Run-of-the-mill offices with grey cubicles, stiff-backed chairs and off-putting desks are passé. Enter the modern workspace as stylish work environments are fast replacing the once strictly utilitarian office decor. And the good news is that this transformation is not just restricted to the C-suites and corner offices either!
Yes, providing inspiring office desking solutions with an aesthetic yet practical bent is the need of the hour, which almost no organisation can afford to ignore.
Think about it – employees spend most of their waking hours at work and that too most of the times stuck behind dull desks in boring cubicles. The least they are entitled to is a quality work atmosphere in their everyday functional space.
Outfitting the office in warm, inviting and professional decor will bring a valuable payback too. Employees are bound to work longer, harder and better leading to increased productivity and efficiency. Creativity and positive work attitude will multiply manifold too.
In fact, a recent survey estimated that employees could increase the amount of work by 22 per cent if they had a better-designed workplace! Moreover, an office is not just about furniture, its about an image. A pleasing and ambient work atmosphere creates the all-important positive first impression that can attract customers and win the clients' business. As someone rightly observes, “In those few moments when you first experience the ambience and working environment of your potential supplier or business partner you subconsciously start to make the decision of whether or not to employ their services or buy their product”.
Ambience angle: Workplace infrastructure design has a tall order – it should be productive, comfortable, employee-friendly as well as create a pleasing ambience.
A unique look and feel can be achieved through various means like state-of-the-art designs and floor-to-ceiling windows or even simpler options like green plants, serene waterfalls and aquariums that will be both pleasing to the eye and also create positive energy all around.
Apart from the aesthetics, adequate attention should be paid to lighting, temperature and noise so as to enable employees to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. It goes without saying that a reasonable temperature should be maintained and extra noise filtered out as it can affect the quality of work. A proper lighting arrangement with sufficient brightness is a pre-requisite that can even be used to add style and character to the workplace.
Next comes the furniture design, construction and layout. Choose comfortable, durable and ergonomically appropriate furniture in wood, steel or glass. Everything from desks, chairs, cubicles, file cabinets and shelves to even reception and conference room furniture should be selected based on posture, access, clearance, reach and vision of the end-user. Ensure that the colour theme matches the furniture accordingly while not overlooking other factors such as texture or flooring.
Blending matters: A planned approach for the design and layout is advisable so that each and every space can be properly utilised. Again the move is away from dark, enclosing cubicles towards low-walled partitions for the work-stations that bring people together and encourage them to work in harmony. There should also be other work settings like informal meeting rooms, open work areas and communal spaces that promote collaborative interaction, knowledge sharing and innovation.
A rule of thumb – aim for a good blend of functional and attractive as too much of one might kill the other.
Apart from this, workplace design should ideally be tailored according to the goals, objectives, culture, work practices of the organisation and even the job functions and demographic of the employees. For instance, one forward-thinking company customised the workspaces for its 85 per cent female workforce with desks with cubbies for shoes, a mirror and other personal items. Even Google offices are celebrated for their unconventional workspaces that foster unbridled creativity and innovation.
To sum up, offices should be tastefully decorated and furnished with good quality furniture to create an elegant, subdued, organised and relaxing work ambience that is also in keeping with the company identity so that employees actually enjoying doing their work.
Yet, redesigning sleek and sophisticated workspaces comes with a heavy price tag. Deem it a sound investment as the professional touch will create immense value not only as a recruitment, motivation and retention tool but also serves well for attracting and impressing customers!
Payal Chanania
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