4 Ways to Make Your Office Space Boost Productivity
A well-designed office space benefits businesses in many ways. For starters, it can help boost brand identity and attract the right talent. It likewise improves employee attributes, such as creativity, productivity, motivation, and even mental and emotional health.
Office interior design plays a vital role in increasing workplace productivity. When exposed to a conducive work environment, they become inspired and motivated to accomplish their tasks to the best of their capacities. In contrast, when deployed in depressing conditions, they can provide a dismal output at best.
So what are some of the ways you can increase workspace productivity using office interior design? Below are four recommendations you can look into:
- Let the light in.
In the 2018 study of Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower, Singaporeans spend an average of nine hours a day at the office or 44.9 hours a week. Despite being lower compared to years prior, the figure shows that working Singaporeans spend a significant time indoors, under manually adjusted lighting conditions.
While provided with adequate office lighting, the effects of natural light are still different in terms of boosting employee productivity. It is because natural light regulates the body’s circadian rhythms and the release of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone.
Interior designers recommend allowing natural light to enter the office premises. Natural light will not only brighten up the workspace during the day; it likewise provides a boost in energy levels and helps maintain normal bio clock functions.
Also, utilising natural light conserves energy, allowing you to save on electricity costs.
- Think before opting for an open floor plan.
Just because it’s the trend, it doesn’t mean that an open floor plan is the most suitable design for your office. Indeed, a growing number of businesses are transitioning to open and collaborative workspaces. While this alternative type of floor plan promises better social interaction and enhances organisational bonding, it may not apply to the kind of operations your office is doing.
You may want to look into the type of work tasks your employees are doing. How do they use the office space? How do they move around? What environmental needs do they have to receive to accomplish their tasks on time? Which surroundings are they most comfortable and motivated to work in?
By knowing the answers to these questions, you can decide whether you should stick to a cubicle farm, or it’s time to switch to an open floor plan.
- Create a “palette of place” in your office.
Your employees are people too. They need to breathe and relax, even when at work. In this regard, you may want to create a “palette of places.” It refers to layering different spaces wherein your employees become exposed to different environments without leaving the workplace.
For instance, you may want to dedicate an area where they can do some stretching exercises, or renovate the pantry to make it look like a lounge for them to enjoy meals and breaks. These simple tweaks allow them to rest and recharge a bit so they can work at their best.
- Add variety to the office space.
Regardless of the type of office floor plan you have, you need to add variety to it. You may brighten up the sparse walls with décor to break the monotony or place indoor plants.
Indoor plants help freshen up a closed office environment. They also provide a calm and serene ambiance to the workplace in the same manner as parks do.
At the same time, circular design elements enhance creativity in the office. You may want to hang wall art that features circles or use furniture pieces with rounded edges to help boost your employees’ creative juices.
