Are you a business owner wondering how to design your London office space to increase employee productivity? In this blog you will find a practical guide on how to make the most of your office space, for it to be a place you and your employees will be happy to work in.
A well-designed office space can help to boost employee motivation, building a positive and productive working environment. The furniture, accessories, light, and even the size and layout of the space itself can make a big difference in whether your employees can work to their highest potential or not.
Additionally, businesses should try to create a clutter-free environment as it helps to maintain a calm atmosphere where there are fewer distractions so that employees will find it easier to focus.
It is particularly important for start-up businesses to make the most of their office space to be able to adjust accordingly as their team grows. For example, they should use effective techniques to maximise storage space, such as fitting floating shelves or vertical cabinets, which will allow more room to add extra desks when required.
To help you write a fit-for-purpose office design brief and achieve a creative office space that suits your business’s needs, read our guide below.
London is an urban jungle consisting of concrete and many tall buildings, broken up by very little greenery. So, to help your employees escape their urban surroundings, consider filling your office space with plants and flowers.
The vibrant colours of office plants will also provide your employees with relief from technology, such as laptops and computer screens. Small plant pots on desks and hanging baskets in windows can quickly turn a boring office space into a stylish and inspiring environment.
There are other benefits to having plants in the office, which include:
Lastly, not only will they improve the visual aspect of your working environment, but buying plants for the office is relatively cheap, so it is an effective solution if you have a tight budget.
Another area that falls under biophilic design to connect employees with their natural surroundings is an effective approach to help incorporate natural light.
Ideally, you should try to rent an office that has plenty of windows to let in natural light; however, since London is such a built-up area and popular amongst businesses, renting a space that has natural light may not be an option when offices are being quickly snapped up as soon as they become available.
Of course, not all businesses require natural light in their office. The industry of the business and the tasks that employees need to complete will determine the light that is needed.
The benefits of natural light in a working environment include:
There are many ways to bring natural-looking light to an office space where there are limited, or no, windows.
For example, you could:
Most businesses want to express themselves, showing who they are and what they are about to the world. A lot of businesses also want to encourage creativity in their employees.
A simple way they can achieve both of the above is through the use of office artwork.
In a working environment, artwork helps to:
Additionally, by placing pieces of art around your office space you will turn a blank wall into an interesting focal point, particularly if you display the work of a local artist, which will help to add character and relevance to the piece. It will also demonstrate that you are supporting local businesses.
Breakout spaces are areas that allow employees time away from their desks. It is an area that is less formal than a working environment, enabling employees to relax and recharge on their breaks.
More and more businesses are desiring office space that has breakout spaces as they understand the huge benefits that come with them.
The benefits of breakout spaces in an office include:
A working environment that only has desks and chairs for furniture will usually only inspire boxed thinking, whereas breakout spaces take employees away from that, allowing room for more creative thinking.
As previously mentioned, tall plants can be used to provide a breakout space by dividing the office space into sections. To help create a breakout space, you could also:
DeVono has a portfolio of serviced offices that are available to rent, including London offices with breakout spaces.
We hope this guide on creative office design has given you ideas that you can implement within your office space to help boost the happiness and productivity of your employees.
Additionally, contact our workplace design team for further advice on how to create your perfect office space.
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