When it comes to boosting employee collaboration, enhancing teamwork and improving communication in the workplace – office design is key.
The flow, functionality and feel of the space can have a huge impact on the way that people work with one another. Not only can design affect the way individuals operate day-to-day, but ultimately shape your company culture.
So how exactly can we design offices that enhance creativity and collaboration?
Use open plan designs
If you’re keen to encourage communication between colleagues, then an open plan layout may be best for your business.
Set your desks up in a formation that makes collaboration easy, allowing people to make eye contact with one another throughout the day. Avoid large screens or cubicles that isolate people or make conversation difficult.
To help create your open plan design, use intelligent circuit simulation software to plan the layout of electronic ports and lighting throughout the office. It’s a great way to design and simulate your electrical wiring system, so you can check if it’ll function well before any building work is done.
Create various zones
When designing your office space, think about creating a mixture of zones that serve different purposes.
For example, do you want a sociable area that allows colleagues to connect informally? Do you need comfortable seating spots where people can have one-on-one chats? Or do you want fun and vibrant places that encourage creativity?
Consider the types of spaces your company requires and dedicate certain sections of your office to them. Thinking this through early in the design process will ensure you cater for all needs and create a space that works for everyone.
Use colour effectively
If you’re keen to create an environment that sparks collaboration, you need to get the interior design right. This means using colours that encourage creative thinking and teamwork.
According to office furniture expert Haiken, “the colour yellow is viewed as an optimistic colour that can inspire increased levels of creativity and is great for areas of collaboration”.
Think about ways you can incorporate shades of yellow into your design. Could you invest in yellow furniture like sofas and chairs? Or could you introduce pops of yellow into artwork around the office? Choose what works best for your space.
Offer a variety of meeting spaces
While boardrooms have their uses – they’re not the be-all and end-all of meeting room design. Consider creating a mixture of spaces that suit different requirements.
For instance, you may want to create a big room for large conferences or presentations, small spaces for team meetings and cosy nooks for informal chats.
Consider offering some break-out spaces that allow employees to brainstorm ideas or bounce thoughts off one another in a more relaxed setting. This will give colleagues somewhere to go regardless of whether they’re hosting an important external meeting or want to have a one-on-one with a manager.
There are many ways to build a creative and collaborative office, from utilising open plan designs to using the right colour schemes. Hopefully, these tips will help you to create an office space that truly works for your company and allows your employees to thrive.
