The way you design your office space makes a big difference to the mood of your staff. If you have ever worked in a dark and unwelcoming office, you’ll know exactly why. So, if you want to get the most out of your employees, you need to design your office space well. Here’s how to design your office to boost staff productivity and happiness:
Plenty of natural light
Natural light is one of the most important things to consider when designing your new office. Fill your space with natural light, and your employees will feel positive and refreshed. Make your office space dark and dingy, and your employees will feel depressed. Opt for large windows and consider the path of the sun throughout the day. If you can get plenty of sunlight throughout the whole day, you’re onto a winner.
Focus on ergonomics
It’s so important to be comfortable at work. Back pain and repetitive strain injury are real problems when it comes to office work. You should choose ergonomic office chairs with plenty of lumbar support and ergonomic office equipment. The more comfortable your employees are, the easier they will find it to concentrate. Don’t disregard the bathroom, because it’s also an important area of your office. Take a quick look at this commercial bathroom remodel guide and consider a refresh.
Paint using light colors
Even if your company colors are black and dark red, you shouldn’t design your office like this. Choose light colors that reflect light to make the most of the natural light in the room. This will help workers stay alert throughout the day.
Don’t think about it as an office
Just because you are designing a space for work, it doesn’t mean you have to think about it as an office. You can find inspiration in many different places. For example, search NativaInteriors for excellent interior design inspiration. You could even hire a professional interior designer to help you make your office space stand out.
Add lots of plants
Adding plants to a workspace has multiple benefits. First of all, they help oxygenate the air, making it easier for employees to breathe throughout the day. Clean air helps people stay awake and alert. Secondly, they reduce the corporate feel of an office. Employees will appreciate some nature in the office space.
Offer relaxing areas
If you’re the kind of old-school boss that thinks people shouldn’t be relaxing at work, you’ve got it all wrong. The more comfortable people feel at work, the more likely they are to perform at a high level. Offer them somewhere to relax on their breaks. The top companies in the world do it – they must be onto something.
Provide a quiet zone
You probably want your office to be a vibrant space where people are sharing ideas and speaking passionately. This is definitely what you should be striving for. But it’s also important to provide people with a quiet zone. This space will allow employees to escape the hustle and bustle of the office floor, so they can focus on the task at hand. For tasks like creative writing and product development, this place will be invaluable to your staff. If you don’t have enough space in the office for this, you could supply them with noise-canceling headphones.
