How to Redesign Your Office for Productivity and Comfort

Changing the layout of your office can have a significant impact on the productivity of your employees as well as their well-being. A work environment should be one that is comfortable for everyone. Whether you are considering a simple desk reconfiguration or complete office overall, there are several important factors that you need to keep in mind. 

Take a look at some of the key considerations for planning and executing a successful change in your office layout.

Assess Your Current Office Layout 

Before you start making any changes it's essential to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your current office layout. When you start identifying areas that are functioning well and those that are not, this is how you are going to be able to strategically plan out your new layout. 

Consider the current workflow that the office layout provides, does it make it easy for there to be collaboration or does it help to make the environment more noisy? All of these are things you need to take into consideration when deciding how you're going to move forward with a new layout. 

Analyze Employee Feedback 

You need to ask your employees for their input on how the current layout is going to affect their work. They are the ones who will be using the office space so it's a good idea to bear their thoughts and feelings in mind. 

Your employees are the best source for information regarding daily challenges. They can provide you with valuable insight into what changes are going to improve the layout to facilitate productivity as well as comfort. 

Observe Work Load and Traffic Patterns 

You need to take notes of how people move around the office. Are there bottlenecks or areas where employees frequently collide with each other? 

Do you find that certain teams or departments need to be closer together so that they can have better collaboration? When you start observing these patterns it can help you to determine which areas are ripe for adjustments.

Define the Purpose of the Layout Change 

Understanding the primary reason as to why you are going to work on the layout is critical if you want to have a finished product that everyone will be satisfied with. Decide whether you want to enhance focus, create more meeting spaces, accommodate your team or if you simply want an increase in collaboration. 

When you start understanding the purpose of the layout it will guide decisions such as furniture placement, room division and any other design elements.

Prioritize Employee Needs and Work Styles 

Different teams and individuals are going to have varying work styles and you need to bear this in mind. Some are going to need quiet spaces for more focused work while others are going to thrive in a more collaborative environment. 

You need to clearly identify and define the types of spaces that are going to be needed to support all of these varying works needs. This is going to ensure that your employees are set up to give their best and reap success.

Future Proofing for Growth

If your company is expanding or you're planning to do so in the near future then you need to keep this in mind when you are creating a new office space. You should design the office layout with flexibility in mind so that you can accommodate any future hires that you may have. 

Make sure that you have a good design team on hand to assist you if you find this aspect challenging. They can help you to design with your future growth in mind. Consider getting furniture consultancy so that you can have a beautiful and functional layout.

Consider an Office Layout Style 

There are so many different types of office layouts to choose from. It can be a bit confusing, this is why you need to have some kind of a picture in mind of what each layout looks like. 

Open Plan Layout 

An open plan office is characterized by large open spaces that have very few or minimal partitions. This type of design fosters a collaborative environment as well as transparency. It can, however, lead to distractions because of the immense lack of privacy and the noise levels it fosters. 

It is a good choice for creative teams but it is probably not suitable if the roles of your employees require extreme concentration.

Private Office Layout 

If you're considering a private office layout then it is a good choice if you want individuals or small teams to have their own enclosed workspaces. 

This type of layout is going to offer the most privacy and it's going to squash distractions in a big way. This makes it ideal for management teams or employees who handle confidential information. It is, however, not good for spontaneous collaborations. 

Hybrid Layout 

A hybrid office layout is going to combine the elements of both an open plan and private office designs. It provides a good mix of open spaces so that you can have collaboration and private rooms when you need employees to do more focused work. 

This type of layout is very flexible and it works well for companies that have a diverse array of teams.

Activity Based Layout

An activity based layout is going to allow your employees to choose where they work based on what they have to do at a particular time. In this type of layout you're going to have quiet areas, meeting rooms, casual lounges as well as collaborating spaces. 

It's a very dynamic type of layout that's going to encourage movement as well as interaction but it requires proper space management if it is going to work effectively.

Maximize Space Efficiency 

When it comes to optimizing your office space it is critical that you are using your space as efficiently as you possibly can. You must make sure that every inch of your office is being used effectively so that you can improve functionality. 

Use Multi-Purpose Furniture 

You should invest in furniture that will serve multiple purposes. For example, you can get furniture that has built-in storage as this is going to help to reduce clutter. Try getting modular furniture as they can be easily rearranged into different shapes when it becomes necessary. 

Taking this approach to furnishing is going to be a great way to keep money in the companies pockets. You can sometimes have to dig deep to furnish an office but when you take this approach you are getting good value for money.

Create Flexible Spaces 

Consider creating spaces that can be adapted for different uses. These may be conference rooms that can double as break rooms or even coworking spaces from time to time. 

When you have a flexible design it's going to ensure that areas of the office don't go unused for very long periods of time.

Embrace Vertical Space 

If you find yourself short on floor space then the best thing to do is to think vertically. Use tall shelving units, gravitate towards wall mounted storage and hang plants to save space while keeping the office organized and looking great at the same time.

Getting your office to look amazing is not that difficult. All you have to do is make sure that you consider your needs and then take a look at all the options presented here. Not all of them will suit your needs but if you zero in on the ones that do you're going to create a productive and comfortable working environment for all employees.

Photo by Marc Mueller

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