Incorporating a few important elements into your office design will help your employees feel inspired. Consider reducing clutter, minimizing noise, and ensuring desk spaces receive direct and indirect light. Use these principles to create a space that reflects your company culture.
Reduce clutter
If you’re considering making changes to your office space, one way to increase your productivity is to reduce the amount of clutter. Having too much clutter can slow you down and decrease your output, which means less money for your business. This is particularly true of small businesses. Fortunately, reducing the amount of clutter in your workspace is relatively easy to do.
Start by clearing away piles of papers and other office supplies. Sort through them into categories and decide what you truly need. Consider where you keep your phone charger, chargers, pens, and other essential supplies. Move the rest of your supplies to lower drawers. Put away items you rarely use or do not need.
Another way to reduce clutter in your office is to use the same flooring throughout the entire area. You can use small rugs to break up the space. Avoid carpeted areas, as carpeted areas can make your office feel cramped. Instead, use minimal furnishings to create the ideal work space. By doing so, you’ll be able to maximize your office space and improve your productivity.
Clutter can interfere with creativity, focus, and productivity. You should also make sure to have plenty of storage space. Desks with several drawers are a good choice. Store your office supplies in the appropriate locations, but keep them easily accessible. This will increase your productivity and reduce stress levels. Lastly, it’s best to keep the area bright and airy. If possible, open up your windows to let in light, which will lift your spirits and increase your work efficiency.
Lighting plays a vital role in determining productivity, as it can boost creativity. Inadequate lighting can also contribute to eyestrain, headaches, and fatigue. Poor lighting can make you feel isolated, which is not good for your health. Light therapy devices can alleviate these problems.
Minimize noise
Noise is a major source of distraction in an office, and it can reduce productivity and employee satisfaction. Research shows that excessive noise can also negatively affect employee health. For example, prolonged exposure to 65 decibels of noise can increase employees’ heart rates to heart attack levels. While soundproofing won’t completely remove the noise in an office, it can help dampen it to a more healthy level.
Noise in the office comes from people’s interactions, whether they’re working alone or as part of a team. Rearranging desks is a simple way to reduce noise. Desks are typically arranged in rows, which is the most efficient use of space but can lead to noise from across rows. Rearranging your desks so that people with similar work niches sit next to each other helps minimize noise levels and promote productivity.
Rearranging your office can also help reduce noise pollution. Try placing desks in clusters per department. You can also install screens and dividers to create a more quiet working environment. You should also consult with employees before making any changes. If you have a lot of people working in the same area, try placing them close together.
Noise in the office is a big distraction for office workers. Studies have shown that people who are constantly exposed to loud noise are more likely to work less efficiently. In addition to the distraction, loud noise can also lower employee morale, which can reduce their productivity. It is best to minimize noise in the office as much as possible.
Plants can also help reduce the sound in your office. Plants bring fresh air and can also boost the energy of your office. Some plants, like junipers and hollies, are very effective at blocking noise because their branches are thick. The same goes for evergreens. However, bushes planted along walls alone are unlikely to prevent all noise.
Ensure desk spaces receive direct and indirect light
While many people enjoy working in dark rooms with bright task lights, it’s important to ensure that desk spaces receive direct and indirect light. Inadequate illumination can cause eye strain, headaches, and other discomforts. It’s also important to avoid glare, which can be caused by direct and indirect lighting. Direct lighting sources include overhead lights and task lights. These fixtures should also be properly positioned to prevent glare from entering the workspace.
Direct lighting fixtures have light that is emitted upward or downward. Some of this light may hit a wall, but the majority of it will hit the workspace. Indirect lighting fixtures, on the other hand, are suspended from the ceiling and cast light upward. This reflects 90% of the light back on the workspace.
Direct lighting can cast shadows on surfaces, making it difficult for employees to see. To prevent this problem, use lampshades to soften the glare, and use upward-shining floor lamps to bounce light off walls and ceilings. In addition to the right placement of overhead lighting fixtures, it’s important to choose furniture and partitions that are light-colored. Dark-colored furniture can absorb light, resulting in an uneven lighting effect.
Natural light can improve your office environment and increase productivity. The presence of natural light in the office can also make your employees happier. However, direct sunlight can be too intense and create a glaring haze, which makes it impossible to work effectively. Instead, choose desk spaces with a blend of indirect light and direct lighting to create a more enjoyable workplace.
Create a workspace that fits your company culture
The workplace design of your company can have a profound impact on your company culture, either reinforcing it or creating a new one. According to a recent survey by furniture giant Haworth, company culture was the most influential factor in workplace design. This means facility managers should think beyond aesthetics when choosing office furniture and should ask themselves how the new space supports the company’s culture.
If your workplace is geared toward collaboration, open spaces are crucial. They should be bright and encourage group work and creativity. Ideally, your workspace will reflect the culture of your company, but be sure to consider your employees’ preferences as well. If you’re fostering an experimental or entrepreneurial culture, focus on a more informal design, or opt for an organic layout that fosters teamwork.
Culture is a continuous work in progress. To create a positive and supportive work environment, companies need to prepare for change and be flexible to unexpected events. They also need to consider the ways in which different people will react to change and how to keep their workforce engaged. This is particularly important in these uncertain times.
If you are working with several different companies in one space, consider a coworking option. The culture of coworking spaces is often based on a community-based philosophy. Different companies working in the same space usually have a collaborative attitude and want to learn from each other. These shared environments can contribute to a positive work culture, but leadership must take specific steps to build a culture that fits their company. Zhoosh considers all of these in creating office fit outs and when planning for other fitouts, Zhoosh makes sure to consider relevant factors before executing their fit outs.
