Business owners and office managers face an ongoing struggle to maintain and increase productivity in the office. There are many different occupational behaviour theories and management systems that all claim to be the best for increasing workplace productivity and efficiency.
We bet none of them are as simple or as effective as our theory. Are you ready? A comfortable working environment with adequate resources is the best thing for motivating your staff. We don’t think that is too bold of a claim, do you?
But how do you make a comfortable working environment? Well, lucky you because that is the topic of today’s discussion! Here are our top 5 ideas to create a hyper-productive and comfortable work environment.
Why Is The Office Fitout Important and How Does An Office Design Improve Productivity?
Your office space reflects the appreciation you have for your staff. This area is a part of their lives, and they will spend a similar amount of time in the office as they will in their own homes. The office is a magnifying glass that will foster organisational culture and team values. The office also reflects your brand, and will align staff’s trains of thought.
In addition to helping with staff psychology, the office fit out design ideas will be able to physically help with productivity by providing staff with the resources they need. Technological advancement helps most operations exponentially, and open space offices prompt collaboration and greater thinking.
5 Office Fitout Design Ideas To Improve Productivity
Idea Number 1: Open Space That Promotes Movement
People don’t like to feel like they’re being cramped and forced into a box like an animal at a zoo. Imagine strolling into work on a cold, dark winter morning in the rain to then sit at a small, grey cramped cubicle where you don’t speak to anyone, to then go home after dark and do it all again.
Having a free flowing office space where people can move about easily will increase collaboration and productivity. Additionally, an office that isn’t cramped will help people concentrate by dampening distractions like mouse/keyboard tapping.
Idea Number 2: Creating Work Specific Areas
This might sound like a strange statement, so what does it mean? What I mean by this is exploring the idea of creating zones with specific purposes. What’s the point of this? It can break up the days of your employees to make the day seem shorter. It also makes it easier for your employees to learn by consolidating mental stigmas with differentiated work experiences. Some of these specific areas could include:
- Quiet no-talking areas
- Meeting/breakout rooms
- Lunch/break recreational rooms
Idea Number 3: Make Sure The Office Is Beaming With Natural Light
Contrary to what some people might think, we are not night owls. Humans are meant to be awake during the day and sleep at night. A large player in that is because of this little thing called the sun.
Having ample natural light beam into the office will wake up your staff and help them to work more efficiently. For older employees and staff with deteriorated vision, the light will reduce headaches and help them see clearly. The importance of natural light should not be underestimated!
Warm, vibrant orange light is perfect for breakrooms and recreational areas because it increases relaxation. Meanwhile, cooler lights like blues and whites help with alertness, so are good for desk spaces.
Idea Number 4: Colour Psychology and Brand Design
Briefly touched on with lighting, colour psychology is very much a proven science, and should be considered as an office fitout idea. The study refers to how different colours create different moods in people.
Companies spend millions of dollars on this concept for their branding and logos, and it should also be implemented in your office fitout. Internationally, the colours mean different things, here is a guide on what the different colours mean in Australia:
White: Purity, sterile, clean. White is the most common colour in the office because of how clean it looks and it isn’t very distracting.
Careful not to only use white in your modern office fit out because it can make the office seem boring.
Black: Sophisticated, mysterious, powerful. Think of a high level penthouse apartment. It just feels expensive and powerful. As such, black is a very authoritative colour that emphasises minimalism.
However, too much black can suck the light and life out of a room and can turn the mood, so do not overuse it in your office fitout ideas.
Grey: Along with white, grey is one of the most common colours used in the office. It’s clean, simple and gets things done. It is extremely practical.
If you had to describe someone’s personality with a colour, and you described them as grey, do you think they’d take offence? I think they’d probably assume you’re calling them boring! It’s the same with your office fit out ideas. If you’re using grey, try considering spicing things up with some other visual features.
Red: Power, love, passion, danger, prestige. Red can be exceptional for branding in the office. I could only imagine coca-cola has a fair bit of red in their offices.
Red is a powerful colour, and as such it should be used sparingly in your ideas for an office fit out. What does this mean? Well, you probably shouldn’t go painting every wall in the office red, or start rolling out the literal red carpet through your entire space. Instead, furnishings and points of focus you want to highlight would look great in red!
Blue: If red was for dividing and conquering, blue is for improvising, adapting and overcoming. Soothing and calming, blue is a great colour for offices focusing on innovation.
When using blue, don’t go overboard because you might make your staff feel cold or overly sleepy as if they’re rolling at the bottom of the big blue sea!
Colours Cont’d
I think it’s become fairly transparent now that the rule of thumb when using colours for your ideas for an office design is that you should be careful not to overuse them. Steriles can be used more, powerful colours like blue and red used less. There is lots of research out there on colour psychology, go and have a look around, or contact a professional today.
Idea Number 5: Form Follows Function
When selecting furniture, or anything with the office, try to remember that form follows function. What does this mean? It means that every decision that you make, the functionality of it should be considered more important than the style.
Everyone loves things to look good, but people prefer being comfortable.
Bonus Idea: Indoor Plants!
Indoor plants are great for the office because of two reasons; they produce oxygen which is good for the brain and focus, and they can act as little office based pets!
The Benefit Of An Office Fitout Professional
Selecting an office fitout company has many advantages when undergoing an office fitout. There are rules and regulations (read more here) that you have to abide by, which a professional will be able to help you with. The Office Fitout Professionals are the best in commercial office fit outs in Perth because of our complete turnkey solution.
We will make sure we provide you with all the tools, designers, and commercial interior builders you need to meet regulations and make the process very easy. This is what separates us from other fitout companies in Perth.
You want a starting point for your commercial office fit out in Perth? Well, we’re it! The only thing slowing you down now is you! Contact us today to start your complete office rejuvenation.