The office; a place where you and your staff spend a large portion of your week.
It needs to be suitable for working but also a place that staff feel motivated and allows creativity. We have created this post to dispel some of the advice that may be given to you when redesigning your office space that quite frankly needs to be ignored.
Neutral office colour provides a professional look
“Keep offices neutral and safe.” Grey and beige tones may be suited to environments such as banks where you might want to create a calm and conservative feel but in the majority of offices, adding colour will provide some character to your work space.
We are not suggesting multi coloured desks but rather adding a splash of the same colour across multiple areas of the office. Using colour within your office will encourage staff creativity and it is also said to improve productivity.
All office chairs should be the same
Office chairs; something office managers often feel need to be the same to create an office that looks great but at the sacrifice of the comfort of your staff. Chairs are designed to meet the needs of different people with the option for back support, arm rests and headrests, all created to provide personal comfort for your staff during a long working day.
Everyone should have an assigned desk
Set desks are starting to be a thing of the past in the modern office. Having desks with fixed computers assigned to individual members of staff no longer suits the way office workers work.
Hot desking allows staff to move around the office using laptops or fixed computers with multiple login options. Providing a number of free desk spaces for staff to move around and collaborate with each other on projects.
This is something worth considering with it providing more options for staff to move around and promotes tidiness around the office.
Sofas are not office furniture
Recently soft seating such as sofas have become a lot more popular within offices. This may seem like an unprofessional suggestion but soft seating is a great way of providing a breakout office space for your staff to use during breaks or when they need some time away from their desk to focus on their work.
Soft seating such as sofas, plush seats and armchairs are great ways of adding a unique element to the office and create an attractive environment. Providing a colourful escape allows your staff to take a break and eat their lunch away from their desk.
Box Sofa 01
Use all available space
Overcrowding the office space with furniture, desks and random items seems like a good idea. Filling all available gaps within the office is likely to provide a cluttered look however, leaving space between desks and other office items will allow more freedom to move office furniture and change the office design to avoid monotony of the space.
Instead of filling available space with more office furniture than is necessary, why not add some plants? Without overdoing it, incorporating nature into your office can add a bit of life and colour as well as benefiting the overall well-being of employees.
Office cubicles and dividers help to avoid staff distraction and improve productivity
Office cubicles; the trend that revolutionised office design over half a century ago. Who really wants to be looking at three grey walls with nothing but their computer screen to keep them company?
Cubicles and dividers can, in certain work environments, help to reduce noise. However, the myth that they encourage staff productivity is exactly that, a myth. Staff need to be allowed to communicate with one another to encourage more collaborative working and creative thinking.
Ergonomic Office Furniture Isn’t Necessary
Ergonomics is a much talked about thing over the past few years but is it needed? We believe office ergonomics are vital, products are created with different considerations of users needs.
Whether it may be the need for extra back support or to have a left hand desk, in order to work comfortably and efficiently, desks and electronic equipment all have options to improve ergonomics.
Computer mice and keyboards can be provided with different supports to help prevent RSI (repetitive strain injury) or similar injuries that can be caused from sitting at a desk for long periods of time.
This article was created by Office Furniture and Interiors