Designing An Office: The Basics

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When you are a business owner, one of the greatest tasks you will face is designing your own office. It is a huge challenge when you finally choose an office space and purchase it for your staff, but it is also a major win for the company. Having an office premises can help your professional reputation in the field as clients can visit the office for meetings and tours. It will also be a great project to undertake because you have a blank space with which to put your own design on.

Light and space are paramount

The most important thing you will want to think about when you are designing your office is the fact that your workers will be spending 90% of the day, 5 days a week indoors. Staying indoors away from natural light can put a dampener on the soul and it can make it difficult for people to concentrate after an extended period of time. This is why we need to make sure that there is ample natural light as well as space in any office space we design.

Scientifically, natural light is great because it offers a wider spectrum of colors to the human eye, which in turn means that you are able to see things more clearly as you work and complete tasks with a greater ease. While you are designing your office space, make sure that all of your desks are facing the window or are near enough to the window to benefit from the natural light on offer.

Employees also need space to work. Get rid of that notion of working in small cubicles, because it is cramped, overbearing and doesn’t give your employees enough privacy and comfort as they work. Desks need to be big enough for your workers to have their computer setup on them as well as a notepad, and room for a cup of tea too. Make sure you invest in the comfort of your employees, because it will work in your favor in the long run.

Create quiet spaces

We aren’t just talking about the canteen and break area here, we are talking about a sectioned space in the office with a sofa and a small TV where employees can go for informal meetings as well as have a moment of quiet when they need it. It can be difficult for some employees when they feel trapped in one place to work to their best ability, and because of this they need to be able to step out of the room for 5-10 minutes during the day to gain some focus and calm. Think about your worker’s mental health and always provide the space for employees to go off and think.

Keep things tidy

It is always a huge thing to keep your office space tidy, no matter the size and number of employees you have. It may be worth hanging some pultruded fiberglass grating on a blank wall to use as a notice board where employees can hang notes and even motivational quotes to get them through the day.

When it comes to the desks, provide you employees each with a few colored folders which they can use to store loose paper and make the space tidier, allowing for more productive working.

Invest in furniture

As much as you may be tempted to save some pennies during the renovation, never scrimp on the furniture you buy for your employees. It is incredibly important that you invest in good quality desks and comfortable chairs for your workers to improve their comfort levels, and in turn improve workflow in the office. It can seem like a pain to fork out so much to begin with, but to save your employees suffering from back problems, it is well worth it.

The same goes for your computer systems. Invest in the latest tech and software to make sure that your workers are able to work quickly and efficiently each day.

Brand your workplace

Add some personality to your office space. It might be easier just to paint everything white and be done with it, but this will impact your sense of community and will also impact your employee productivity too. Spice up the walls with a piece of art or a print from a TV show you are all fans of. Have a ‘meme’ board where someone adds a new funny meme each week to keep the morale going. Having an office is an opportunity to work in an environment that reflects who you are and what you stand for.

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