When you generate 66 billion dollars a year in revenue, you do not follow trends: you make them! And that is why the business world has been paying very close attention to Google’s famed “Nested Office” design (see some photos here), to see where it’s something they should adopt ASAP, or perhaps stand back and eventually “cherry pick” some of the best, coolest elements.
However, regardless of what side of the Nested Office design fence you may be on – all-for-it, or wait-and-see – there are some very insightful best practices that can be gleaned from Google’s approach:
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Design is Deliberate
Many businesses approach office design as less of a strategy, and more of a pragmatic necessity. That is, workstations, desks, shelves, lighting, and other elements are placed “where they appear to be needed”.
However, as Google’s Nested Office design vividly demonstrates, design is not, and should not, be a passive exercise. Rather, it should be part of an overall strategic plan that is designed to achieve valuable workplace goals. Simply put: office design should be deliberate, not by default.
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Employees Need Variety
While some homes look similar on the outside – or perhaps identical – one peek inside reveals a rich, diverse inner world of unique colors, styles, lighting choices, and so on. In other words: unless they are staying in a hotel room, people do not want “one size fits all” interiors. Rather, they want the environment to reflect their needs and preferences.
In the same spirit, Google’s Nested Office design embraces and reflects the principle that employees need different work environments, for the simple reason that not all employees work the same way. Some work best in more open, collaborative spaces. Others prefer a more low-key environment.
Obviously, it would be impossible to create the ideal work environment that caters to each employee’s personal style. However, as Google’s Nested Office design demonstrates, it is both possible and, indeed, rewarding for both employees and businesses when they give employees a variety of working environments – even if it simply means offering the choice of a more introverted-friendly or extraverted-friendly space.
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Design Fosters – or Impedes – Collaboration
One of the most important best practices that Google’s Office Nested design illustrates is one that we at Key Interiors have advocated for decades: office design can either foster or impede collaboration.
Furthermore, it is both possible and practical to have a collaboration-friendly office design, yet without “unleashing chaos” and turning the workplace into the equivalent of a shopping mall food court. For example, we have worked with many clients in traditional, conventional industries (e.g. insurance, finance, etc.) that have found a highly rewarding balance between enabling their people to collaborate, while still maintaining a high degree of professionalism that befits their marketplace, and what’s more, is expected by their customer base.
Learn More
To learn more about implementing these best practices in your office design, contact the interior specialists at Key Interiors today. Be assured that you do not need to generate 66 billion dollars a year in revenue to reap these advantages! We will work with you and your team to build a customized office design solution that fits your budget and your vision.
