While often challenging, the process of dreaded office redesign can be one of the most impactful changes you can make to your business.
If you’re considering taking the leap, regardless of whether the goal is a minor refresh or a complete re-imagination, careful planning and good design can create a space which works far beyond the aesthetics. To give you a helping hand, we’ve put together four of the most important things you should consider from the start.
Workplace culture
How your newly-designed office will be defined largely depends on the type of company you are today and the kind you’d like to be in the future. This will ultimately come down to your employees, who should be involved in the process of refurbishment from the outset to give suggestions and feedback.
For example, while many modern offices are embracing open plan workspaces, this may not fit your company if your employees favour an individualistic approach to their work. Instead, they may feel they’d benefit from a hybrid approach which incorporates both focused working and communal areas to maximise productivity.
Space management
Aside from fire safety, designing an effective floor plan is essential for a productive office. Studies have shown that the layout of a working environment can have psychological implications, affecting morale and relationships between employees.
Prior to starting the refurbishment process, consider which departments collaborate most often, how the most commonly-used equipment can be accessible to everyone and what path is most efficient for visitors to take when making their way to meeting rooms.
Brand identity
Branding so often stops with digital or printed materials, but what many people don’t realise is that it should be infused into the space where everything happens. It has to go further than simply just putting your logo and company name on the walls. It should be reflected in every area of your office through your choice of colour, lighting, furniture, and even layout.
Encapsulating your brand in your workplace will be the deciding factor in how you’re perceived by whoever walks through the door, whether it’s a potential client, job applicant or even the postman. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression, after all!
Room for growth
When starting your initial design consultation, take some time to think about where your company may be in 3-5 years’ time and plan for how future employees will fit in. Having the ability to adapt will not only maximise the use of your workspace, but will also allow your office to expand as the years go on.
Consider the option of incorporating relocatable partitioning and mechanical systems that provide the freedom of movement within your office and will allow you to meet new demands.
Not sure where to start with your office redesign?
Taking the practicalities of office design into account is crucial to developing a happy and productive workspace. Your choice of furniture, colours and lighting may be top of your list, but remember that what goes on ‘behind the scenes’ will likely make just as much of an impact. If you’re thinking of refurbishing your office or moving to new premises but aren’t sure where to start, get in touch with Foursquare Workspace on 0800 6347 415 or sales@4sws.co.uk to see how we can help.