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A new year means a new opportunity for change. That includes your office design and functionality. If you’ve felt in the past year that your workspace doesn’t quite feel how you want it to, or that it doesn’t operate in an effective way, then why not take a look at rearranging and redesigning. It’s important to work in a space that functions efficiently and therefore motivates those who work within it. Your office needs to inspire people to be productive, attentive and driven. Why not take a look at these office design trends for 2018 to see if any inspire you.
Biophillically designed workspaces are becoming more and more common, with some architects and interior designers seeing it as best practice. Using plants and greenery as an integral part of office design encourages productivity and a connection with nature. Specifically, in built-up metropolitan areas, this trend can provide a workspace disguised as a green haven. Rather than just putting a few plants around the office, this trend actually incorporates nature into textures, lighting and use of foliage. Providing greenery and natural light in built up or industrial areas can make it more enjoyable for employees to come to work.
Traditionally, offices are not created to be collaborative spaces. For efficiency, they tend to be designed in a linear pattern to try and get as many desks in as possible. However, challenging this notion has become more popular in office design over the last few years. Collaborative areas that spark conversation and provide a place to share have actually have been shown to help boost productivity. Previous trends in architecture have been shown to hinder collaboration, but this is going to change in 2018. A great collaborative space is the kitchen, so make sure that this area is an inviting space to spend time. By installing Billi taps in your kitchen, you can encourage collaborative conversations and idea sharing over a hot drink.
With people often working overtime, and spending as much time at work as they do at home, it’s no surprise that elements of home-influenced design have made their way into the workplace. People eat breakfast at work, lunch at work and sometimes even dinner. Some of them even go to the gym at lunch then want to shower afterwards. If the office has comfortable seating areas, great cafeterias or lunchrooms, and showers, employees will feel more at home. This desire for a home-feel stems from an increasingly millennial workforce and their desire for unconventional workspaces.
Technology is the future, and if you don’t want to be left behind, you best get on board. This office design trend may not be new, but it gets more important by the year, as reliance on technology increases. Stay up to date with the tech world by introducing docking stations, cable friendly desks, technology ports and electric charging towers for multi-plug use. In conclusion, your workplace needs to be stylish, homely but still extremely functional and efficient.