On average, full-time employees spend 2,080 hours at work. Depending on the design of the office, these hours can either go by slowly or in a flash.
You might not think too much of your office design, but making even one change can significantly improve your employees’ work lives. And when they feel happier at work, they’ll be more productive and have increased loyalty to the company too!
If you’re ready for a chance and want to serve your workers better, then you’ll need some office designs to consider. Read on for seven tips for designing an office space.
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Consider the Existing Space and Your Needs
There are some office designs that are mindblowing; any employee would be happy to be in those spaces! However, these designs aren’t always feasible or practical, and these grandiose plans can end up backfiring.
When looking at your existing space, keep in mind which teams will go where. This is essential, as each will have its own specific needs. For example, the marketing team may need constant use of meeting rooms, and the sales team may need private spaces to talk on the phone with clients.
When you have these things in mind before you take action, you’ll decrease the chances of things not working out. Plus, you’ll have a more realistic view of what you can do.
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Set Your Budget
Another thing you need to keep in mind before you start anything is your budget. It doesn’t need to be exact either; a ballpark number will keep you on track and help you prioritize design features.
For instance, there are some areas you can get cheap but quality items, such as IKEA furniture. By saving money here, you can allocate a bigger portion of the budget to unique features, such as local artwork.
Always go higher than lower. More often than not, projects will go over the budget, so you want to be prepared.
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Consider the Lighting and Colors
If there’s anything you need to nail, it’s the lighting. You need enough light for your employees to see their work clearly, but you don’t want to blind them and give them headaches either.
Get a good balance of both warm and cool lights throughout the office. You’ll also want to incorporate natural lighting to ensure your workers get enough vitamin D and mood-improving benefits. You can boost your lighting by installing mirrors and curtains.
The colors are important too. Color psychology plays a vital role in how your workers feel, so choose ones that are positive and motivating.
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Don’t Forget About Temperature Regulation
A stifling hot or freezing cold office can significantly impact how productive your employees are. They shouldn’t have to strip or pile on clothes to feel comfortable either.
Most (if not all) office spaces already come with HVAC systems, so you should be set in that department. But you should also think of designing your office in ways that harness or block sunlight to regulate the temperature more effectively.
Getting portable AC units like those at https://www.qbicwashrooms.co.uk/air-conditioning/portable-air-conditioning-units.html can help too, as they’ll cool down specific areas and reduce your utility bills, as well as your carbon footprint.
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Keep Flexibility in Mind
If you’ve been keeping up with news reports, then you’ll know that sitting is the new smoking. People who work office jobs are extremely sedentary, and this can have bad consequences on their health. Plus, sitting in the same place every day can get boring.
One of the best office designs is to throw concreteness out the door. Provide a wide variety of seating and desk options, and have it be open seating. That way, your workers don’t have the same view every day.
Throw in a few standing desks too. There are lightweight but sturdy ones that crank up and down, so you can go between standing and sitting easily.
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Have a Non-Work Space
This might sound strange to have in a workplace, but trust us, your employees will definitely love this!
They’re required by law to take breaks, so you want to give them a space that lets them completely relax. This should be away from ringing phones and boring business discussions.
Ideally, you should give them a haven where it’s quiet, plus it has drinks and snacks. If it’s big enough, put a ping pong or foosball table in. That way, they can blow off steam with some friendly competition.
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Listen to Your Employees
It’s kind of silly to create an office space without listening to your employees. They’re the ones who have to be there every day, eight hours at a time!
Sit down and brainstorm about key features they want. Or you can send out a survey they can fill out anonymously so they feel more comfortable voicing their opinions.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to use all their office ideas either. Just showing that you’re listening to them and that you care about their opinions can already do a lot to improve your workplace relationship. Anything you implement is the cherry on top!
Good Luck Designing an Office Space
Designing an office space that all employees love might be impossible. But if you follow our tips, you’ll do the best job to ensure most of them will enjoy being in the space.
If you’re ever unsure, then get their opinions. After all, there’s nothing better than getting it straight from the horse’s mouth! And they may bring up things you haven’t thought about, so more heads are more productive than one.
Need more advice on running a company and having happy employees? Then keep browsing our blog page.