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Your business’s reception area is the place where visitors form an initial opinion of your operation. As most professionals already know, a first impression matters a great deal. The nature and layout of a reception area may serve to delight and intrigue visitors, or leave them feeling confused or disappointed. It may seem odd to focus so much on one facet of office design, but the reception area –– and in particular reception desk designs –– may have a direct effect on a company’s ability to draw in clients and/or attract talented employees. Given that fact, today we’re going to share four tips for creating the perfect reception desk design –– regardless of your industry or area of expertise.
Tip #1 Make the Reception Desk Easy to Find
This may sound painfully obvious, but a reception desk should be easy to see as soon as you enter the reception area. However, if you’ve ever gone hunting for someone to speak to in a hotel, office building, or at the doctor’s, then you know that reception desks are sometimes tucked away around corners or at the end of hallways. Sometimes the layout of a building prevents designers from placing reception desks front-and-center. If you can’t do that for whatever reason, then make sure to create a desk design that is sure to catch the eye and to provide visitors with adequate signage for direction.
Tip #2 Give Your Team the Tools they Need
Working the reception desk is important, and, as such, businesses should take the time to provide their employees with the amenities they need. Make sure the desk has access to plenty of outlets, for instance, so that you can plug in multiple computer monitors, phones, or even other appliances like a printer or fax machine. Additionally, quality, ergonomic furniture behind the desk will go a long way toward improving employee morale.
Tip #3 Align Desk Design with Office Design
As mentioned above, a reception desk should be easy to spot. However, it shouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb or actively work against the motif of your office design. If, for instance, your workspace is modern, sleek, and full of bright, vibrant colors, then it’s probably a bad idea to purchase a classically designed wooden reception desk. Again, an effective reception area should reinforce positive visitor expectations, not subvert them. Also, it may be a wise idea to include some branded material –– such as company name or logo –– on your desk. This will prove particularly useful for companies that share office space with other businesses.
Tip #4 Keep it Clean
Professionals should, ideally, keep every part of their office clean and free of clutter. However, it’s especially crucial to ensure that your reception desk is well organized and devoid of any embarrassing detritus like loose files, food crumbs, or tangled wires. Remember, a disorganized desk can undermine an otherwise brilliant design!
Lastly, consider adding welcoming accoutrements like plants or an extra lamp or two to your desk to make visitors feel at ease when approaching the desk.
The Bottom Line
It’s easy to overlook the minute details in office design. Yet, it’s the little things like light placement, color choice, and reception desk design that add up to create a greater impression. At Key Interiors, we’re experts in sweating the small stuff, and we’ve partnered with dozens of businesses to help them create their ideal offices. Contact us here to get started, or for more information on office renovations, check out our e-Book here: {{cta(‘be9ee934-8da3-4f57-9a54-072b3b5e3be0′,’justifycenter’)}}
