at beoffices.com.
Social Space
One of the most private areas in a workplace is the social space. This should be a place where people can get away from their work.
Ideally, this is a place where colleagues can mingle, socialize and get to know each other. There should be enough room in this space for everyone to comfortably enjoy themselves.
This social space should be distinguished from the rest of the work area. It should be aesthetically inviting, comfortable, and encourage people to spend time there.
3. Consistency and Change
Aim to strike a balance between consistency and novelty in the workspace.
Routine can help to boost productivity. When the environment is consistent, people are not distracted. This allows them to focus on their tasks, and get more done.
However, small changes can be made in the workplace to boost morale. Changing elements of the space regularly can help refresh the space and break up any monotony. It can help employees to feel more excited and enthusiastic about coming to work.
Try to strike a balance between consistency and change, to maximize productivity and morale.
4. Use Your Branding
Your workspace should reflect and represent your company. This can be done by extending company branding into the workspace.
This creates a powerful first impression for new clients and employees. It demonstrates what the company is about.
Branding also helps employees to remain aware of and aligned with, the company’s vision and goals.
For example, if your brand is quite playful and informal, then you may choose to introduce colorful and unusual furniture.
If your company aims to make things clear and simple for clients, then this might be reflected in a more minimalist interior design.
You can also choose to display posters, artwork, and images that represent your brand’s core values.
Pick a Colour Scheme
The workspace color scheme is an important part of branding. You can use color to your advantage.
If your brand uses a specific color palette, it can be powerful to use this in your workspace design and decoration. For example, if your logo is blue, use the same shade on your walls or soft furnishings.
This can be taken further.
If your company’s work is often stressful and intense, use low-wavelength colors like green and blue. These have been shown to encourage calm, as well as improving focus and efficiency.
If your work often involves deep creative thought, like writing and creating, then using yellow tones can help to encourage creativity.
Whatever you choose, try to make it intentional. Consider the color scheme throughout the workspace, and make conscious decisions.
5. Choosing Furniture
Using ergonomic furniture in the workplace is hugely beneficial for everyone.
Ergonomic furniture specifically suits a person’s body, their workstation, and the tasks that they are performing.
It means that employees are comfortable, supported, and in a healthy position during their work. This reduces pain and discomfort, allowing them to work more productively.
In the long term, ergonomic furniture also reduces the risk of employee injury and chronic pain.
Investing in ergonomic furniture ensures the health and well-being of employees, increasing productivity and morale.
Keep Moving
No matter how comfortable workspace furniture is, people should also be encouraged to keep moving.
Try to create seating arrangements that require employees to move around the workspace. One way to do this is to have comfortable chairs for meetings in a separate area of the office, away from workstations.
This means that employees will have to get up and move to discuss with their colleagues or visitors. This helps people to feel important and allows employees to give their full attention to meetings and conversations.
This use of separate space and movement also increases blood flow. This helps employees to stay healthy, active, and energized, which will have a positive impact on their work.
6. The Importance of Lighting
Lighting is a crucial part of workspace design but is often overlooked. It can have an enormous impact on productivity, morale, and wellbeing.
It’s important to make sure that your workspace is well-lit in all areas. Otherwise, if people have to strain to see clearly, they risk eye strain, migraines, and a host of other complications.
Try to let in as much natural light as possible. This helps to stimulate natural cycles in your body that keep you focused and alert.
You can also use lighting more creatively, to encourage particular behavior.
You can use blue light to increase alertness, productivity, and energy levels. This might be used around workstations, where employees are completing most of their tasks.
You can also make use of more dim lighting to encourage relaxation. This could be helpful in social spaces and seating areas for informal meetings or discussions.
Spotlighting can highlight features of your workspace that you want to draw people’s attention to. This might be an awards display or an area where important business messages are displayed.
Things To Consider When Designing a Workspace
If you are designing a workspace, bear these 6 things in mind.
Try to create an open layout with specific private spaces. Keep things consistent, but introduce small changes to boost excitement and morale.
If you can, introduce your company’s branding into your space to remind you of your vision. Think carefully about the furniture and lighting that you use.
All of this can have a huge impact on productivity, motivation, and morale.
If you found this helpful, make sure you take a look at our other articles to help start, grow and succeed in business.
