4 Key Elements for the Perfect Office Design

Did you know? A recent study by the World Green Building Council concluded there is a lot of evidence linking office design with productivity and wellness.

If you are designing your own office space or shopping around for a place to rent out, you want to be sure you are considering a place that will make your employees happy. Coworking spaces such as WeWork and Spaces employ the best tactics for office design and are great models to base your space on.

What does it take to have the ultimate office space for productivity and employee satisfaction? We’ll be covering 4 key elements for the perfect office design. If you apply these ideas and bring them to life, your employees will thank you for it and never want to leave!

Let’s get started.

1.   Have Plenty of Open Space

Closed cubicles or an open-space plan? Back in the day, cubicles were always the way to go. However, recent design innovations fueled by the shift of focus to health and wellness have spurred a movement for open-plan offices. Several studies have revealed that having an open plan contributes to more collaboration between coworkers, decreases feelings of isolation and depression in the workplace, and helps bring the office together.

Cubicles have their benefits, however. They allow workers to better concentrate on their tasks – especially those who get distracted easily. Cubicles also give workers more privacy.

When designing your ideal office space, we suggest you take a page from the coworking space handbook. Facilities such as WeWork offer both open and closed plans in different parts of the office, allowing workers to move around throughout the day and switch up their area of work. This can be refreshing compared to having to sit at the same spot for 8 hours straight.

Give your employees space to roam, striking a balance between private and open. Your office should feel like a mini campus with different areas appealing to different people, mindsets, situations, workloads, etc. There is something for everyone in a space like this!

2.   Offer Plenty of Natural Light and Greenery

Secondly, your office space shouldn’t feel stuffy. We don’t mean that you should amp up the fluorescent white light game to ward off the darkness – although that definitely doesn’t hurt.

What we really mean, though, is having plenty of windows to let natural sunlight in. This is beneficial for plenty of reasons, including:

• Sunlight reduces depression
• Elevates feelings of happiness
• Employees will not feel trapped in your office
• The outside world keeps things interesting

In addition, ensure that your office has hints of green scattered throughout. Plants are a great way to induce a relaxed feeling amongst your employees. Outdoor elements, in general, can easily compete against the metal and carpet of a stale-feeling office. You want your employees to feel inspired as they sit in your office and walk through its spaces. Maintaining aesthetics will help you achieve this.

3.   Include High-Quality Furniture

Sitting at a desk for 8 hours every day for 5 days can definitely take a toll on one’s physical wellbeing. Your employee’s physical and mental health should always be a top priority, and this is no different when considering an office space. After all, good quality work comes from an employee who is healthy and content in their position.

This is why we highly recommend investing in high-quality furniture for your office space. Standing desks are a great way to give employees the option to stretch their legs and promote activity.

“Comfortable ergonomic chairs will ensure your employees do not suffer from constant backaches,” says ROSI, a provider of office furniture in Houston.

The conference room table should be big enough to accommodate the whole team. Your front desk should catch the eye and make a great first impression on whoever walks through your office doors.

4.   Your Office Should be Clean, Organized, and Fun

Nobody wants to go to work in a messy, disorganized space. Your office should have plenty of organized shelving, bins, etc. so that employees can easily find whatever it is they are looking for.

In need of new batteries for your mouse? Or perhaps your employee is looking for a sticky notepad. Whatever they need, they shouldn’t have to be digging through drawers or asking you where to find it. The same logic applies to the kitchen area of the office, which is at the highest risk of becoming messy. We suggest using labels and selecting furniture that can be easily segmented with cubbies or drawers.

Next, your office should be clean. Spotless, even. This not only ensures that people are not being exposed to germs, but it also makes the office more inviting. Keep an air freshener plugged into the wall and hire a cleaning crew for more thorough cleanings.

Lastly, your office should be fun space. Although people come to your office to work and make an income, it shouldn’t always be about that. Balancing work and play will lead to happier employees, and happier employees produce higher quality work.