More frequently of late, office designers and employers have sought a more holistic approach to designing offices. As cubicles wane in fashion as a simple of office conformity, the pendulum is swinging the other way, and offices that scream out “creativity” are all the rage.
Ideally, every company would get to design elaborate offices such as the ones used at giants like Facebook and Google. When working with limited resources, however, both employees who work in offices and the companies which lease them have to make some crucial decisions. When it comes time to make such a decision, here are some guiding principles to bear in mind for creative office design:
-Let employees have a say in their offices’ designs. Not every employee will get to break your bank to get the office they desire, but give them some input into the layout and format of their desk, cubicle, or office. Encourage them to decorate their surroundings as well.
-This may be a more controversial point, but many believe that color matters in office design! An all-gray office does not seem to inspire creativity in workers. According to some prominent color theorists, blue is a stabilizing color, green is a harmonizing color, and red is an energizing color as perceived by the human mind. Sound speculative at all? Maybe, but it’s worth consideration!
-Put a personal company stamp on the design. Your company’s culture, mission, and brand should somehow be incorporated into your office design aesthetics. Recurring symbols, patterns, and color schemes are good touches to keep in mind. A company that knows its mission knows how to do a good job designing an office. That much is for sure!
-Be creative if whole rooms aren’t available for offices. We aren’t suggesting dogmatic adherence to the cubicle office, but there is no reason you can’t carve out a corner of a room into an office space! In fact, the farther from a cubicle you depart, the more inviting the office will appear to most contemporary employees. Consider open space offices.
-Keep everything organized. Even offices that show flourishes of creativity ought to be well-ordered. Research has consistently shown that tidier work spaces lead to higher worker productivity. The archetype of the absent-minded creative genius is more myth than fact.
Whatever your office design and planning needs may be, Office Space Planners is here and happy to help out! Give us a call today to find out more.
