Like many businesses, a new office design may have been on your agenda – or at least, in the back of your mind — for several months, or perhaps even years. And finally, after all of that thinking and discussing (and yet more thinking and discussing), you and your team ready to move ahead and refresh or re-invent your space.
However, before your interior solutions firm brings blueprints, plans and renderings to life, you will need to define the type of office design that is going to support your current operations and future direction.
To give you some ideas and “food for thought”, here are 3 trends to keep in mind for your new office design:
1. Open Spaces
A growing number of businesses – most notably, enterprises like Google and Apple – have adopted an open space office design concept. This setup enhances collaboration and communication within and across teams. What’s more, the space can be designed to accommodate privacy, and be just as functional and productive for employees who need to go “heads down” and focus.
2. Breakout Spaces
Breakout spaces are small zones typically located near high traffic areas like stairwells and lunchrooms, where employees can relax, recharge and re-energize. While some companies have rather elaborate breakout spaces – complete with heated massage chairs, hammocks, beverage stations and so on – they are not inherently or necessarily complex or costly. Basically, the idea of a breakout space is the most valuable thing: employees can detach from their day-to-day work experience (even if it’s just for a few minutes), but without having to leave the office.
3. Work Zones Instead of Work Stations
Another interesting office design trend that is growing in popularity is to do away with traditional and conventional work stations, and replace them with work zones. As such, there is no assigned seating, there are plenty of charging stations for laptops and mobile devices, wifi access is everywhere and suitably fast, and people simply work wherever they are — or wherever they want to be. It’s efficient and practical for employees, and great for employers since fewer (or perhaps no) workstations means better space utilization, and lower furniture and equipment costs.
Learn More
Naturally, there are many more office design options and possibilities to explore, and the above ideas are simply starting points to help you think about what may be interesting and beneficial – or what may not be suitable or practical for your needs and vision. To learn more, contact the Key Interiors team today. Your consultation with us is free.
