Whether you’re staying in your current location or moving somewhere that will be better suited to the size of your workforce, you can design the space quickly and inexpensively with a few simple tricks and tips.
The key to creating a successful office design for a small business is rearranging the positive elements you already have, before augmenting them with inexpensive additions. Even something like placing extra thought into the seating plan of the office can make a huge difference to the functions, culture and morale in the office.
Here are a few design ideas that will help to keep costs down, while maximising influence on the business:
The Start-Up:
Borrow ideas from the average start-up as it’s perfect to inspire flexible work habits and free thinking. The key element is to have standing working space, so it’s a good idea to incorporate a few flexible surfaces for the placing of laptops, tablet devices and any associated peripherals. Common furniture of a start-up layout includes things like café tables and sofas – anything to get people together to collaborate while making them comfortable at the same time.
The Inspiration Hub:
This is a layout where ideas are sparked; so key features of this office design include inspiration boards, idea banks and plenty of casual meeting spaces. Inspiration hubs are ideal for offices that want to encourage a culture of constant improvement; with colleagues pushing each other to dream up the next big idea. It can also be used to serve clients, create projects or anything else that requires a modicum of innovation. If your business relies on an exchange of ideas, an inspiration hub will be ideal.
The Light-Flooded Office:
Adding more light to an office can help to boost mood, health and productivity, so for offices with small budgets that need a more comfortable environment, flooding the office with light can be a big help. By clearing away window displays and blinds, adding mirrors and switching out lightbulbs, the amount of synthetic and natural light can be increased.
The Multi-Environment Office:
Giving employees the means to take charge of how they’d like to work is a great way to boost productivity, the quality of that work, happiness and subsequently, their attachment to the company. This is why more workplaces are introducing multiple environments; from comfortable areas for solo/group working, and private rooms for quiet working and meetings, to the traditional open office set-up. Creating such an office design is relatively easy; areas can be ‘zoned’ using decorated wooden frames or different tiles/carpets to designate different areas.
The Motivational Office:
Ever been stuck on a task and looked around for inspiration, with nothing in sight aside from dull, plain walls? Sometimes, giving the office a new lick of paint can help to boost mood, concentration and productivity; some firms even use motivational quotes to inspire or encourage a fresh way of thinking. Thinking about intelligent wall design and obtaining paint and decorations is more inexpensive (and just as inspiring) than going the whole hog and totally redesigning the office, so it’s an option well worth exploring.
The Social Office:
Boosting employee happiness and retention is important, therefore making the office a more social environment can help. Recent polls have shown that people value workplace friendships and that the formation of these friendships will enhance performance. A good place to start would be to arrange desks to encourage face-to-face interactions; bring desks up to eye height and allow people to face each other. Introducing cosy breakout areas for them to have informal meetings or chats will be a big help too.
So if you’re considering improving your own office interiors in the near future or are thinking about altering your small office design, why not consider getting in touch with our expert team to see how we can help?
For 30 years, the Oaktree team have been designing and building bespoke offices for all manner of business operations throughout the South of England. During that time, we have kept up with all of the latest design trends and technology, enabling us to not just establish a knowledgeable and trusted business, but also one that stays constantly at the forefront of the changing workplace.
Regardless of your requirements, whether you too want to improve the collaborative aspects of your office layout or if you need a full-scale fit-out, our proven track record suggests that we can help you to achieve your aims.
As part of our service, we offer a free, no-obligation consultancy that takes into account all of your aims, the needs of your employees and the set-up of your building, before compiling them into a design plan. Included in this will be mock-up 2D and 3D high-resolution images of what your ideal office may look like. So why not consider getting in touch with our team today?
If you would like to learn more about how we can provide the ideal office design for you, give us a call at 0345 21 86955 or email hello@oaktreeoffice.com.