Today’s guest post is from S. Arefin, a small office customer relationship management specialist who works for an online CRM company, the CleverTim. Arefin shares advice about the “big 3” factors that make your office space effective and enjoyable.
Do you work solo in a small home based office? Do you have just a few employees working for you? Or, do you employ quite a large number of staff? Regardless of the size of your workplace, office interior design and decoration are important concepts. An ideal office environment is pleasing to the eye. It is appropriately designed and decorated for the industry, the brand of the company, and the type of work performed there. This is about more than just looking good. The space should make people feel good as well. Research from leading office furniture companies like Haworth and Steelcase shows that the aesthetics of the office space affect your workforce, increasing engagement and productivity.
Creating a positive workplace culture is also about showing appreciation, giving praise, recognition and flexibility to employees. But the environment sets the stage for the culture. Well-designed modern small office interiors encourage employees to look forward to coming to work each day and help them feel confident about the tasks they are employed to do. It all begins with the following three factors: light, space and office furniture.
Light
Decent lighting is a vital aspect of effective small office interior design. Light naturally produces a positive effect on people. When light is maximised, the office itself takes on a “feel good” factor. Natural light flooding in via large windows is best. But light-coloured walls and smooth surfaces also encourage available light to be more generously reflected around the entire office. Glass is an excellent design feature to use in small offices as light is then easily distributed without hindrance. Some newer office interior lighting products even add an internally-lit facing to walls, giving the whole space a lovely glow.
Space
Poor space usage results in claustrophobic, cluttered work environments that make employees less productive and positive. It’s not necessarily how large the space is but whether it is maximized. To make the most of your square footage, take into account the number of workers, the nature and volume of tasks, flexibility of work schedules, and other factors pertinent to your business.
Basic concepts to create a spacious uncluttered office include creating sufficient walkways between desks, ensuring cubicle walls or workspace dividers are the appropriate height, and providing adequate storage space. Office housekeeping tasks such as storing PC cables neatly out of view and having employees store office supplies in desk drawers help keep the work environment from appearing messy.
Another good design element to creating a spacious small office is to incorporate an open, desk-free area. This can be a collaboration space, a break area, or an informal space for people who work best when there’s a little bustle going on. This area may contain comfortable lounge furniture, a coffee table, plants, or a mid-sized conference table.
Furniture
There’s a lot more to small office interior decoration then simply creating a shopping list for desks, task chairs, and filing cabinets! These are the normal “big ticket” items, but there’s a huge variety of options. Consider how the appearance and the function of the furniture impact the office atmosphere. High quality ergonomic office chairs are essential. They’re also a good item to buy in a bright colour to add vibrancy to the office. You can also create a more healthy work environment by choosing modern, height adjustable workstations that allow employees to sit or stand throughout the day. This gives employees a boost of energy and helps them stay on task.
