Throughout the evolution of office design over the past century, many layout trends have come and gone. For instance, minimalism was all the craze just a few years earlier, but in more recent times, newer offices are adopting more industrial layouts. While office layout design trends like these may be fleeting, they inspire new design styles or even cause a resurgence of old ones.
One reason why the design of your office matters is that your employees spend more time there than they do at home on any given working day. That’s why having an environment that encourages productivity, collaboration, and well-being should be the top priority for your business. To help you understand the popular trends and how to use them, we studied 5 that influence office layouts for you.
5 Trends Influencing Office Layouts
The concept of “where you work defines how you work” supports all the current office layout trends. With an emphasis on comfort, well-being, and interaction as a means to improve productivity, innovative office designs are proven to inspire and empower employees to give their best. As you plan for a new or refreshed office design to spruce up your workplace, you could get some inspiration from these five trends that influence office layouts.
Flexible and Dynamic Spaces
More and more companies are integrating flexible and dynamic spaces in their office layout. The distinguishing feature of this type is that there aren’t any restrictions, so employees can suit themselves as to where or how they want to work! In this office setup, furniture can be easily moved or rearranged. This is very appealing for employees as they don’t have to be confined to traditional workstations. You could have adjustable height desks that can sit employees working on their laptops, as an example.
As long as they have access to wireless tech and internet connections, there’s no reason why they need to be sitting at one particular desk throughout the day. Adaptable workspaces are becoming more popular because they allow for movement, interaction, and flexibility. Employees can adjust their workspaces according to the size of the team needed or the project at hand by using these designs that fit any need!
Branded Workplace
This branded workplace layout is based on the concept that companies have a story to tell, and the way you construct your space or facilities can help you share that story to inspire your employees or the community. Your office design could be representative of your company’s core principles or humble beginnings – expressed in the color palettes, the fabric of your office furnishings, and other design elements used in your work environment.
Innovative Areas
Millennials make up a large number of the workforce and as such, they want office designs that encourage creativity. As an out-of-the-box group, millennials share the penchant for a working setup that could go from a lounge type of space for collaboration to a casual meeting room with fluffy bean bags propped on the floor.
This includes sit-stand desks and other adaptable furniture that promote the employees’ overall health. Creating comfortable spaces where employees can connect with one another is crucial for fostering creativity and improving productivity.
Collaborative Meeting Spaces
Collaborative spaces are the latest office design trend driven by millennials. For employees who tend to be more mobile and prefer converging in communal areas rather than sitting at desks, collaborative meeting spaces allow them the opportunity to build relationships with coworkers while stimulating creativity through brainstorming sessions or less formal meetings.
Meeting spaces are no longer limited to glass doors because it’s important for office areas that can be used in different ways. For example, some meeting rooms may convert into breakout or quiet nooks when needed!
Privacy-Friendly Workstations
The flexibility of open-plan layouts is one of the reasons they’re so popular, but there’s also an argument to be made for creating private spaces in offices. If you should enclose some parts of your floor plan, you could do away with traditional booths or dividers and instead go for more semi-enclosed settings that still let your employees work with as little distraction as possible.
Limiting the number of employees in an office space is often seen as a way to foster creativity and teamwork. Plus, there are financial benefits for allocating less square footage per employee!
Which Office Layout Trend Should You Go For?
All things considered, here are some office trend pointers to apply in your workplace design decisions:
Don’t just settle for aesthetics.
You might think an aesthetically designed workplace can motivate your employees to no end, but the truth is it’s not always true. In order for a co-working space or office environment to have a real impact on employee productivity and happiness, you need more than just good looks— you also have to consider the culture, values, and talent that define your company.
Bring Natural Elements Inside
Bring nature into the workplace with plants and trees! With our ever-expanding skyline, it’s difficult for employees to catch glimpses of natural elements during their workdays. Studies show that viewing greenery and rich tones can provide a sense of well-being and stimulation. 62% of office professionals also place natural lighting as one of the top design elements in modern office design. Integrating natural elements in functional spaces, such as water features or green wall dividers, provide spaces for relief from mental and physiological fatigue.
Incorporate Break Rooms
Breakout spaces are communal areas where employees can take a quick break to unwind between tasks during long work days. Inviting, creative areas with plenty of break spaces have been proven to increase concentration, collaboration, confidentiality, and creativity.
Design your Office Layout with iSpace Office Interiors
The important thing to remember is that you can capitalize on evolving trends as they present themselves. At the end of the day, companies would greatly benefit from designing workspaces that reflect their culture. For a workplace design that will work for you for years to come, check out iSpace Office Interiors!
The space that you work in is more than just a place to do your job. iSpace Office Interiors’ principles are based on the premise that office design complements staff productivity and a successful workplace culture. Our team of experienced professionals offers highly personalized solutions with reliable delivery as we envision our partnership to bring innovation at its finest! Contact us today to get started!
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
Photo by Alesia Kazantceva on Unsplash