Are you preparing to move into a new office or hoping to make some changes to your current office place? There’s more to it than saving money. Office design can improve productivity – or hurt it if you’re not careful. Different design choices can change the way your workplace feels, the emotional well-being of staff, and how much they get done in a day.
Workplace Color
The color scheme in your workplace is one of the most important decisions you can make when you’re redesigning a new space. Gray, beige, and white are proven to make people feel depressed, sad, and isolated, particularly women, while men react negativelyto purple and orange workspace. Beyond mood, color can also affect productivity. There are four colors you should consider for your office:
Green and Blue – These two low-wavelength colors have similar effects. They’re natural colors and calm tones are proven to improve efficiency. Green and blue environments help people focus and get to work. Green and blue are both great choices for a hard-working office.
Red – Unlike with green and blue, red draws attention to itself. It’s best used in environments where physical work happens, so it may not be ideal in an office setting. Red could become stressful, since it raises the heart rate. But in the right context, it can be a big motivator.
Yellow – Yellow is the color of optimism and creativity. Use yellow in highly creative environments where innovation and new ideas keep things moving.
Furniture that Works
Collaborative Spaces – More and more offices are creating common work spaces to improve collaboration and innovation. Opinions are divided about the effects that the lack of privacy have on productivity. The noise can be distracting, it can be difficult to focus, and workers don’t collaborate the way designers imagined they would. But that’s what happens when you have people do individual work in an open setting. No office today should lack space where groups can work together. Use long worktables or round tables in a spacious, airy room for when real collaboration needs to happen.
Posture – Sitting at a desk eight, nine, or ten hours a day can be bad for your health. One of the things that can promote better posture at the workplace is making sure computers, desks, and office chairs are set up the right way. For better posture, follow these tips:
● Monitors should be centered
● Monitors should be an arms’ length away from your face
● The top of the screen should be at eye level
● Screens should be tilted slightly upward
● Avoid glare through windows, which can cause eye strain
It may be time to get new office chairs that are adjustable to give your employees better posture or invest in ergonomic office chairs. Shopping online is an effective way to save on office furniture.
The workplace environment plays a big role in worker productivity. The office should be made for people. You spend a large part of your life at the office and it should be a place that makes you feel motivated, productive, and ready to take on any challenge.
