In modern times, a workspace must go beyond its designated, mundane role of ‘a place where people work.’ It needs to be more than just that; it should entail attributes of a place where people unwind and reboot their creativity.

Creating the right atmosphere is an inevitable part of designing an office. It can set the tone for a positive work environment that impacts your company’s efficiency, productivity, morale, and overall team attitude. A well-designed office that promotes the organisation’s well-being can also send a positive message to the clients.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind while designing your office.

Access Space and Needs

Before you plan your office design, analyse the space you have and the best possible way to utilize it. Determine the basics of your workplace dynamics, such as the amount of time spent by employees at their desks. If the space caters to the needs of professionals, who are mostly out of the office and invest more of their time in fieldwork, the space can be designed accordingly. On the other hand, if the space caters to employees who work from the office, we need to have a holistic approach while designing the workspace, right from the time they enter, their work desk, snack bars, cafeterias, etc needs to be well thought of. 

Create A Design Brief

Once you’ve established your needs and the space that you have at your disposal you now need to invest your time in a design brief. It can be inclusive of elements like:

  • How the design aligns with the brand values
  • What are your goals and needs?
  • How feasible is the design idea?
  • How budget-friendly is the idea?

Set A Budget

Having a budget to guide one’s actions while designing the office is essential. This will help us be on track and not go overboard with our budget. Before commencing the work, it is essential to have a discussion with the designers and draw an estimate of the work and then adjust your decision based on the difference between the estimated budget and your available budget.

Roles Influencing Workspace

When you plan on designing a space, think of the daily responsibilities of everyone, this will help you plan appropriately. If their jobs include an extended period of intense focus, you might want to use strategies that are meant to minimise or eliminate distractions. If there are roles that require collaboration, you might want to integrate the designs that support the needs of various people.

Use Windows Wisely

A view of the outdoors might be refreshing for some, meanwhile, some might find it distracting. Analyze, if windows make it refreshing or distracting for your colleagues. Choose to design your office accordingly. If the view is distracting to some, then position the desk to your back or your side.  If the view motivates some, then try arranging the furniture in a way that motivates you.

Brainstorm Colour Schemes

Colour can affect perceptions subtly. Every brand and business uses colours deliberately in their product designs, packaging, advertisements, and websites. It is used by brands to trigger the right response from their consumers. As important as it is for a consumer, it is also essential to have the right room colour combination in the office to boost employee productivity and wellbeing.

Many offices have a lounge for their guests, these spaces are designed differently from the office space, they are designed keeping in mind other elements. In most offices we will find that the colours used in these spaces are slightly different, few might have a texture design on the wall and few might experiment with the artifacts or the furnishings.

Spending appropriate time and effort in designing every element of the office will ensure both clients and employees are having a great experience in the given space.