Innovative Office Design Trends You Should Know
The work environment should be flexible and nimble—ready to accommodate changes as they arise. Actually, viewing change as an opportunity for advancement and growth rather than a hindrance is the key to a happy work environment. Embracing innovation in your office’s design is one of the best things you can do to further your business’s success for years to come. Here are some of the most utilized innovative office design trends you should know and how they can contribute to a better workplace for all involved.
Prioritizing Collaboration
One major trend in innovative office settings is prioritizing collaboration. Cubicles and pods can keep individuals somewhat isolated from their peers. While this can be beneficial for focus and drive, it doesn’t quite foster collaboration and team-building opportunities. For example, in a collaborative work environment, physical barriers come down, paving the way for more face-to-face opportunities and open interaction. If you’re interested in promoting communication within your office, consider a layout that minimizes obstructions and encourages openness. Making sure employees can see and hear may sound obvious, but these two factors are often overlooked when designing a conference room. Acoustics are easy to forget about when designing large, collaborative spaces. Additionally, every seat in your conference room should have a good view of the monitor(s) and all participants. Redesigning conference rooms with these details in mind will ensure employees are excited to attend meetings and increase efficiencies and productivity levels.
Increased Health and Safety Measures
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear to many business owners that they needed to implement various health and safety measures to keep teams protected in the office. Companies are now tasked with finding new ways to preserve workplace health and safety every day. From providing reliable access to cleaning and sanitization supplies to encouraging masks indoors, these measures serve to limit the spread of germs. And an added bonus to taking these extra measures— it shows employees you truly care about their health and wellbeing. These changes can even affect the overall layout of the office so working with an experienced designer is the most efficient way to ensure your floorplan is mapped out most effectively. Spacing out desks to meet social distancing guidelines and installing removable, acrylic dividers will ensure your company adheres to social distancing guidelines, and hand sanitizing stations placed strategically throughout the office will make it easy to stop germs in their tracks.
Portable Office Technologies
Portable work devices in the office have become more commonplace in the past couple years. When implemented correctly, portable technology results in a flexible work environment by giving employees the power to choose the best work set up for his/her/their unique working style. Headsets with noise canceling headphones and powerful microphones are perfect for employees who spend a lot of time in video conferences. It doesn’t matter where employees are physically located if they are equipped with the right tools. Placing Wi-Fi boosters throughout dead zones and offering employees personal hotspots to use at home can increase employee productivity. Select office furniture conducive to quick, ad hoc meetings to encourage a collaborative, easy-going environment. Ultimately, when team members are empowered to choose where they spend their time during the work day, productivity levels and employee satisfaction increase. Everyone is happier!
Focus On Natural Features
Another innovative office design trend you should know and consider is implementing biophilic design. Whether you’re an outdoorsy person or not, nature a way of making individuals feel calm and peaceful. Design choices such as natural wood finishes, water fountains, plants, and living/green walls are proven to reduce stress in the workplace and make it easier for your team to focus. Even something as simple as natural sunlight can energize the body and prevent midday fatigue so place desks near windows when possible. If you’re looking to incorporate innovation within your workspace, bringing elements from the outdoors inside is a great option.
Outdoor and Mid-door Workspaces
Don’t be nervous to think outside the box when updating your office workspace. It’s easy to overlook outdoor areas when updating employee workstations. If you’re lucky enough to have exterior space adjacent to your office, you’ll want to make sure every inch of it is usable. Think of this area as an extension of your office and make sure it’s considered an acceptable location for your team to work. Incorporating comfortable outdoor furniture with durable, weather resistant fabric and sun protection will allow employees to take a break while getting a healthy dose of vitamin D. Being exposed to the outdoors during the workday will also enhance your team’s productivity levels and happiness.
Sustainable Furniture Pieces
Sustainability is also a popular trend in the current office design world—in fact, Rework is built on sustainability. Since 1993 we have been repurposing, refurbishing and refreshing office furniture, and helping workplaces all across the country pair their visions with sustainable practices. A considerable amount of used office furniture ends up in landfills every year and this kind of pollution is avoidable. Pre-owned furniture can usually be refurbished or donated, eliminating considerable landfill waste. In fact at Rework, we diverted 4.4M lbs of landfill waste in 2021 alone! Incorporating refurbished office furniture will give your workspace a truly custom aesthetic, result in cost savings and even cut back on long lead times associated with selecting something brand new. Rework’s selection of preowned furniture can be available for same day, curbside pick-up in Chicago. Furniture can also be ready to ship within 3-5 business days locally and 7-10 business days across the nation!
Ergonomically Designed Workstations
One of the biggest trends in office design is incorporating ergonomic furniture when possible. Ergonomics is the science of proper body alignment and with the correct support and body posture throughout the day, your team could find themselves feeling better and having more energy. Ergonomic seating, height-adjustable workstations and desk accessories ensure that an individual is always comfortable and prevents common workplace injuries, making for a positive and productive day at the office. Rework is an expert in ergonomics and has a huge selection of ergonomically sound furniture and accessories. We also can provide ergonomics consultations onsite or in our showroom. Make sure you work with an ergonomics specialist such as ours when selecting office furniture—your employees will thank you!.
Whether you’re looking for a few new pieces for a small office or if you have an entire workspace floor to fill, our Design on The Fly program is ideal for every kind of office space project. Our unique office space planning services give you the opportunity to personally meet with one of our registered interior designers. Together, you’ll select office furniture based on the unique scope of your project. Our team can be flexible and meet in person or virtually to accommodate busy schedules and location. Using a few upfront details such as photos, rough dimensions/layout and inspirational images, we’ll walk you through a 3D image of your office space and show you what it can look like our suggested design additions. We’ll walk through ideas for furniture selection, space planning and even accessories and finishes. Reach out today so we can help you get started on creating an innovative office perfect for your unique needs!
