The first priority when designing office spaces is ensuring their functionality in supporting the teams’ tasks and responsibilities. A well-designed workspace can significantly impact productivity, employee satisfaction, and overall organizational efficiency.
However, achieving this goes beyond merely arranging desks and choosing ergonomic chairs. The way in which an office space is designed and organized can directly reflect and reinforce the company’s core values, culture, and vision.
Read below for 7 different values and how you can encourage these values through space planning and design.
1. Transparency and Openness
- Open Layouts: Open office plans promote transparency and encourage open communication. They can reflect values such as honesty, openness, and trust.
- Product Example: Omada Desk – Compact benching for space-efficient planning that encourages open communication
- Glass Walls: Using glass for office partitions symbolizes transparency and openness, promoting an inclusive atmosphere where information is easily shared.
2. Collaboration and Teamwork
- Collaborative Spaces: Designate areas for group work and brainstorming, such as lounges and touchdown spaces to foster teamwork and cooperation.
- Product Example: Edge – Available in 3 different heights and configurable to a wide range of work surface sizes to create touchdown areas or full conference tables.
- Flexible Seating: Implement hot-desking or flexible seating arrangements to encourage interaction and collaboration among different team members.
- Product Example: Apollo 2.0 – Competitively priced height adjustable desks ideal for dynamic seating assignments
3. Innovation and Creativity
- Creative Zones: Create spaces that inspire creativity with whiteboards and art supplies, to promote a culture of innovation.
- Product Example: Simple Desk – Personal desking available with white board worksurfaces to promote creativity
- Dynamic Furniture: Use modular furniture that can be easily reconfigured to support various creative activities and brainstorming sessions.
- Product Example: Versityle Flip Top – Flexible desking perfect for creating rooms with unique table layouts and re-positioning
4. Wellness and Employee Care
- Ergonomic Design: Use ergonomic furniture and provide adjustable desks to prioritize employee comfort and health.
- Product Example: Slope Table – A sophisticated height adjustable desk designed to increase health, wellbeing, and productivity
5. Innovation and Forward-Thinking
- Tech-Enabled Spaces: Equip offices with the latest technology, such as smart boards and video conferencing tools, to showcase a commitment to innovation.
- Futuristic Design Elements: Incorporate modern, forward-thinking design elements that reflect a focus on innovation and the future.
- Product Example: Achilles – A creatively-designed height adjustable desk that differentiates a business and promotes innovation
6. Community and Belonging
- Common Areas: Create communal spaces like kitchens, lounges, or coffee bars to encourage social interaction and a sense of community.
- Product Example: Versityle X Base – Holds up to 30” round or square tops to create café tables for 2-4 to gather and eat or converse
- Company Branding: Use branded colors, logos, and messages throughout the space to foster a sense of belonging and pride in the organization.
7. Learning and Development
- Learning Spaces: Include areas dedicated to training, development, and continuous learning, such as libraries or training rooms.
- Product Example: Activity – Available in coffee table, desk, or standing heights perfect for libraries and other learning spaces
The design of an office space is more than just an aesthetic choice or a matter of functionality; it is a reflection of a company’s identity and values. By carefully considering how elements like layout, furniture, and communal areas can represent and reinforce your organization’s core principles, you can create an environment that not only supports productivity but also fosters a culture of transparency, collaboration, innovation, and well-being.
Thoughtful office design can inspire employees, attract talent, and ultimately contribute to the success and growth of the business. As you look to design or redesign your office, remember that every detail speaks volumes about who you are as a company and what you stand for.