When looking into redesigning your workspace, it is important to consider the impact that the decisions you make can have on the work ethic of your employees. When most of us think ‘office space’, various shades of grey and beige are what immediately come to mind; however, these bland design choices are commonly accompanied by unmotivated staff that struggle to find the right spaces in which they can concentrate.
We understand that neutral colours may seem like the safest of options, but they’re extremely uninspiring and known to bring down the productivity of your work force; producing a missed opportunity to express company culture and reinforce how spaces can, and should, be used. Adding a small dash of colour to your interior fitout is just one of the many design choices known to affect work performance.
Knowing how to achieve the right kind of workplace to properly reflect your business is something that can prove challenging, but the below ideas can provide the solution on how to turn your office from a mundane environment into a place to inspire innovation and creativity.
Don’t shy away from Bold Colours
It’s a very well-known fact that colour can have an impact on our mood; experiencing psychological changes when exposed to certain colours which can thus have an impact on the productivity of your team. Knowing the correct colour to choose will completely depend upon your aims for your business and the kind of change you want to promote within the productivity and motivation of your work force. If your goal is to inspire employees, ensuring they’re energised and enthusiastic while at work, you may want to opt for the warmer colours on the spectrum, such as reds, oranges, and yellows. These are shades that will be of most use in main areas of an office space where most of the work is carried out; promoting productivity and a positive attitude within the workplace.
If you’re aiming for the opposite effect, typically in spaces such as break rooms and various other hangouts where your team will want to go to relax, colours of a cooler tone are those that will have the most effect. Shades of green and blue can help your employees to feel more calm and relaxed when taking those much needed breaks, giving them a proper opportunity to unwind and recharge before returning to work.
Providing those that work for you with proper areas to take a break is something commonly overlooked but can, in the long run, work wonders for promoting proper motivation and will have employees returning to their desks refreshed and feeling ready to resume their work.
While neutral colours are something that can come in handy, you shouldn’t be afraid to go for a bolder look when improving your working environment to boost productivity. Consider the use of colour more of an organisational tool or chance to support your brand, utilising the brand colours in the redesign, rather than just a simplistic design choice!
Promote a feeling of community within the Office Space
A common mistake in office design is the misconception that putting up dividers between desks will increase productivity and encourage workers to focus on the task at hand rather than socialising with their colleagues. However, this often has the opposite desired effect; causing employees to become unmotivated and less likely to enjoy their time spent in the workspace.
Separating your employees can dramatically bring down the overall mood of your work force, causing individuals to feel isolated and thus less motivated throughout the day. Providing them with co-working spaces can be a great solution to this, helping to encourage a sense of community and collaboration. This can help employees to view the work they’re carrying out as more meaningful; increasing overall levels of motivation and inspiration.
Incorporate a sense of Wellness to your refurb
Dotting a few plants around your office space may seem like the most obvious trick in the book, but is a small investment that can actually work wonders for the quality of life employees experience while in a working environment. Incorporating natural materials and elements such as live greenery, reclaimed wood, and stone, can have a serious impact on both the health of your task force, and their outlook of the workspace; creating a more positive environment overall.
Investing in health focused furniture in your interior fitout, such as standing desks and chairs that work to promote good posture, is another change that you can make to help to improve the quality of your offices, encouraging employees to care for their physical health and decreasing the chances of them developing any issues in the future, such as back pain, that can accompany long periods of sitting.
It is also vital that you ensure the less obvious aspects of wellness are tended to with effect, such as proper temperature control, good quality of air and acoustics, as well as an appropriate amount of natural lighting. Utilisation of window space is something often not given any second thought, but providing natural light to your employees vastly improves their motivation.
To discover what we can do for you, visit our interior fitout services page; alternatively, why not have a look at our previous projects to learn how we work to increase productivity in the office space?