Category Archives: Office Space Planning

New Year, New Setup: Planning Your Office Makeover

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office space planning

Today, approximately 70% of offices across the nation use open-floor plans. There are several pros and cons to this type of workspace—distractions being a con and accessibility being a pro. If there’s one thing that’s certain, having an open floor plan means exposure to all areas of the office. You might pass by someone’s desk and see candy wrappers scattered throughout or you’ll quickly gain insight into your employee’s interest with their choice of decor. A lot can be revealed with this type of floor plan. But if you’re feeling like you could make better use of space or want the office to feel more “open” or “bright” then it may be time to consider office space planning.

Maximizing the Space You Have

office space planning

If one of your current dilemmas is figuring out how to maximize the space you currently have, there are a couple of things you can do. When you hire an office design expert, they will take a look into a couple of items including:

  • The total number of employees
  • The projected total number of employees within the next five years
  • What your average foot traffic looks like
  • Which departments need to be within proximity of each other
  • What tools or equipment are necessary to perform certain tasks
  • Where are meetings, break areas, and other common spaces located

Those are a couple of the factors that an office space planner will first examine in order to determine the moving pieces. The goal is to make use of every area of your office. By placing desks in a fashion that enhances productivity, it will ultimately limit distractions and maximize your space, no matter how big or small it may be.

Working With a Professional

An office design expert sees your office from a different perspective. They take into consideration your business operates. This includes finding a way to maximize productivity for various departments and creating a setup that’s comfortable and welcoming. Your furniture, color schemes, and the dimensions of your office will all be strategically considered in order to best match choices that will enhance the work environment. On the surface, it may not seem like something as minimal as the color of your walls will affect your employees’ work behavior but indeed it will! Colors evoke moods and can create positive emotions as well as negative ones.

Our design expert, Kim Gregory has years of experience in professional office design and can certainly help you create your desired workspace. Connect with us today to learn more!

Open Office and Closed Workspaces – Why Choose?

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Office space planning sketchIn recent years, many professional experts and studies have devoted themselves to advocating open office spaces and how they improve office productivity and employee morale. It was put forward that open work spaces encouraged more collaboration, as well as removing constricting walls that made some office workers feel more like drones than employees. Soon, office space planning was overloaded with open work space designs. Gone were the square cubicle of past decades- now employers were investing in bright, open spaces and shared desks. Unfortunately, when it comes to office space planning, it is no longer a one size fits all concept. In 2018, we began to see an increasing attention to what works for employees, not what particular trend is being pushed by these “experts”.

Open Vs Closed Office Work Spaces

While many businesses were quick to embrace an open floor plan for their offices, it may not have been the best choice for all industries, or even for all employees. Open floor concepts can work wonderfully for collaborative teams, where a group of people are working on one project to achieve the same goal. It makes it easier to discuss ideas, compare different aspects of a project, and share information.

However, no matter what industry you are in, open work spaces can also run the risk of distractions, noise, and unhappy employees whose different work styles may not mesh well. With this in mind, we are seeing an emergence of a different kind of closed workspace. Individual workstations, as well as a smart use of space are becoming more and more popular. We are also seeing the rise of designated room spaces, like lounges and cafe-like setups where employees can enjoy a quiet space that is respected by everyone else. This provides a welcome respite from a co-worker who has to constantly be on the phone, or to get away from whatever collaborative process is taking place elsewhere.

Considering Your Industry and Your Employee Needs

Not every industry should or can embrace the open office space concept, for varying reasons. For example, a financial advising company who deals in confidential information and deals would not be wise to indulge in such a concept. With so much confidential information floating around, they might consider putting their own spin on it, such as glass barriers and formal meeting rooms to ensure privacy. A marketing agency, which can have different departments and considerations, can consider dividing their departments in a way to fit their needs. Many companies that are concerned with a professional demeanor and appearance can find open offices to be too chaotic to present to clients, therefore sticking to grouped cubicles or different types of enclosed offices.

Office Space Planning Should Be About More than Open or Closed Spaces

When it comes to how you want to handle office space planning, it is much more complicated than choosing cubicles or shared desks. It is about your employees and they way they work, your industry needs, and your own particular taste. At Indoff Commercial Interiors, Kim Gregory will help you decide not just what office chairs and desks will provide the face you want for your business, but she can also help you analyze and choose the best way to organize your office space for maximum productivity and employee morale. Give us a call today!

The Changing Tides of Office Space Planning

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beautifully modern office space with glass partitionsMost people might not consider the fact that smart and successful companies take great consideration in how they organize their employees within their office space. The configuration of workers within a work space can profoundly impact productivity, office morale and culture, as well as fostering territory for creativity and problem solving. At the same time, office space planning reflects the changing trends in how people work and how they feel about their work. Here at Indoff Commercial Interiors we study these changing trends and how they help companies thrive, grow, and prosper.

The Early Stages

Early work spaces tended to put a greater emphasis on strict efficiency and often crowded workers in an open environment while the higher ups watched from an office behind closed doors. This was reminiscent of factory setups where the boss watched the workers from an elevated office. These early spaces focused solely on action and gave workers very little private space, individuality, or room for growth.

This then evolved into the well known cubicle. This was an era of office space planning focused solely on conserving space and resources. This led to rows and rows of square shaped areas separated with modular walls. These setups are infamous for creating a dull, robotic, and monotonous environment where the water cooler was the only respite from the isolating and impersonal spaces of the cubicle.

Modern Changes

The modern office world has made an attempt at tackling these traditional layouts, breaking them up, and integrating the need for a freer exchange of ideas. Many of the new concepts in office space planning include words such as co-working, cross-pollination, an incubation. All ideas that promote creative thinking and a richer environment that propels workflow and progress. The art of office space planning today is a delicate balance between privacy and communal work spaces that allow for more collaboration and engagement.

Design Productivity

Turn your office into more than just a place where people work.  With the right arrangement, your office will not only look great, but it will incite your employees to be more productive, creative, and propel your  company forward to better fulfill your mission and objectives. Call Indoff Commercial Interiors and join the revolution of creative office space planning and transform your business today.