How To Create the Office Space of Your Dreams: A Guide on From Design to Functionality

Image via DALL-E

Corporate spaces have evolved dramatically over the past few years. The typical hard desk and fluorescent-lit office are no longer what employees expect from their office space. Instead, people now demand more from their offices, which means businesses are accommodating by providing better amenities, layout, and even design. With that in mind, here’s a quick guide on creating the office space of your dreams. If you work in an office or plan on renting one soon, ensuring your workspace meets all your needs can be challenging. You might not have the budget for a top-grade designer or architect, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take steps in the right direction to make your workplace more comfortable.

Be Transparent About Your Office’s Purpose

Before designing anything, consider the room’s purpose and the people using it. The first and most important thing to ask yourself is, “Why do people need to be in the office?” It might make sense if your team members are all in one central location. If you have a remote team, it might not be available. If you’re working with a mix of both, you’ll want to consider a few things. Do you need to create a space that facilitates face-to-face interaction? Or will video conferencing work just as well? What about one-on-one conversations? How important is it for people to be in the same room together? Do you have certain employees who would benefit from the tranquility of a private office? If you have a remote team, you’ll want to consider things like noise cancellation and the ability to block out light when necessary to create a better working environment.

Establish a Culture of Collaboration

One of the best things about an office is the ability to collaborate with others who share your passion and interests. When designing your office space, try to incorporate features that encourage collaboration.  For example, if you have a central table, it can be an excellent place for employees to work together on projects.
A conference table can be used as a hub for meetings, discussions, presentations, and collaborative endeavors. If you don’t have a table in your office, you can always request one from your landlord or building manager. Incorporating a lounge area with comfortable furniture is another excellent way to engage your employees. This can be a great place to take breaks, have impromptu meetings, or relax and socialize.

A Clean Office Creates A Happy Office

A pristine office environment fosters productivity and creates the office space of your dreams. Maintaining a clean workspace enhances the overall aesthetics and contributes to a healthier and more organized work atmosphere. Utilizing an office cleaning company such as Cleanify. (or a cleaning service near you) ensures that your workplace remains spotless, promoting employee well-being and leaving a lasting impression on clients and visitors. A clean office is a testament to your commitment to professionalism and attention to detail, setting the stage for success and a positive work culture.

Assign Workspaces Based on Team and Activity

Depending on your team, you might want specific groups to be nearby or have their own space. For example, you might have a design or engineering team who needs lots of quiet time to focus, while you have a sales team that needs a central place to congregate. For example, if you have a design team, it might make sense to have them close together so they can easily collaborate. Additionally, if you have a sales team, you might want them to be in one central place where they can easily interact with each other and other employees.

Add in Natural Light and Fresh Air

When designing your office, it’s essential to ensure there is plenty of natural light from outside. The light your office receives can significantly affect your productivity and general mood. Studies estimate that lack of natural light in the workplace can cost your business up to $2,000 per employee annually regarding health-related issues like fatigue, stress, headaches, and mood disorders. Fresh air is as important as natural light when creating a well-made office. It may be even more critical, as indoor air pollution has been linked to various health problems. As tempting as it may be to seal off your office and block out the noise from outside, you’ll want to resist this urge. Instead, you can use noise cancellation to create a quiet space in your office while still allowing plenty of light to come in. For privacy’s sake, however, you’ll want to ensure that the windows to your office don’t let people outside look in. You might want to consider options such as commercial window tinting to give your entire building’s windows privacy screens.

Make Sure There’s Plenty of Space to Move Around

You can consider this when you are first looking for an office space for rent or thinking about building your own office. If you are keen to ensure you have enough space to move around, that will make it a much better working environment for everyone who works there. So, how can you achieve that?

While you want to ensure your office has plenty of light and fresh air, you don’t want it to be too open. You don’t want to sacrifice privacy, and you also don’t want to make it difficult for employees to move around the office. When designing your office, you want to ensure plenty of nooks and crannies where employees can have private conversations. You also want to provide plenty of room to walk around, and you have enough pathways between offices and rooms to make it easy for employees to get around so there aren’t any potential safety hazards.

Incorporate Technology That Supports Productivity

Depending on your industry, you may want to consider incorporating some new technologies into your office. For example, if you work in the creative industry, having a projector in your office can help you share your visuals with employees and clients. Or, if you work in an industry where employees need to take notes, you might want to consider investing in a whiteboard that can be written on via a tablet or smartphone. If you work in a construction company, you might also want to consider installing a conference table that doubles as a whiteboard. This way, you can host meetings and take notes on the table itself rather than having to write on paper or on a wall.

Conclusion

If you’re starting your business, don’t worry too much about the specifics of your office layout. Instead, start small and grow your office as you hire more employees. For now, focus on ensuring your employees have a comfortable workspace. If you have an open office, provide plenty of places where people can have privacy. This can be as simple as creating a nook or corner with chairs or adding plants and greenery to brighten the room. That being said, when it’s time to expand, you can consult a designer or architect to help you finalize a plan for your business. The most important thing when designing your office is ensuring your employees are comfortable and happy.