For many business owners, their office design doesn’t always get the top spot on their priority list. However, before doing any office fitouts in your workplace in Australia, it’s important to understand the importance of office design not only to a brand’s public image but also to overall employee productivity. A haphazardly designed office often leads to a negative atmosphere at work, which significantly affects employee morale, creativity, and collaboration. Also, clients won’t have a favorable image of your brand. That’s why it’s highly important to invest enough time or money in your office design.
Here are some of the most common office design mistakes. If any are present in yours, it’s highly likely that your employees are not performing at their utmost potential. Thankfully, there are easy solutions to these mistakes. Read on to learn more.
Making the room too crowded
It’s essential to give your employees enough space to move around, whether it’s at their specific workstations, shared lounge, or the cafeteria. While it’s understandable for many business owners to try to seat as many employees in their office as possible – after all, real estate costs are no joke – it’s not the most comfortable setup. In theory, it sounds perfectly reasonable, especially in terms of company finances. However, when employees need to say “excuse me,” every single time they leave their workstations, something has to be fixed. So, space things out as much as you can. If there’s more room in your office, employees will be more inspired to create and be productive.
Settling with a poor lighting system
Keep in mind that lighting greatly affects productivity. Of course, nothing beats natural light. But, if your office space doesn’t get a lot from the sun, go for soft lighting in either yellow or orange. Your goal is to make your office space look warm and elegant. Never try to use those bright LED lighting as they emit too much brightness and cause your employees to experience anxiety and headaches. Also, invest in some good quality lighting source, not just a single type of lighting.
Not providing a space to be human
Of course, your employees want to give it their best at work, whether it’s for a promotion or to do their share in the company. However, once they start feeling all burned out and mood swings creep in, even the most hardworking employees would surely need a break. For you to solve this issue, it’s highly recommended to have a well-designed break room. And no, we’re not just talking about that tiny corner with a water cooler and a couple of seats. It has to be an actual place where people can relax even for a few minutes. But before you start to worry, let’s make things clear: it doesn’t have to be like one of those fancy, colorful headquarters that are often featured in magazines and office design websites. All you need is a simple lounge area – a good quality coffee machine, some good reads, and of course, group and individual seating.
With these factors in mind, you can plan the office design that can help you and your employees in the long run. Doing so will also boost everyone’s morale and productivity daily.
