7 Top Office Design Trends Worth Trying
Curious about the latest office design trends? In this article, we’ll look at some of the most popular trends in office design, why they are important and how to implement them in your workplace.
It is said that “where we work, defines how we work” and the current office design trends all support this idea. We are seeing an emphasis on comfort, well-being and interaction as a means to improve productivity. As well as the influence of wireless technology on how we can use and organize our workspace.
To help you understand the trends and how to use them, we consulted the experts and put together these top 7 office design trends worth trying:
1. Add Color
One of the top trends in office design is color. Bright colors are more popular than ever and a great way to update an office interior. Color is visually stimulating. It can spark creativity and motivation or trigger relaxation and contemplation. Try bright colors to invigorate your space or soothing colors to “tone-down” a busy or stressful work environment.
One of the most convenient and cost-saving ways to add color to a workspace is to re-paint the furniture. It gives employees a fresh change, while also being cost-effective for the company.
2. Bring Nature In
One of the biggest office design trends is to bring nature into the workplace. With office buildings and towers being surrounded by even more buildings and towers, it’s become more difficult for employees to catch a glimpse of green during their workday. In fact, viewing greenery such as trees and plants has been shown to soothe the mind and to provide a sense of well-being.
Creating an “indoor landscape” also provides additional sound absorption and it contributes to better air quality. Leafy green plants, green walls and large leafy trees are all great options for sound absorption. To find the right plants for the conditions in your workspace reach out to a professional that specializes in interior landscaping. They will help you make the right choices and to come up with a plan for the care and maintenance of your plants.
3. Flexible Workspaces
Employees, especially younger employees, are now spending a majority of their time at the workplace. With laptops, tablets and wireless technology, it’s no longer necessary for employees to be at one specific desk throughout the day. This creates a lot of opportunity for our workspaces to become more flexible.
Modular office furniture is one of the top office design trends that supports this. Modular furniture is lightweight, easy to move and adapt. Modular layouts are being readily adapted for almost every work space to encourage movement, interaction and flexibility. This allows employees, managers and team leaders to adapt their work spaces according to the size of the team needed and the project at hand.
Another example of adding flexibility into your office design is with ergonomic office chairs and adjustable height desks. The adjustable features provide proper posture when seated and they can easily adjusted to suit different comfort levels and working styles. These are just some of the ways office furniture can improve productivity.
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4. Lounge Area
Is a shortage of available meeting rooms a problem at your office? It is in many offices and that’s where lounge areas have stepped in as a key office design trend. To solve the problem of meeting room overload, companies are adding informal meetings areas or “lounges” to their office spaces where teams can hold impromptu meetings and quick exchanges of ideas. This supports workplace flexibility and encourages movement, employee interaction and collaboration.
5. Break Rooms
In addition to lounge areas, break rooms have entered the scene. Office cantinas are becoming less formal and more inviting, taking a cue from the popularity of cafes and coffee shops. In addition, companies are creating designated “playrooms” or recreation rooms where employees can take a quick break to unwind between tasks and during long work days. These spaces offer games such as billiards, ping pong, chess, even a bacci court. Anything that encourages interaction and helps the mind to shift gears. Not only can breakrooms help to reduce stress, but they can also contribute to team building and employees developing stronger bonds.
6. Add a Vibe
One of the top office design trends is to create “a vibe” or theme. This is a great way to shake off age-old concepts and styling that leads to a lack-luster workspace. Creating a vibe can be as simple as using various color combinations or styles to give your design some “zing”, or something more complex that represents your company’s branding and identity.
Here are some good office design tips to follow:
- Keep it simple
- Limit your color-schemes to just a few colors and keep them consistent through-out
- Mix no more than two furnishing styles – for example, modern and industrial
- Keep comfort in mind to support productivity
- Involve your employees in the design process. Their feedback and ideas are critical to the success of your design
Whether simple or complex, your office vibe should support and reflect the type of work you do and the type of company you are. The process of determining your vibe will also help you to see your workspace in a new and exciting way.
7. Create a Floor Plan
Floor plans are no longer a tool that just professional designers have access to. Anyone can easily create a floor plan easily online.
A floor plan will give you a clear overview of your office layout and it will help you to see the possibilities more clearly. Plus, you should never start purchasing furniture without knowing that it will fit. This is one of the most common and costly mistakes companies make that can be easily avoided by making an office floor plan.
To create a floor plan of your office space, try an easy-to-use online floor plan tool such as RoomSketcher App. RoomSketcher App can be used on a PC, Mac or tablet and its easy drag and drop interface allows you to create a floor plan of your office space in no time. Plus, with a tool like RoomSketcher App you can see how the office layout will look in 3D.
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